A protest staged by a group of Buddhist monks outside the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo has concluded after demonstrators dismantled temporary shelters and cleared the area in compliance with a judicial directive. The demonstration had been organized to demand the release of the imprisoned Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera.
The dispersal followed an order issued by Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena, which prohibited Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thera and 54 other individuals from remaining within the premises of the Presidential Secretariat. Demonstrators subsequently took down the temporary structures erected at the location to honor the court’s instructions.
The gathering originated on the evening of Thursday (15), when monks assembled to press authorities for Gnanasara Thera’s release. Several participants sustained the demonstration overnight and continued their campaign into Friday (16), occupying the pavement situated on the opposite side of Galle Road, away from the Secretariat building.
Key Developments
- Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena issued an order barring Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thera and 54 others from remaining near the Presidential Secretariat.
- Monks dismantled their temporary shelters and left the protest site on the pavement opposite Galle Road.
- The demonstration, calling for the release of the imprisoned Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, spanned from Thursday evening into Friday.
The intervention by the magistrate’s court brought an end to the encampment, prompting the monks to pack up their camp and vacate the Galle Road vicinity entirely.