Thera succumbs to injuries at National Hospital

A Buddhist monk, who set himself on fire on Vesak Day opposite the Dalada Maligawa, protesting against cattle slaughter succumbed to his injuries at the Colombo National Hospital last night.

With severe burn injuries, Ven. Bowatte Indrasara Thera (45) was flown in a helicopter to the National Hospital in Colombo from the General Hospital in Kandy. He was treated at the Intensive Care Unit.

Colombo National Hospital Director Dr. Anil Jasinghe told the Sunday Times that when the monk was admitted to the hospital he was in a critical condition.

Dr.Kapila Wickramanayaka said the monk had suffered “90 per cent burn injuries across his body.” He said there was damage to his lungs due to inhalation of smoke.

The monk was on a ventilator to enable him to breathe normally and to ensure that his breathing capabilities would not be further impaired, Dr. Wickramanayaka said.

However, doctors said his condition took a turn for the worse.

The incident has also sparked a journalistic ethics issue Media Ministry Secretary Charitha Herath told the Sunday Times. Investigations by his Ministry has revealed that the monk had, before setting himself on fire told the local correspondent of a State media institution of his plans to do so. The correspondent had videoed the entire event. The material had been aired both in State run and private television networks, Mr. Herath said.

“We have to ask the media to draw the line when it comes to such issues. As a result of the correspondent in question keeping the incident a secret until he videoed it, the life of a monk is now in danger,” he said.

Mr. Herath said his Ministry was going into the ethical issues in this regard. “We don’t want to be restrictive but the media, both State run and private, must know their limits in cases like this,” he said.

Ven. Bowatte Indrasara Thera, who was a former member of the Jathika Hela Urumara (JHU), has been an ardent animal rights acti- vist especially concerned over the protection of cattle.

He was also a former member of the Pelmadulla Pradeshiya Sabha.

JHU spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe told the Sunday Times that the monk was involved in various animal rights and welfare organisations and their activities for several years.

He said that the Ven. Indrasara Thera was passionate about ending cattle slaughter in Sri Lanka. He said that he was responsible for revealing and having cattle thieves and illegal cattle traders incarcerated with the assistance of the authorities.

According to Mr. Warnasinghe the Thera had handed over a petition to Parliament calling for the halt of cattle slaughter in the country. However the petition was rejected by Parliament.

One such organisation the monk was involved in was the ‘Animal Welfare Trust’. The Trust chairperson Irangani De Silva told the Sunday Times the Thera was deeply disappointed and upset that his work for the wellbeing of cattle was going unnoticed by the leaders of the country.

She added that he mentioned several times that if the leaders of the nation did not take him seriously he would resort to more serious methods such as suicide.

Mr. Warnasinghe said the Thera had said, “Over 5,000 cattle are slaughtered daily in Sri Lanka. How can a country that claims to be the centre of Theravada Buddhism continue to let this happen?” before setting himself on fire.

Ven Bowatte Indrasara Thera, after leaving the JHU had joined the newly formed Sinhala Ravaya which has been campaigning on a range of issues aimed at protecting Buddhism in the country.

The organisation’s secretary Ven Medille Pannayaloka Thera told the Sunday Times last night that they wanted the government to immediately ban the slaughter of cattle and stop unethical conversion.

He said Ven Indrarasara Thera had actively campaigned especially against the slaughter of animals.

He said three months ago the the organisation had given the government notice to act on both issues.

"We will carryout our campaign until we are given an assurance on both these issues,” Ven Medille Pannayaloka Thera said.

This is the first time a Buddhist monk has set himself on fire in Sri Lanka.