The Mahanayaka Theros of the Ramanna Maha Nikaya and the Amarapura Maha Nikaya have urged the government to intervene to secure the release of Anojan Sivarasa, a Sri Lankan national sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia.
According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), a memorandum requesting State intervention was jointly issued by Most Venerable Makulwe Wimalabuddhi Thero, Mahanayaka Thero of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya, and Most Venerable Karagoda Uyangoda Maithreemurthi Thero, Supreme Mahanayaka Thero of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya.
The memorandum was handed over to Roshan Gamage, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, at the Presidential Secretariat on September 30. It was presented by Venerable Omalpe Sobhitha Thero, Chief Sanghanayake of Southern Lanka.
A separate memorandum seeking government intervention was also submitted on behalf of the Hindu community by Dr. Sivasri K. V. K. Vaithiswara Kurukkal, President of the Hindu Priests’ Association and the All Ceylon Hindu Cultural Council.
Both memoranda call for State intervention to facilitate the release of Sivarasa, who remains under a death sentence in Saudi Arabia.
Venerable Pagoda Janthawansa Thero, Venerable Wepathaira Dhammasiri Thero, Sivasri Kugathasa Kurukkal of the Hindu Priests’ Association, Attorney-at-Law Tanuja Navaratne and social activist R. A. Amila Sanjeewa were also present during the occasion.
