Buddhist monks march in Vavuniya as Sri Lanka escalates Sinhalisation
Sri Lanka’s ongoing campaign to Sinhalise Tamil sites continued last week as a large number of Buddhist monks, escorted by military and police personnel, marched towards the Vedukkunaari temple in Nedunkerni, Vavuniya.
The controversial march began on Shivaratri, a sacred day for Saiva Tamils.
The monks, carrying Buddhist flags, led a foot procession that continued for two days, with many local Tamil residents viewing this as yet another attempt by the Sri Lankan state to stamp Sinhala Buddhism in the North-East.
The Vedukkunaari hill temple, located in Nedunkerni, Vavuniya, has long been a sacred Hindu site for Saiva Tamils. However, in recent years, Sri Lankan authorities, along with Sinhalese Buddhist monks and the military, have been attempting to lay claim to the temple, gradually transforming it into a Buddhist site.
In 2021, Buddhist monks, accompanied by Sri Lankan security forces, placed a Buddha statue at the temple premises, despite opposition from local Tamil residents. In 2023, the Archaeological Department claimed the site as part of Sri Lanka’s “ancient Buddhist heritage” and attempted to prevent Tamil worshippers from conducting Hindu rituals.
Tamils have repeatedly protested against these encroachments, arguing that the Sri Lankan state is systematically erasing Tamil sites while building new Buddhist structures in areas with little to no Buddhist population.
The timing and nature of this recent Buddhist foot march alarmed local Tamils, who see it as an attempt to intimidate Hindu worshippers and establish Sinhalese dominance over the region.
Tamil activists have long warned that these actions amount to cultural genocide, systematically erasing the Tamil people's historical, religious, and territorial identity in the North-East.