Sri Lanka Police have denied that officers assaulted Buddhist monks at a protest in Colombo’s Viharamahadevi Park on Saturday, saying no complaint has been received about such an incident.
The Police Spokesman said no complaint had been lodged over the alleged assault on monks taking part in the protest. The Spokesman also warned that strict legal action would be taken against anyone spreading false information about the incident.
Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero was taken to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in a Suwa Seriya ambulance on Saturday after tensions broke out between police and protesters at the park. Participants in the protest alleged that police officers had assaulted the monk during the confrontation. Police rejected the allegation.
Ven. Kassapa Thero has since left the hospital, Newsfirst reported. The monks taking part in the protest have said they will continue it until their demands are addressed.
The protest is a satyagraha, a form of non-violent protest, demanding the release of imprisoned Buddhist monk Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero. The protesters moved to Viharamahadevi Park on Friday, 16 October, after a court order prevented them from remaining near the Presidential Secretariat.
Background
Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero is the general secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena, a Sinhala Buddhist organisation. He has been in and out of the courts for years. In 2018 he was jailed for contempt of court, and he was released after a presidential pardon in 2019.
Viharamahadevi Park is a large public park in central Colombo, close to the Town Hall and a short distance from the Galle Face area. Protests in the capital are often held near the Presidential Secretariat, which stands at Galle Face, and courts have in the past issued orders limiting where demonstrators may gather.
The Constitution of Sri Lanka guarantees the right to peaceful assembly, but the right is subject to restrictions that the law allows in the interests of public order, and courts can issue orders on the location and conduct of protests when police apply for them.
What it means
Residents and commuters in central Colombo may see a continued police and protester presence around Viharamahadevi Park while the satyagraha goes on. Roads near the park and the Galle Face area can be affected when protests grow or when police restrict access, so travellers are advised to check for traffic updates.
The two accounts of what happened at the park remain in conflict. Protesters allege an assault, while police say they have received no complaint. A formal complaint to police, or a medical report from the hospital, would be the usual way for the allegation to be investigated, and police have said they will act against false claims.
