Ven. Ampitiye Seelawansatissa Thera, the Chief Sanghanayake of the Eastern Tamankaduwa Division of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya and Viharadhipathi of several Rajamaha Viharas in the area, visited the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) headquarters in Nelum Mawatha, Battaramulla, to discuss the incident reported on 16 November at the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in Trincomalee.
The visit followed the circulation of a video on social media showing a tense situation during the alleged installation of a Buddha statue at the temple’s Dhamma School on Sunday (16) night. The incident triggered controversy within the Buddhist community and led to heated debate in Parliament yesterday (17). The Buddha statue which was taken to the Police station on Sunday night, brought back to the land on Monday (18). It’s alleged that due to police intervention, two monks have sustained injuries and hospitalised.
Background and Historical Claims
Meanwhile, a number of facts about the temple premises and surrounding land have been overlooked in public discussions:
- A temple is said to have existed at the site since 1951, with documentation to support this claim.
- During periods of heightened security concerns, the original vihara premises were reportedly shifted near an army camp located further inside the area.
- Villagers say former students of the old Dhamma School still live in Trincomalee.
- The original building was completely destroyed during the 2004 tsunami, after which the land came under the management of the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resources Management Department (CCD).
- In 2014, then President Mahinda Rajapaksa reportedly granted 40 perches of land to the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya through a Pooja Bhoomi deed.
- While the land ownership lies with the temple, the CCD manages coastal conservation, and the temple has fenced the premises for security.
- Residents state that there is already a large Bo tree and at least one Buddha statue in the vicinity, contradicting claims that no Buddhist shrine existed.
Dispute Centred on a Small Shop
Residents say the main dispute is not the Dhamma School but a small shop located on the same 40-perch property. The shop was reportedly operated by the daughter and son-in-law of the UNP Trincomalee organiser, Deepani Liyanage, though villagers claim a previous police complaint over alleged unauthorised land use had later been withdrawn.
L. Thilak Perera, who had been running the shop, told journalist Shabeer Mohamed that the property was leased to him as a Viharasthana Welfare Shop to provide an income stream for the temple. He said no formal permits existed at the time, except the 2014 deed, and that initial construction began with posts and temporary structures.
According to Perera, the CCD and municipal authorities later stopped the work citing unauthorised construction and instructed him to obtain approvals from agencies including the Ministry of Buddhist Affairs, the CCD, the Marine Environment Protection Authority, the Central Environmental Authority, the Urban Council, and the Road Development Authority.
He said the CCD subsequently issued a permit (CCCRN/ADC/6578), but in 2024 the Urban Council filed a case against him for exceeding the permitted boundaries. The case remains before court.
In July 2025, the CCD cancelled the permit, citing further violations, and ordered the immediate removal of the structure. Police and CCD officials had reportedly reached an agreement with the temple to resolve the matter within seven working days. That period ended last Friday (14).
Allegations of Unauthorised Construction
A senior police officer familiar with the matter said the issue centres on unauthorised expansion beyond the permitted square footage.
He said the CCD has authority under coastal protection laws to regulate any construction—religious or otherwise—along the coastline, and that the disputed structure had exceeded approved limits.
The officer added that a Buddha statue had been placed at the site on Sunday (16), shortly before tensions escalated.
