REBEL JHU BUDDHIST MONK ACCUSES SPEAKER LOKUBANDARA OF AIDING AND ABETTING ABDUCTION OF FELLOW PARLIAMENTARIAN
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
May 09, 07.15 AM: The rebel Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentarian Venerable Aparekke Punnananda Thero accused the Speaker of Sri Lanka’s parliament W.J. M. Lokubandara of aiding and abetting the crime of abducting and later making tender his resignation of Venerable Kathaluwe Rathanseeha from the seat of parliament under duress.
Containing very serious accusations of the island nations very first recorded abduction of a parliamentarian the rebel Buddhist monk parliamentarian Aparekke Punnananda Thero in a letter addressed to the accused Speaker of the House W.J.M. Lokubandara said by failing to inform the Police of the arrival of the abducted Thero in the company of the alleged abductors with the letter of resignation at the Parliament following the most publicized abduction of Venerable Rathanaseeha the Speaker aided and abetted the abduction and tendering the letter of resignation under duress from the seat of the parliament .
He also charged that the Secretary General of the Parliament also joined the Speaker in this alleged aiding and abetting of the crime by following the Speaker.
The Speaker , a protégé of the Leader of the Opposition , Ranil Wickremesinghe , whose government was defeated at the last general elections was elected to Sri Lanka’s high position of the Speaker with the help of the alleged abductors, the Buddhist monk parliamentarians of the Jathika Hela Urumaya.
The JHU Buddhist monk, Aparekke Punnananda Thero who were accused together with the abducted Buddhist monk of going against their party, by the party hierarchy, said in his letter to the Speaker that a clique of “Yellow Cats” in the JHU were aiming “at our rights as well as our lives.”
Calling the aided and abetted abduction and forced resignation a “grave precedent” Venerable Punnananda said he and the abducted monk Venerable Kathaluwe Rathanaseeha Thero were looked upon with disfavor by a few Buddhist monks in the JHU and the leaders of the Sihala Urumaya, a political party of laymen, who manage the JHU behind the scenes.
They looked upon the two monks with disfavor, “as we were not prepared to betray the mandate we got from the people at their bidding.”
He further accused, “ These vile and vicious individuals threatened us with death , not once or twice by many a times by phone and also in the parliament , demanding us to resign from our parliamentary seats.”
This is the second time Buddhist monks in politics were accused of extreme violence in Sri Lanka’s history, after the assassination of a former Prime Minister the Late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike by two Buddhist monks Mapitigama Buddharakkhitha and Thalduwe Somarama. The Supreme Court convicted both after lengthy trials.
The Venerable Thera asked many questions on the conduct of the JHU monks regarding their arguments that it was not abduction and not a resignation under duress.
He said the lay devotees were attacked when protested against the abduction. Were they ghosts who attacked them then, the letter asked.
The letter also reminded that he later phoned Venerable Ariyadhaja Thero of Panadura and requested him to lock the gate and the doors of the temple as they were left open at his departure.
The rebel JHU parliamentarian asked if he left them open willingly on his own why did he asked the Venerable Ariyadhaja to lock them.
He said the Police had the statement of the driver of the vehicle in which the Buddhist monk parliamentarian was abducted. He asked whether. The driver’s statement was false.
Venerable Punnananda said, that while he asked police protection for his temple the abducted monk failed to do so. The abducted monk thought that the opponents of them were Buddhist monks they would not resort to violence He said he asked for such protection since he knew “the horrendous nature of those vile groups behind the JHU.”
Venerable Punnananda Thero said in his letter , if there was no abduction why did not Rev. Kolonnawe Sumangala , an accused abductor, did not allow Venerable Rathanaseeha to move freely.
The letter addressed to the Speaker said , following the alleged abduction of the Monk MP on May 17, “Before 4.30 p.m. on may 18 Venerable Kolonnawe Sumangala Thera to parliament in a luxury vehicle . Venerable Kathaluwe Rathanaseeha Thero had to hand over his letter of resignation to the Secretary General of the parliament while all others were surrounding him. “
The Thera asked the Speaker in his letter , “Tomorrow, if this robed group of Hela Urumaya abduct me , threaten and pressurize me to a situation where I allow myself to be brought to hand over my letter of resignation under duress, you will accept it.”
The letter questioned the Speaker, “Is it being law abiding? Is it how you perform your duty?’
The letter alleged, that the Kolonnanwe Sumangala Thero kept Venerable Rathanseeha Thero in custody. “A media briefing was held there on May 18. Venerable Rathanaseeha was being surrounded by other robed individuals. “
At this discussion private media claimed, quoting him he was not abducted , the letter said.
“Keeping Venerable Rathanaseeha Thera under their custody , getting to make statements at their bidding to media favorable to them is nothing but a lethal joke, “ the letter said.
