Sri Lanka Suspends Disgraced Top Buddhist Monk

Colombo: The powerful Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka on Saturday stripped a senior monk facing charges of child abuse after weeks of relentless pressure.

Pallegama Hemarathana, one of the most prominent Buddhist monks, was on May 14 ordered to be remanded after being arrested on May 9 following an investigation into a case of child sexual abuse.

The 71-year-old monk is accused of abusing a 15-year-old girl in the temple premises located in the north central capital of Anuradhapura. He, however, spent time in hospital without being transferred to jail until May 22, when he was granted bail.

The law enforcement and the Buddhist hierarchy came under criticism for attempts to go slow on the powerful monk and there was relentless pressure from all quarters.

The Malwatta chapter of the monks based in the central town of Kandy on Saturday said it’s working committee met earlier in the day, having summoned the accused monk, and decided to suspend him from his chief’s position pending the conclusion of the ongoing judicial procedure.

Another senior monk has been named to be the acting chief, a release said.

The monk was heading Atamasthana, the most venerated eight Buddhist shrines, including the Sri Maha Bodhi, the holiest shrine next to the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and has expanding influence on the 74 per cent Buddhist majority. These eight shrines are a world heritage site visited by tens of thousands of Buddhist pilgrims.

His arrest came after weeks of investigations led by the National Child Protection Authority. The child’s mother was also arrested for aiding and abetting child abuse. PTI CORR NPK NPK