Sri Lanka monk dies after self-immolation

Colombo: A Buddhist monk, who set himself on fire to protest the slaughter of cattle, has succumbed to burn injuries, becoming the first Sri Lankan monk to self-immolate.

Bowatte Indraratana, 30, died at the National Hospital in Colombo where he was admitted yesterday after his self- immolation bid in the central town of Kandy, the host city of Buddhist Temple of Tooth which carries Buddha`s tooth relic. Indraratana died of severe burns, police said today. The monk had been calling for a stop to cattle slaughter in Kandy. He was a former member of the JHU or the Heritage Party and a local councillor. He was dismissed from JHU on disciplinary grounds after which he became a member of the Buddhist nationalist group Sihala Ravaya. The police said they were on the look out for those who may have helped the monk in his self immolation attempt. Sri Lankan Prime Minister D M Jayaratne condemned the incident yesterday. PTI