{"id":115776,"date":"2021-07-04T17:36:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-05T00:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=115776"},"modified":"2021-07-05T14:54:53","modified_gmt":"2021-07-05T21:54:53","slug":"erasing-the-eelam-victory-pt-16-a2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/07\/04\/erasing-the-eelam-victory-pt-16-a2\/","title":{"rendered":"ERASING THE EELAM VICTORY PT 16 A2"},"content":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

The LTTE had a deep hatred of Buddhism and showed it by repeated attacks on temples, bhikkhus and   worshippers.  LTTE attacked sri Maha Bodhi and Dalada Maligawa .There was also an inhuman massacred of samanera at Arantalawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LTTE  ATTACK \nAT  ARANTALAWA <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On June 2nd 1987 the samanera from a temple in\nMahavapi  in the eastern province, with\nthe Chief Priest Ven. Hegoda Indrasara and few civilians set off on a\npilgrimage  to Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara.<\/a>  They\nwere stopped near the village of Nuwerathanne by 20 armed LTTE. The driver was\nordered to drive the bus in to the jungles of Arantalawa, the samanera and others\nwere attacked     with swords and knives\nby the LTTE and then shot. Altogether 31 monks and three civilians were killed,\nincluding the chief monk. Four novice monks escaped death with critical\ninjuries and three are living with medical aid. One is permanently disabled.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, Ven.\nAndaulpatha Buddhasara who survived the Arantalawa massacre of Buddhist monks\nfiled a fundamental rights application, asking the acting IGP to file a case\nagainst LTTE cadres who were responsible for the attack. The thera also asked\nfor Rs. 20 million as compensation.[2]<\/a> The\npetitioner monk was fifteen years and six months at the time of the attack. He\nhas suffered disability.[3]<\/a>\nThe petitioner has demanded four million rupees in damages from the State.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2003, the Helabima Organisation<\/a> and the STF (Special Task Force) built a monument near the place where the massacre occurred. This monument stands alone in the middle of the jungles of Arantalawa<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In\n2013, a memorial museum was built on this location using the same bus in which\nthese monks were traveling. The gruesome last minutes of these small novice\nmonks has been re created inside this bus by a local artist. This exhibit is\nopen to public.[5]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monument of Arantalawa Massacre <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SEE\nBELOW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A farmer M. H. Kiriappu, 60, weeps as he looks at a photograph at an exhibition in Colombo, of his Buddhist monk son, Ven. Thaligamuwe Uparatane who was killed by LTTE terrorists in Arantalawa 20 years ago. <\/strong>[6]<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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