Myanmar urges Sri Lanka to stop abuse of elephant

Myanmar has appealed to Sri Lanka to stop the abuse of the elephant it donated to a Buddhist temple six years ago, Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Myanmar Embassy in Colombo has also asked the Sri Lankan authorities to punish those who persecuted the elephant as seen in videos which had been uploaded on social media, the statement added.

The elephant, which was named Myan Kumara, was donated by the Myanmar government to Bellanwila Temple near Colombo city in 2013.

A few days ago, the news and videos of Myan Kumara being abused by the elephant keeper had appeared on the social media both in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, triggering public condemnation.

Myanmar’s ambassador to Sri Lanka was scheduled to visit the elephant on Thursday.

One of the monks who are taking responsibility of Temple affairs expressed his sorrow over the incident, according to the Foreign Ministry statement.

It said Myan Kumara has been trained by elephant keepers and used in religious festivals.

Source: Myanmar Times

-Agencies