COLOMBO — A Buddhist monk, who campaigned for inter-faith harmony was found assaulted today with cut wounds, and has been hospitalized in Sri Lanka.

The General Secretary of Jathika Bala Sena, Ven. Watareka Vijitha Thero was reportedly abducted and found beaten with cut wounds in the Bandaragama area this morning, the police said.

He was admitted to the Panadura hospital and was later transferred to Colombo National Hospital for further treatments.

According to the information received by the Panadura Police, Ven. Wataraka Vijitha Thero was found with his hands and feet tied up early this morning on the road side in an area called Hirana.

Ven. Wataraka Vijitha Thero was threatened by Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, leader of the extremist Buddhist group Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) in April during an inter-faith press conference he held with the Muslim religious leaders.

The militant monk leader of BBS disrupted the press conference and made Watareka Vijitha Thero to apologize. The Thero later complained to the Slave Island police that he apologized due to threats to his life.

Earlier this month the BBS leader threatened the lawyer, former Provincial Councilor of the United National Party (UNP) Maithri Gunarathna, who was representing the victimized monk, at the court premises.

Panadura Police has begun investigations into the assault on Watareka Vijitha Thero. — colombopage.com