Sri Lanka, Nov. 17 -- The Chief Prelate of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya, Most Venerable Karagoda Uyangoda Maithri Murthy Thero, has sent a letter to the President regarding the incident in which police removed a Buddha statue from a temple premises in Trincomalee.

The letter states that the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in Trincomalee has been in existence since 1951 and is a duly registered temple under the Department of Buddhist Affairs as a temple belonging to the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya.

It further notes that in 2014, the ownership of the land on which the temple stands was confirmed by a grant deed issued by the then President.

Despite these facts, the letter states that the threats and challenges direct...