Anuradhapura protest continues as opposition leader alleges police mistreatment

Buddhist monks and supporters are continuing a satyagraha near Anuradhapura's Ruwanweliseya over the government's Sacred City Development Plan. Protesters say they want Buddhist heritage protected. Their claims about threats to the sacred area remain contested, rather than independently established findings.

The Chief Magistrate's Court has ordered five monks to appear on November 20 following a dispute over a November 7 order to leave the site. Lawyers seek to lift that order, arguing the protest does not obstruct the public. Police dispute that account. A summons is not a conviction or a final resolution of those opposing submissions.

UPDATE: Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila accused the government of using police to attack peaceful protesters and remove them forcibly. He said footage showed other people initiating clashes but alleged that police arrested monks instead. These are his accusations; the report does not independently establish who began the confrontation or direct government responsibility.

Gammanpila also said Buddhists would resist damage to archaeological evidence or restrictions on monks' rights under the development plan. No immediate government response to his latest remarks was included in the report. His warning does not establish that archaeological material has already been destroyed.

Earlier disturbances led to arrests and police intervention. The protesters' legal arguments, police submissions and opposition criticism are distinct accounts. The ongoing dispute should not be presented as a court finding that the plan is unlawful or that the alleged mistreatment has been proven.