Aug 11, Colombo: Director General of Archaeology, Professor Anura Manatunga, in a letter sent today to the Secretary to the President has requested the official to provide an inventory of the items in the President’s House in order to confirm definitively and accurately what properties were destroyed and stolen by the protesters, who broke into the official residence of the President of Sri Lanka last month.

Director General of Archaeology mentioned that during preliminary investigations information has revealed that most of the damage done by the activities of the violent mob was to the various paintings and drawings at the President’s House.

As a preliminary step to ascertain what properties were destroyed by the mob in the President’s House, a team of archeology department officials led by Mrs. Shyamala Rajapakse, Assistant Commissioner of Archeology, Western Province is currently engaged in documenting the items, and the team is expected soon to hand over a special report to the Director General.

The Department of Archeology says that the team is currently room by room documenting the items in the President’s House and the documentation of the items in about 75 percent of the rooms has been completed by now.

The Department of Archeology is documenting the destroyed and lost items in the President’s House lace as per a request from the Police Department.

Accordingly, immediately after the documenting of the items, a report will be handed over to the police Prof. Manatunga said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Archeology says that necessary arrangements are being made to gazette the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat, the Temple Trees and the Prime Minister’s Office as archaeological monuments. It is reported that the buildings have not yet been designated as monuments with archaeological value.