Buddhist monks condemn autonomy for Tamils

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 November 2001, 16:41 GMT]
Hundreds of Buddhist monks protested in Colombo Monday against granting an interim administrative council to run the northern and eastern parts of the island. The Sri Lankan government alleges that there is an insidious conspiracy by the United National party against the Sinhala people to hand over the northeastern province to the Liberation Tigers. President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Sinhala nationalists say that granting the LTTE the interim administration is treason. The protest was organised by the National Movement for the Defence of the Unitary State.

The monks marched from the Thilakarama Buddhist Temple in Borella in Colombo and held a protests meeting near the Viharamahadevi Park. The main speakers urged the Sinhalese to defeat the treacherous attempt to divide Sri Lanka by setting up the proposed Interim Administrative Council for the north and east.

Radios, TV stations and newspapers run by the state have hinged the propaganda blitz of the ruling People’s Alliance on the ‘argument’ that the UNP has a secret pact with the LTTE and that the Tigers will establish a separate state if they are given the proposed Interim Administrative Council.

Buddhist monks marching in Colombo against the alleged 'conspiracy' by the UNP to establish an interim administrative council for the north and east.

(Photo: TamilNet)