Asanga Keerthy Ranasinghe and H M Jayarathna come from Deeghavaapi village in Ampara. Keerthy is the local representative member of the Pradeshiya Sabha while Jayarathna is an active member of the government sponsored ‘Rata Nagamu Api Vavamu’ programme and Deeghvaapi Surakeeme Sangvidhanaya. These two youth take a keen interest concerning protection of Sinhala Buddhist cultural property specially in their area against encroachment.
Taking a little breather from their exhaustive work, on April 13th, also being the new years day, they strolled towards the village bazaar around 4 pm. Suddenly they were sat upon by a mob of Muslim and a few supposed to be Sinhala youth including one Bandula Sarath Kumara. A brother of Minister Mrs Ferrial Ashroff had being conducting the assault from the side. Keerthy and Jayarathna were beaten so badly Keerthy sustained head injuries and was rendered unconscious. They were admitted to a local hospital.
Keerthy continued to have spells of unconsciousness and the medical opinion was initially to keep him interned as he was seriously ill. Then a Muslim doctor took charge of the activities temporarily and discharged Keerthy although he was still seriously ill.
Local Sinhala youth of Ampara area are adamant that they are being discriminated and are subjected to undesirable experiences by the Muslim under the protection of Mrs Ashroff a government minister. Signs of plundering of Sinhala Buddhist heritage property do exist.
Taking a little breather from their exhaustive work, on April 13th, also being the new years day, they strolled towards the village bazaar around 4 pm. Suddenly they were sat upon by a mob of Muslim and a few supposed to be Sinhala youth including one Bandula Sarath Kumara. A brother of Minister Mrs Ferrial Ashroff had being conducting the assault from the side. Keerthy and Jayarathna were beaten so badly Keerthy sustained head injuries and was rendered unconscious. They were admitted to a local hospital.
Keerthy continued to have spells of unconsciousness and the medical opinion was initially to keep him interned as he was seriously ill. Then a Muslim doctor took charge of the activities temporarily and discharged Keerthy although he was still seriously ill.
Local Sinhala youth of Ampara area are adamant that they are being discriminated and are subjected to undesirable experiences by the Muslim under the protection of Mrs Ashroff a government minister. Signs of plundering of Sinhala Buddhist heritage property do exist.
