FIERY PROTEST BY MONK

update 8.30 p.m.
Monk who sets himself on fire, dies

Bowatte Indaratana Thero who set himself on fire on a protest against cattle slaughter close to Queen's Hotel opposite Dalada Maligawa in Kandy passed away as reported by Dr.Anil Jayasinghe of the Colombo National Hospital.

The life of the monk who was treated at the ICU in Colombo after being burnt was beyond rescue as the interior organs of his body had been badly burnt.

update 8.30 a.m.
DID THE MONK SET HIMSELF ON FIRE BECAUSE OF A PROTEST AGAINST CATTLE SLAUGHTER?

The monk who set himself on fire in front of the Dalada Maligawa on Wesak Poya Full Moon Day yesterday by this time is under treatment at the ICU at the Colombo National Hospital and is in a critical condition. Hospital sources said that the monk's life is at risk because of serious burnt injuries.

     Though it is known that the monk has set himself on fire in this manner because of a protest against cattle slaughter, the police are conducting inquiries as to whether a personal reason is at the back of this incident.

    Though the monk has set himself on fire near the Bo Tree facing the Queen's Hotel close to the entrance of the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy without a protest or by fasting against cattle slaughter, the police were able to recover the National Identity card of the monk, the identity copy to prove that he is a member of the PC and a number of letters which had been retained in a bag at a place close to the Bo Tree. According to one such document, he states therein that he is to set himself on fire because his protests against cattle slaughter has so far not brought forth any positive results.

     Before committing this final act, he had called forth the media cameraman and told him about it. But it is doubtful whether anybody would give up cattle slaughter because of such an immolation. The police who went in search of particulars about the monk were now able to gather some details about him. This thero who is a member of the Jathika Hela Urumaya is Bowatte Indarathana by name. He lives in a temple in Pelmadulla area and was elected as a committee of the Pelmadulla PC representing the United National Freedom Alliance on the Jathika Hela Urumaya ticket. However, though he attended the meetings for some time,he had later abstained from participation in meetings for quite a period and had been expelled from membership about 3 months ago according to the regulations. The President of the PC states that as the monk had been involved in a certain indisciplinary act, he had been so expelled from the Jathika Hela Urumaya too and that an official letter had been sent to this effect by the JHU to the PC 2 weeks ago. What the indisciplinary act has so far not been revealed.

    The police suspect that this thero may have been hurt about the incident aforementioned and that he had committed suicide in this manner on Wesak Poya amidst this issue.

     Those who were eye-witnesses on the occasion give evidence saying that this monk who came near the Bo Tree had suddenly thrown aside a bag and had thrown petrol over his body from a can and then set himself on fire with a lighter.

     The fact that this incident was videod by the cameraman by itself is a wonder.

     As the STF, a crowd at some danselas and a large number of pilgrims were in the vicinity, people on seeing the incident had taken steps to extinguish the fire immediately; but as the fire spread without control, efforts taken were to no avail.

     It was after that that arrangements were taken to admit the monk to the Kandy Hospital and later taken to Colombo by helicopter.

     What was mentioned in the document in the travelling bag of the monk was that though about 5,000 cattle were killed daily and that all efforts taken by him with protests of Walks had been to no avail, he had arrived at this decision.

     The monk is presently in a serious condition and is undergoing treatment. Police inquiries in this connection are continuing.