Thaiyiddy Land Dispute: Buddhist Temple Construction Sparks Ongoing Protests
The construction of the Tissa Maharama Vihara in Thaiyiddy, Jaffna, has become a focal point of sustained protest, with Tamil landowners maintaining that the Buddhist temple was built illegally on privately owned land seized during the armed conflict. The dispute exemplifies broader patterns of ethno-religious tensions over land that have characterised Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern provinces in the post-war period.
Thaiyiddy, a coastal village near Kankesanthurai Harbour housing approximately 380 Tamil families, was part of a High Security Zone until 2016. During military occupation, the armed forces established the Military Base 1st Battalion of the Galaba Regiment and constructed the Tissa Raja Maha Viharaya, with portions encroaching on land belonging to private Tamil landowners.
Competing Claims and Ownership
The dispute centres on competing historical narratives. Buddhist proponents claim an ancient monastery existed at Thaiyiddy, citing beliefs that Bhikkuni Sangamitta waited here en route to Anuradhapura during King Devanampiyatissa’s reign (250-210 BC). Tamil landowners have presented documents proving private ownership. At a February 2025 press conference, landowner Sarujan Sukumari challenged claims of Buddhist historical ownership, presenting documentation establishing Tamil ownership and accusing officials of complicity in the temple’s construction.
Northern Province Governor N. Vethanayakan acknowledged in February 2025 that landowners had submitted documents proving private ownership and requested alternative land. They informed the Governor that the official Tissa Viharaya land is located elsewhere.
In April 2025, Nagadeepa Temple Chief Incumbent Navandagala Padumakiththi Tissa publicly sided with Tamil landowners, acknowledging that the temple stands on land rightfully belonging to local Tamils. He admitted construction took place on encroached property owned by families displaced during war, stating “the Tamil people aren’t wrong” and affirming their right to resist the illegal takeover.
Protests and State Response
Landowners have organised regular protests, particularly on full moon days, demanding the temple’s removal and land return. On 4th May 2023, residents protested, demanding the return of land owned by 14 Tamil families. In April 2025, priests from southern regions, including Father M. Sakthivel, attended alongside MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam. The clergy attempted to meet the temple’s chief monk, but he refused.
Protests continued through May, June, and July. In October, demonstrations occurred as authorities prepared for state-backed ceremonies, with protesters waving black flags. The army has erected barbed fencing around the plot, restricting access and preventing landowners from agricultural activities.
In June 2025, police issued an injunction against 27 individuals and organisations, including Tamil National People’s Front leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and Tamil landowners. Police filed cases in the Mallakam Magistrate’s Court claiming protesters violated court orders. Tamil lawyers accused the Palaly Police Officer-in-Charge of misleading the court regarding arrests.
During President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s September visit to Myliddy, a group, including an elderly woman who lost land to the temple, attempted to meet him. Police dispersed them using threatening language, according to reports.
In February 2025, Tamil journalists Kandasamy Bharathan and Thambithurai Pratheepan were interrogated for six hours at Palaly Station regarding an alleged Facebook post about the temple, raising press freedom concerns.
Government Response
Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar announced in June that the government plans to compensate landowners or allocate alternative land. This provoked concern among Tamil politicians and civil society, who demand the temple’s removal rather than compensation.
A secret July visit by Minister Chandrasekar and Jaffna District Secretary M. Pradeepan to the vihara triggered backlash from the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha, whose members accused officials of bypassing local authorities.
In March 2024, the Sri Lankan Oversight Committee on National Security directed the Valikamam North Divisional Secretary to transfer private land to the temple and provide alternative land for affected Tamil residents. The Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha passed Resolution No.14/21.07.2022 calling for an immediate halt to construction works.
Broader Context
The Thaiyiddy case is part of wider patterns of land conflicts across the Northern and Eastern provinces. Research has identified intersecting trends of ethnonationalist narratives, government authority intervention, and military expansion. The construction of Buddhist temples on private Tamil lands has been documented in multiple locations, often with involvement or tacit support of state agencies, including the Department of Archaeology, police, and military personnel.
The involvement of multiple state actors demonstrates a coordinated approach to establishing Buddhist presence in historically Tamil areas, sparking fear amongst local communities regarding demographic change and erosion of cultural and religious heritage.
President Dissanayake acknowledged in April that civilian land was seized during the conflict, stating the government would resolve issues. Despite these assurances, authorities have remained largely silent on concrete steps to address Thaiyiddy, according to landowners.
As noted by the Centre for Policy Alternatives, such cases reflect failures to implement constitutional provisions for the devolution of land powers to provinces and the establishment of a National Land Commission. Fifteen years after the war, land continues to be a trigger for conflict. The inability to address these trends and bring sustainable solutions continues to impede Sri Lanka’s efforts at rebuilding and reconciliation.
References
https://www.cpalanka.org/the-intersectional-trends-of-land-conflicts-in-sri-lanka/
https://x.com/LankaFilesTamil/status/1962511237285343491
https://www.tamilguardian.com/index.php/content/we-are-all-sri-lankans-says-sri-lankan-president
https://tamilguardian.com/content/our-land-ours-tamil-landowners-demand-removal-illegal-buddhist-shrine
Last updated – March 2026