It was exactly 27 years ago that the terrorists massacred 31 Buddhist monks in Aranthalawa shocking the entire world.
The ruthless tiger terrorists displayed their brutality to the world by opening fire and slaughtering 31 Buddhist monks including g the North East Adhikarana Sanghanayake the Ven. Hegoda Indasara Thera and three innocent civilians.
Samanera monks of the Vidyananda Pirivena in Ampara had arrived at the Mahavapi Vihare in Ampara with the intention of embarking on a Dhamma journey on the following day.
The Buddhist monks including the Chief Incumbent of the Pirivena the Ven. Hegoda Indasara Thera commenced their journey on the morning of 02nd June 1987 in a bus belonging to the Sri Lanka Transport Board on this Dhamma journey. The terrorists lying in ambush along the road hijacked the bus and carried out the brutal assault by taking the vehicle to the Nuwaragalatenna forest in Ampara.
The Ven. Indasara Thera begged the terrorists not to kill but to spare the lives of the innocent Samanera monks, displaying his supreme noble qualities.
But these cruel terrorists did not take cognizance of the appeal made by the Nayaka Thera and slaughtered him with a sword amidst the weeping of the monks.
After murdering Samarapala who was driving the vehicle, conductor Jinadasa and Wasantha Jayawardena who was assisting them, the terrorists embarked on their spree of killing the Samanera Bikkhus. The tiger terrorist leader and their cohorts who committed this murder had paid for their sins at a time when 27 years had passed since the incident happened. A monument has been put up at the location in memory of the monks who were massacred by the terrorists. The premises has now been converted into an International Buddhist Centre.
President Rajapaksa last year declared open a Museum which displays the killings along with the bus. Many religious programmes have been organized to mark the 27th anniversary of the Aranthalawa massacre. 11 children were organized as novice monks at the Vidyananda Maha Pirivena in Ampara yesterday. The Pinkama was ordained under the guidance of the head of the Arantalawa Buddhist Centre the Ven. Somaratane Thera. An All Night Pirith chanting was also organized while a commemorative Pinkama was held this morning with state patronage. Aranthalawa which a ferocious precincts in the past has now been transformed into a place of worship which attract devotees visiting Ampara via Mahaoya. The people of Ampara as well as the entire nation can now freely travel to Arantalawa after the present Government enthroned permanent peace in the country ending terrorism.
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