Srilanka, Nov. 11 -- Venerable Balangoda Kassapa Thero and two other Buddhist monks have commenced a hunger strike unto death at the site of an ongoing Satyagraha protest near the Ruwanweli Maha Seya in Anuradhapura.

The protest was launched by a group of Buddhist monks on November 7 at the Dansala premises near the Ruwanweli Maha Seya, in opposition to the Anuradhapura Sacred Site Development Project.

The protest is being staged despite a court order directing the monks to vacate the premises.

Meanwhile, Venerable Kassapa Thero had also been instructed to appear before the Colombo District Crimes Division today to record a statement.

Explaining the reasons behind the decision to commence the hunger strike, Venerable Balangoda Kassap...