A sit-in near the Ruwanweli Maha Seya in Anuradhapura entered its third day on 9 November, with Buddhist monks and lay protesters vowing to remain until the Government withdraws the Gazette notification on the Anuradhapura Sacred City Development Plan.
The protest, led by Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thera, began on the morning of 7 November at the dansala grounds near the stupa. Police intervened when protesters attempted to put up a temporary platform. Police said they had previously told the group to refrain from putting up temporary structures at the site.
Tensions escalated after a man supporting the protest got into an argument with another man who had arrived at the site. When police attempted to arrest the men, monks intervened and a scuffle followed. The unrest lasted nearly an hour, and the monks said several of them, including Kassapa Thera, sustained minor injuries.
Two civilians were arrested on allegations of obstructing police officers in the performance of their duties. Tests on one of the men reportedly indicated that he had used heroin and cannabis.
Following a request from the Anuradhapura Headquarters Police, the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court ordered Kassapa Thera, Udita Nishantha and other protesters to leave the sacred precinct, including the areas around the Ruwanweli Maha Seya and Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. The order also directed them to remove temporary tents and structures and to refrain from damaging archaeological monuments.
The protesters remained at the site after the order was issued. Police officers visited on 8 November to inform them of the order, and officers from the Anuradhapura Divisional Crime Investigation Unit recorded a statement from Kassapa Thera that night. Protesters also began collecting public signatures.
The development plan, gazetted by the National Physical Planning Department on 27 February 2026, proposes expanding the sacred area from about 28 to 38 square kilometres, with an investment of up to Rs. 8.8 billion. Critics have raised concerns about its potential impact on Anuradhapura’s Buddhist heritage and the sanctity of the site.
National Physical Planning Department Director General Ruchira Withana said critics had misinterpreted the Gazette. He said the plan did not propose building new Hindu temples, shrines or flower-offering platforms, or restricting worshippers’ religious observances. He said the fence near the Ruwanweli Maha Seya was installed to protect the archaeological site and keep out stray animals, and that there were plans to replace it with a living fence.
The Ministry of Buddhasasana’s media secretary said the chief incumbent of the Atamasthana, members of the Buddhist clergy and several public institutions had taken part in preparing the plan. He said the Government was funding the initial work and that India had yet to provide any financial assistance for the project.
