A senior Buddhist leader in Sri Lanka has accused authorities of unjustly targeting monks and civilians involved in installing a Buddha statue in Trincomalee, claiming they were attacked and later imprisoned despite committing no crime, according to a letter addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Dr. Ittapane Dhammalankara Maha Thero, a prominent figure of the Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha of the Siam Maha Nikaya, stated that the group at Bodhirajaramaya in Trincomalee had only intended to install a Buddha statue and had engaged in no unlawful activity. The Thero, who also serves as Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Chief Incumbent of the Sri Dharma Vijayaloka Maha Viharaya in Rukmale, Pannipitiya, expressed deep concern over the imprisonment of ten individuals, including monks, following the incident in November 2025.
In his communication, the Thero said his observations were based on media reports and findings from a delegation sent by the Mahaviharavansika Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha to the site. He emphasized Sri Lanka’s historical identity as a land dedicated to Buddhism, noting that, according to tradition, past kings ceremonially offered the country to the Buddha on nine occasions.
The letter asserted that no other ethnic or religious groups had opposed the installation of the statue, attributing objections instead to a member of the Tamil diaspora and a representative within the government. The monks involved, he said, hold legal rights to the Bodhi Rajarama Temple, where a Bodhi tree has already been planted and is venerated.
Dhammalankara Maha Thero argued that placing a small Buddha statue on the foundation of a former Dharmashala destroyed by the 2004 tsunami would not harm the site, and he criticized plans to construct a new building there as misguided. He also described tensions that arose between police and participants during the incident, alleging that law enforcement acted arbitrarily and under political influence.
The Thero further claimed that the police ignored guidance from the Attorney General and pressured those involved to admit wrongdoing, a stance he rejected as unjustified. He characterized the filing of charges over what he described as a minor religious act as a serious offense against the Buddhist Sasana.
Appealing directly to the President, the Thero urged immediate government intervention to secure the release of the detained monks and others, framing the issue as both a legal and moral matter with broader implications for religious rights and heritage in Sri Lanka.
