President Anura Kumara Dissanayake directly addresses the Sambodhi Temple dispute in Parliament, exposing political manipulation, illegal constructions and misleading narratives while warning that racist agendas will not shape Sri Lanka’s future.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, speaking in Parliament about the incident involving the Sambodhi Temple in Trincomalee, accused certain groups of attempting to use the situation to create a communal crisis. He noted that defeated political forces had no constructive slogans left and therefore their aim had become to manufacture a communal environment. The President said these parties were using communalism because they could not accuse the government of corruption, democracy failures or economic issues.
He explained that a detailed report had been requested from both the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Public Security regarding the incident. According to the President, the relevant book at the Trincomalee Police Station clearly states that the Buddha statue was brought to the police for security purposes. He said he had this note in hand and could present it to Parliament if necessary. He added that after the statue was placed at the police station, clashes erupted between the police and what he described as a racist group, which he said had used the moment to their advantage. Therefore, the statue was returned to its location and the necessary security was provided.
The President said an issue had arisen over an illegal construction and that the Director General of the Coastal Conservation Authority had issued an order to remove the illegal structure. The Secretary to the Ministry of Environment had also insisted that it be removed. During a discussion, the Venerable Thero had requested a week to approach the Court of Appeal. Although that time expired on the 14th, the President pointed out that the incident took place on the 16th.
He said the site had an old permit dating back to 2014, but despite being called a temple, “it has not been used as a temple in recent times. It has been used as a restaurant.” He added that the general public may believe a temple existed there, but in reality “there was no place for religious rituals there.”
Following the incident, discussions at the District Attorney’s office resulted in an agreement to survey the land and separate the areas belonging to the Coastal Conservation Unit and the temple grounds. The court ordered that no new construction should be done and the existing structures should not be removed until a ruling is given.
The President questioned why the issue was still being played out, insisting that “those racist groups are now setting fires everywhere.” He said racism will not be tolerated and that neither Buddhists nor Hindus, Catholics or Muslims would accept such actions. He concluded that attempts to revive old racist dramas belong only to history and not to the present or future of Sri Lanka.
