Speaking to the media after visiting the Thero at the Trincomalee Prison, Weerawansa claimed that action had been taken selectively under the Coastal Conservation Act, without applying the law equally across all religious sites. He alleged that constructions carried out using what he described as scientific methods were targeted, while similar situations elsewhere were ignored.
Nine individuals, including Venerable Balangoda Kassapa Thero and four other monks, have been remanded until January 19 in connection with the incident related to a Buddha statue in Trincomalee.
The dispute arose on November 16, when the Thero and others staged a protest after police allegedly attempted to remove a Buddha statue placed on land said to belong to the Sri Sambuddhatva Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya along Kotuwa Road in Trincomalee.
Weerawansa further alleged that the arrests were influenced by directives from a minister of the National People’s Power (NPP), and warned that Coastal Conservation Officers could face legal and professional difficulties if they are forced to act in contradiction to the provisions of the Coastal Conservation Act.
