Japanese monk gunned down in Jaffna remembered after 41 years

Japanese Buddhist monks engaged in religious prayers today at the exact same location where the monk was shot dead in Jaffna. Pix by Vethanayakam Thabenthiran 

Relatives of a Japanese Buddhist monk who was gunned down by a Tamil militant group in Jaffna 41 years ago organized a commemorative event today. 

Joined by fellow Japanese Buddhist monks, the group organized a brief remembrance ceremony with religious prayers at a junction in Mathews Street near St Mary's Cathedral - the exact location where the monk was shot dead on March 2, 1984.

A local who remembered the incident recalled that the Japanese monk declared to the locals that he was on a 'walk for peace' - covering several areas across the region amidst the wartime period. 

"Many knew him as he was a familiar face walking long distances and accepting food donated by bystanders. We were playing in the nearby playground when we heard the gunshots. We tried to save him by admitting him to the hospital but it was too late. I still remember this incident to this day," the local recalled. 

Locals and bystanders who came to know about the incident also took part in the ceremony and offered flowers to the late Japanese monk. (Northeastern Monitor/ March 2/2025)