Locals Halt Police Attempt to Build Buddhist Shrine Near Omanthai Police Station

A tense situation unfolded this afternoon near the Omanthai Police Station in Vavuniya, where residents and local politicians halted an unauthorized attempt by police officers to clear and and begin constructing a Buddhist shrine.

The incident occurred around 12 PM when police personnel began cleaning a piece of land, claimed by private parties—located adjacent to the A9 highway, near the Omanthai Police Station. The police also began erecting a fence around the property, reportedly in preparation for building a Buddhist place of worship (vihara).

However, residents, along with political representatives including Vavuniya Urban Council Chairman S. Kandipan, Vavuniya South Tamil Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman P. Balendran, Vavuniya North PS Deputy Chairman S. Sanjuthan, TNPF District Organizer S. Thavapalan, and former provincial councilor S. Mayuran, intervened and demanded that the police vacate the land.

According to local sources, the land in question had already been discussed in a recent Divisional Secretariat coordination meeting, where concerns were raised about the police attempting to unlawfully acquire and develop the land. Despite a written directive from the Divisional Secretary explicitly instructing the police not to undertake any development work on the land, the officers proceeded with the clearing and fencing today.

It is also alleged that the police encroached on land owned by a local multipurpose cooperative society and a private individual. Locals view this as an illegal land grab under the guise of religious development, sparking strong opposition and calls for accountability.

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