Vandalizing an archaeological site in EP: Dept.vows to take legal action

The Department of Archaeology sought a report on the incident in which an archaeological site was vandalized in the Eastern Province on December 18, and vowed to take strong legal action against those responsible, an official said today.

Director General of Archaeology Prof. P. B. Mandawala told Daily Mirror yesterday he instructed the Assistant Commissioner of Archaeology, in charge of the area, to pay a visit to the vandalized site in the Trincomalee district yesterday and submit a report.

He said the Prime Minister’s office also made inquiries about it. He said the police investigations were on, in this regard.

Earlier, different civil society movements raised alarm about the continuous destruction being done to the Buddhist archaeological remains in the eastern province.

The Archaeological team discovered this site only on Sunday. However, it had been bulldozed the very next day by a group unidentified so far. At the site, there were archaeological remains of an ancient ‘Dagoda’ built during the Anuradhapura Era.