Trincomalee Monks Not Arrested Under Emergency Law – Prime Minister

07-Feb-2026

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Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that claims by opposition members that Buddhist monks were arrested under Emergency Regulations in connection with the Trincomalee Buddha statue issue are completely false. She clarified that the arrests were made under ordinary law and that appropriate legal action was taken accordingly.

Speaking during the parliamentary debate on the extension of Emergency Regulations on February 6, she expressed concern about repeated unfounded allegations made by opposition members.

She further questioned who had organised protests against the new education reforms if the opposition now claims it did not oppose them, asking who conducted demonstrations and labelled the reforms as “obscene.”

The Prime Minister emphasized that the education reforms have only been temporarily postponed in order to address shortcomings and that the government has acted transparently. She accused the opposition of adopting double standards and spreading misinformation.