Sri Lankan police have arrested a man in Valaichchenai, Batticaloa, for removing an Archaeology Department signboard, even though the removal had been formally approved by the local Pradeshiya Sabha.
The incident has fuelled accusations that the police, Archaeology Department and Buddhist clergy are once again working in concert to seize Tamil lands in the North-East.
The arrest comes amid an aggressive police hunt for the Chairman of the Valachchenai Pradeshiya Sabha, who Sri Lankan media claim has gone into hiding after authorising the removal of multiple Archaeology Department boards across the district. The police response has been criticised as heavy-handed, disproportionate and politically motivated.
A video showing the signboards being dismantled circulated across social media last week. Local authorities maintain that the Archaeology Department unlawfully erected the boards without securing the mandatory approval required under the Pradeshiya Sabha Act. Despite this, the police have moved swiftly against Tamil officials and residents.
The Sri Lankan Police Media Spokesperson’s Office confirmed that one individual was arrested in the Kiran area and that several recovered boards are now in police custody. Four separate police teams have been deployed to track down the Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman, an operation that Tamil residents say starkly contrasts with the lack of urgency shown by the police when Tamil complaints are lodged against state-backed encroachments.
According to the Archaeology Department, installation of directional and informational signage at so-called archaeological sites in Batticaloa began on 3 November. The boards were removed on 22 November by individuals linked to the council after repeated complaints from local residents who viewed the sudden installations as yet another attempt to establish state-backed control over Tamil land.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament that investigations had begun to “arrest all those responsible” and that the case had already been reported to court. He vowed legal action against anyone accused of interfering with “state property and archaeological heritage”.
Tamil officials, however, point out that the “heritage” being protected overwhelmingly aligns with Sinhala-Buddhist claims, while Tamil religious and cultural sites receive no such state protection. The incident adds to a growing list of confrontations in the Eastern Province where Tamils and local authorities find themselves criminalised for defending their land against the expanding reach of the Archaeology Department.