Attempt to erect another Buddha statue foiled

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 May 2005, 15:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army and Police Sunday morning around 11 a.m. jointly removed the Buddha statue that was erected overnight Saturday on the roadside along Ehambaram Street in Kerniyady, a suburb in Trincomalee town, Police said. Building materials left behind by unidentified persons to build a shrine were also removed by the Police. Kerniyady is situated about one km off north of Trincomalee-Uppuveli road in close proximity of Sinnathoduvai Pillaiyar Kovil and Trincomalee Railway Station.

The matter was immediately brought to the notice of the top officials of the SLA and Police. Thereafter a contingent of army and personnel rushed to the site and stopped the construction work and removed all building materials from the site and the statue, police said.

This exercise was carried out after the return of a team led by the Defence Secretary Major General Asoka Jayawardene and comprising Rear Admiral Daya Sandagiri, Army Commander Shantha Kottegoda, Air Force Commander Donald Perera and Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando to Colombo from Trincomalee.