By Anuradha Hiripitiyage

Archeological sites in the North and East had to be protected from the government and not from extremists or separatists, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila said yesterday in Colombo.

Gammanpila said that there were a large number of archeological sites in the North and East.

“According to a letter sent to the UNESCO, in 1983, by the late Minister Cyril Matthew, there were 276 identified sites with an archeological importance. More sites have been identified by 2023. We are going to hand over a proposal to the Speaker on 19 June asking him to appoint a parliamentary select committee on the destruction of archeological sites in the North and East,” he said.

Gammanpila said that former ministers Sarath Weerasekera, and Channa Jayasumana, as well as former State Minister Jayantha Samaraweera have also signed this proposal.

“The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs who met President Ranil Wickremesinghe recently made a number of false claims about the Kurundi Temple. On 21 June, a PHU team will visit the Kurundi Temple premises to investigate these claims made by TNA MPs. The TNA can’t obstruct our visit. Article 14 (1) of the Constitution guarantees our freedom of movement,” he said.

Gammanpila said that at this rate, President Ranil Wickremesinghe might appoint MP Shanakiya Rasamanickam as Director General – Archaeology, and MP MA Sumanthiran as the Minister of Culture.

“In other countries, people urge the government to protect archeological sites. In Sri Lanka we have to protect archeological sites from the government. Archaeological sites in the North and East have always faced danger when Ranil Wickremesinghe held power. So we have no option but to write to the UNESCO, urging it to protect out archaeological sites,” he said.