The Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka on Friday staged a demonstration in front of the Temple Trees, the official residence of the Sri Lankan President.

They were demanding restoration of the rights of workers, days after the police had assaulted the protesting workers in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone. Two days after a youth succumbed to injuries in a clash between police and the protestors, nearly 400 Buddhist clergies marched to the President’s House, carrying placards against the police excesses.

Meanwhile , Sri Lankan government has decided to withdraw the proposed pension scheme for the private sector , which had been the cause of the protest over the last few days.

The workers in the Free Trade Zone were protesting against a controversial pension Bill which the critics say would benefit the government more than the workers.

The clash between the police and the workers, earlier this week had left more than 200 workers and at least 15 policemen wounded. A youth who was hit by a live bullet during the police firing later died of the injury.

Following the incident, the top police Chief submitted his papers 17 days’ ahead of his retirement.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday appointed a one-man committee to probe the violent incident in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone.

Human Rights watchdog, the Asian Human Rights Commission, has questioned the shooting on the workers with live bullets. Katunayake is one of Sri Lanka’s main free-trade zone, where many foreign investors run garment factories that are the island’s leading foreign exchange earner.