Maithri for young girl convicted for defacing Sigiriya frescoes
Friday, 3 April 2015 00:46
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President Maithripala Sirisena has pardoned the young woman who was arrested and convicted for defacing the Mirror Wall of the world famous Sigiriya Rock Fortress.
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told the media that the President had signed the necessary documents to pardon the 23-year old girl, a resident of Batticaloa.
The girl was caught scribbling her name on the Mirror Wall with a hairpin on 14 February. She was charged with causing damage to the World Heritage Site and the Dambulla Magistrate sentenced her to a two-year jail term.
The Sigiriya rock fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the North Central Province, is one of Sri Lanka’s major tourist attractions. It is believed to have been built by King Kashyapa in the 5th Century AD.
The Mirror Wall, named for its shiny surface, is a unique ancient carving pad made of a porcelain type of material and is filled with poems and verses written by the ancient visitors to the rock fortress more than 1,500 years ago.
