Sri Lanka Police Clarify Situation Regarding Removal of Buddha Statue at Trincomalee Beach Amidst Public Unrest
TRINCOMALEE, SRI LANKA – The Sri Lanka Police Media Division has issued a detailed statement clarifying the sequence of events surrounding the removal of a Buddha statue from the coastal area within the Trincomalee Harbour Police Division. The clarification comes in response to videos circulating on social media depicting moments of unrest and alleged violence, which the police assert have been used to create false narratives.
The police statement aims to set the record straight regarding the incident, which occurred on [Date mentioned in source: November 16, 2025], emphasizing that the primary motive for removing the statue was to prevent a major breakdown of ethnic harmony and secure the statue itself from potential damage.
The Origin of the Conflict: Illegal Construction
The unrest began when officials from the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department filed a complaint at the Trincomalee Harbour Police Station on November 16, 2025. The complaint alleged that the Venerable Theros (monks) and the Dayaka (lay devotees) of the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in the Trincomalee town area were attempting to place a Buddha statue and construct an unauthorized shrine within the coastal conservation zone.
According to the police account:
- Unauthorized Construction: Police officials, led by the Divisional Officer-in-Charge, visited the site and requested that the construction be halted, as it was being carried out without the necessary permissions.
- Previous Warning: This incident follows a previous written notification issued by the Ministry of Environment on October 16, 2025, to the Chief Incumbent of the same Viharaya, located on Post Office Road, Trincomalee. This previous notice had also instructed the removal of a similar unauthorized construction in an adjacent area.
- Defiance: Despite the official warnings and police intervention on November 16, the construction and the installation of the Buddha statue proceeded.
Police Action to Prevent Communal Strife
The police observed that the unauthorized installation of the statue in a coastal area, which is highly sensitive and populated by diverse ethnic and religious groups, carried a high risk of creating ethnic disharmony and unrest.
The statement clarified the critical decision to remove the statue:
“The Sri Lanka Police noted that this incident had the potential to create disunity among the nations [ethnic groups]. Since this is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious area, the police observed that if any subversive individual took advantage of the situation to cause damage to the Buddha statue, it could lead to a major issue in maintaining peace and co-existence in the region.”
To avert this potentially devastating scenario, the police took the decisive action to safely remove the Buddha statue from the disputed location and temporarily relocate it to the Trincomalee Harbour Police Station for security. This action, the police stressed, was solely taken for the protection of the statue and to maintain regional peace.
Clarification on Alleged Police Brutality
The police specifically addressed the video footage circulating on social media that suggested violence was used to quell the crowd:
The statement confirmed that when police attempted to stop the unauthorized construction based on the Coast Conservation Department’s complaint, a crowd gathered at the location and began behaving in a riotous manner. While the police intervened to control the situation, they firmly denied using any force against the Venerable Sangha (monks) or the general public.
Resolution and Legal Follow-up
The police concluded their statement by confirming that the situation in the region is currently peaceful. Crucially, the police facilitated an agreement between the relevant parties, resulting in the decision to return the temporarily secured Buddha statue to the Venerable Sangha and the Dayaka Sabha (the lay society).
Furthermore, the Police Media Division confirmed that the facts relating to the incident were scheduled to be reported to the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court on [Date mentioned in source: November 17, 2025], indicating that the legal aspects of the unauthorized construction remain pending.
The incident underscores the ongoing complexities of land use and religious-ethnic sensitivities in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, requiring measured and often interventionist actions by law enforcement to preserve communal harmony.
