Chief Priest, driver and van attacked

by Sithara Pathirana-Wednesday, 21 Aug 2013

Chief Priest of the Mahiyangana Rotalawala Temple, Watareka Vijitha Thera, who is also a UPFA Mahiyangana Municipal Councillor, and his driver, were allegedly attacked by a group of about 30 persons on Monday (19).

The priest was travelling to Colombo from Mahiyangana in a van with his driver, when he was attacked. Vijitha Thera who spoke to Ceylon Today said, "When traffic in the Pilimatalawa area was heavy, and vehicles were crawling, I heard someone shout 'there he is.' Suddenly, around 30 men, armed with swords and poles broke the windows of the van and eventually removed the rear sliding door, before they attacked me and my driver."

He said though the driver attempted to drive them to safety, the group travelling in three double cabs and three-wheelers, had surrounded the van three times while they were moving, and had continued to attack them. Eventually, the priest and the driver had been able to reach the Kegalle Police Station. One of the double cabs that had kept following the van, had also arrived at the police station and the men in it had berated the priest before taking off.

The priest believes the reason for the attack was because of a speech he had made at a festival in Badulla, which apparently had been a topic of discussion internationally as well, as it had served to promote religious harmony as well as focusing on issues faced by the Muslim community in the recent past.

Vijitha Thera said that this was not the first time that certain extremist Buddhist factions had resorted to attacking priests who work towards establishing religious harmony while shunning extremism.

He said the head of one such faction has publicly declared himself as the unofficial police who could commit any wrong, if he so wishes, "is this what a united country requires?" the priest questioned, challenging the head to engage in an open debate with him in the presence of the media.

Vijitha Thera who was admitted to a well-known hospital in Colombo, said he will discharge himself as soon as possible before being subjected to further attacks.

However, Police Spokesperson, Buddhika Siriwardana, said prior to the attack, the van that the priest was travelling in had fled after colliding with a lorry, and the Peradeniya Police are carrying out investigations regarding the accident.

No one has been arrested with regard to the attack on Vijitha Thera.

 Sri Lanka Buddhist extremists attack a Buddhist monk for preaching ethnic harmony
Tue, Aug 20, 2013, 11:27 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Aug 20, Colombo: A Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka today accused the Sinhala Buddhist extremist organization Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) of assaulting him for preaching ethnic harmony among communities.
The aggrieved monk, Watareka Vijitha Thero is the chief incumbent of Mahaweli Temple of Mahiyanganya.
The Sinhala Buddhist extremist organization was reportedly angered by a speech delivered by Vijitha Thero at a function organized by Upcountry Muslim Council during the Ramadan period.
The Thero has criticized the extremism of the BBS in his speech and called for peaceful coexistence among different communities.
The Thero said that he was assaulted by the Kandy district organizer of BBS who is also a Buddhist monk and a group led by him as he was traveling to Colombo.

The monk's driver has later driven the vehicle to Kegalle police station where Vijitha Thero has sought police protection.