In a video published on YouTube, Sinhala Buddhist monk Kirulapona Dhammawijaya blames the protesters for the downfall of the Rajapaksa, claiming that they have not only destroyed the rule of Sinhala Buddhism in the country.
Former Sri Lankan human rights commissioner Ambika Satkunananathan maintained that aragalaya (struggle) did not finish with Rajapaksa's resignation rather, he was "only a symptom of the problem".
In the video, he further expresses his contempt towards Tamils and religious minorities, including Muslims and Catholics. He further pointed to the Mullaitivu Court order on Kurundhoormalai temple as a threat to Buddhism. The court order removed the illegally built Buddhist shrine imposed on the ancient Tamil temple in the district’s Thannimurippu area.
Writing in The Diplomat last November, former US for religious minorities during both the Obama and Trump administrations, Knox Thames has urged for international pressure and sanctions on Sri Lanka to force a change in the government's policy of religious persecution against Hindus, Christians, and Muslims.
The diplomat's statements follow two damning reports on religious freedom in Sri Lanka by the Cristian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom which have highlighted the degradation of religious freedom on the island.
The video statement follows a statement released by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) which praised Gotabaya’s record for “ending terrorism”.
In his role as defence secretary, Rajapaksa oversaw the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils in what is becoming increasingly recognised as a genocide.
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