• No one is allowed to carry out construction at sites which have been identified as archaeologically important

By Yohan Perera 

Federation for Organisations for Protecting National Heritage yesterday said it will file legal action against the Minister of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage Vidura Wickramanayake and Director General Department of Archaeology for violation of laws pertaining to preservation of historical sites. 

Venerable Medagoda  Abayatissa Thera told a press conference that the organisation he represents will file action against the Minister and the Director General of Archaeological Department  for violating the Archaeological Sites of National Importance Act 16 of 1990 through  their action with regard to historical KurundiTemple in the North..” No one is allowed to carry out construction at sites which have been identified as archaeologically important as per the act. A Hindu temple is being constructed at the site currently in violation of the law. Therefore we will file a case calling the Supreme Court’s to hand over the Buddhist Temple,” he said. 

“The Mahawansa had confirmed that the Kurundi Buddhist Temple has existed from 5th century BC. There are more than 200 Buddhist religious sites in the North and the East,” he said. 

Former senior Military officer Jagath Dias said the Sri Lankan security forces have been able to identify hundreds of Buddhist religious sites during the war. “We have been able to confirm what has been written in history books,” he said. 

Also, it was revealed that the Commissioner General Department of Archaeology has defied the order given by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to submit the report on excavations of historical sites to him in two weeks. “We wonder why the report on excavations is being held without publishing it,” Venerable Abeytissa Thera said. 

• The Mahawansa had confirmed that the Kurundi Buddhist Temple has existed from 5th century BC. There are more than 200 Buddhist religious sites in the North and the East