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This will explain my stand on this issue.

This is a blatant lie of Barefaced Broadcasting Cooperation. BBC again does its usual distortion and spinning of facts and presentation of half truths. Without having pre conclusions of Sri Lanka, I ask intelligent readers to take a note following facts and then decide upon you yourself. At the outset I swear we Buddhists have no animosity towards Muslims and we tolerate every religion in Sri Lanka.

There is a court order to remove all the unauthorized structures from Anuradhapura Sacred City area (World Heritage city). The rule here is no new construction can be done in the UNESCO world heritage sites. That is why some of the new Buddhist structures were removed this year. The only exception was this new Muslim shrine. It is totally a lie that this structure was 300 years old. Everybody can see it is a new structure constructed in recent past.

Its boundaries are demarcated by the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. From the beginning of this year all the unauthorized structures were removed by the authorities. Even buildings constructed for Buddhist pilgrims to take rest and spend night were removed from limits enforced by the Archaeological Department. Some parts of the Buddhist Monks University in Anuradhapura were also removed. But this unauthorized so-called Muslim shrine did not obey this ruling.

Therefore, some Buddhist organizations complained about it to authorities. A Sri Lankan court gave a ruling to remove it. Archaeological Department advised Muslim clergy to remove this structure they themselves. Muslim clergy of this unauthorized structure did not heed to any of these warnings.

BBC pretends that it does not know any of these warnings and court orders. BBC simply wants to discredit Sri Lanka. During the past few weeks, news about court rulings and Archaeological Department warnings were in the media. But BBC shows it does not hear or read any of these. It is pathetic biased reporting.

At the end, villagers got together to remove this structure, because Buddhists can just look aside when their archaeological monuments are vandalised by other extreme religious groups. I do not blame all Muslims. A few small extreme groups who are funded by a Middle East country have popped up recently. They are responsible for this invasion. They had already vandalized several important Buddhist archaeological sites (e.g. Digavaapi temple, Muhudu Maha Viharaya). These invaders have destroyed several historical rock inscriptions dating about 2000 years. Some have blasted these rocks and used them for house constructions.

This has now become a trend, a kind of invasion leading to ultimate destruction of the original Buddhist archaeological sites in Sri Lanka. First they construct small shrine in Buddhist sites and then it is expanded with money flowing from Arabian countries. They do the constructions while burring or constructing exactly on top of the Archaeological monuments.

I am asking simple question from people who are ready to bash Sri Lanka in her every turn.

Will Muslims allow Buddhists to build a Buddhist temple in the heart of Mecca? It is same principle apply here. They have not only prohibited even a small construction related to other religions in their soils but also they have prohibited taking even a small Buddhist or any other religious statue into their country. TA good example of their intolerance is complete destruction of Bahamian Statues in Afghanistan.

But Buddhists will not behave like that. In fact Muslims can build their shrines in other areas in Sri Lanka. Buddhists will not obstruct such works. There are thousands of Muslim and other religious shrines everywhere in Sri Lanka. Nobody should construct ones shrines on top of other religious locations.
It is shame politicians like Anura Dissanayake fuel this false propaganda of the LTTE supporters.
No wonder that the JVP is going to reject from Sri Lankans for its leaders cowardice double game.
Please understand the real truth about this incident without pre judging Buddhists and Sri Lankans.

In reply to Dr IMS Satyaprasad quote “If there is a court ruling, there is a legal procedure to follow that up. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE PEOPLE TAKING POWER TO THEIR HANDS MUST BE ACCEPTED”

Dear Sir, you are absolutely right hypothetically. These villagers have acted because Buddhists cannot sleep until extremists vandalise all our cultural identity. They have done much destruction already in the eastern province. Villagers have brought this injustice to every relevant official. Even the Ministry of Buddha Sasana & Religious Affairs has advised several times to remove this structure. The Muslim clergies have not heeded to any warning. Buddhist villagers have failed in all their attempts.

In such occasions, public disobedience is well recognized principle everywhere in the world. I cite the book by Dr. Dayan Jayathilaka: ‘Fidel’s Ethics of Violence: The Moral Dimension of the Political Thought of Fidel Castro’.

On the other hand, do only Tamil extreme leaders have this right? You may know better than me what S.J.V. Chelvanayakam a so-called Ghandian follower did in 1950s and 1960.