By BBC SINHALA –
Mahanayaka of the Rangiri Dambulu chapter Inamaluwe Sumangala thero
A senior Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka who led the protest in Dambulla against a mosque and a Hindu Kovil charged the video footage reporting the attack was fake.
Over a thousand people waving Buddhist flags forcibly stopped Friday prayers in the Masjidul Kairiya mosque in Dambulla and destroyed the contents of the mosque.
Peaceful and democratic
The Mahanayaka of the Rangiri Dambulu chapter Inamaluwe Sumangala thero told BBC Sandeshaya that he only led a ‘peaceful and democratic protest against illegal constructions’.
He maintained that no violence was used.
Media organisations denied doctoring footage of the attack on the Dambulla mosque last week.
Technically manipulated
The convenor of the Free Media Movement (FMM), Sunil Jayasekera said the claim by Ven. Sumangala is an attempt to cover up the violence unleashed against the minorities in the country.
“Videos that portrayed the protest as violent were technically manipulated,” said the Mahanayaka thero who also heads a media outlet.
“We saw the video footage on several television stations and have no reason to believe that the images were doctored.” said Jayasekera.
unprecedented behaviour by monks
Ada Derana TV which reported the attack on the mosque denied the allegation that the videos were technically manipulated.
“We have not carried any doctored footage of the Dambulla violence and we stand by the authenticity of the material sent by our local correspondents,” a spokesperson for Ada Derana told BBC Sandeshaya.
The raw footage had to be edited to maintain the dignity of the people who participated in the protest, added the spokesperson.
Journalists at the scene had reported unprecedented behaviour by demonstrators.
BBC’s Charles Haviland in Colombo says that a monk was seen exposing himself against the mosque as an insult.
pittakotte / April 29, 2012
Are there any other religious priests behaving the same way as these out of controlled buddhist priests ???? do they have excessive testesterone? can any one highlight on this to me?. The buddhism has been highjacked by these preachers in the name of 5 precepts which they themselves do not observe. Just frighten the followers in the name of religion. Like the priest threatened the then child if she told his little secret to others her father would die. How awful that can be as a well respected buddhist priest teaching buddhism. These stories are all on the news papers for every one to read lately.
/
Pandu / May 2, 2012
This is disgraceful behaviour on the part of the monks. I am ashamed to be Buddhist.
/
Davina / June 8, 2012
Technical manipulation is possible to certain extents but to engineer a video to such extent that a peaceful rally can be doctored to become a riot???
Why not blame C4 for this also?
Our people need to open their eyes urgently. They need to see beyond the 4 walls that surround them now before it is too late…
/