It was a crying shame that South Asia’s biggest meat processing factory had been set up in Katunayake, although Sri Lanka was called a Buddhist state, Ven. Dr. Omalpe Sobitha Thera said on Thursday, addressing the media at Sri Jayasekerarama auditorium in Rajagiriya.

The factory is expected to meet 10% of the world’s processed meat requirement.

The press briefing was jointly organised by the National Intellectual Sangha Council and the Justice for Animals and Nature Foundation.

The Thera said, “We were very happy when we heard the country was going to ban cattle slaughter. But now we are told it is going to take more time. The people have been duped.”

Ven. Sobitha called upon the government to reveal the persons behind the meat project, and demanded to know where the meat would come from.

Ven. Prof. Pallekande Rathanasara said Sri Lanka was home to several religions that prohibited animal slaughter. He recalled Nepal’ mass slaughter of animals as a ritual in April 2015 had been followed by an earthquake, which killed thousands of people.

Dr. Prasanna Cooray, representing the Democratic Social Alliance, highlighted many environmental issues such as loss of forest cover and water shortages due to large scale animal husbandry.