A group of 15 prominent Buddhist organisations in Sri Lanka have thanked the Sri Lankan government for reportedly banning a book and radio drama for “insulting Buddhism” and called for more to be done to protect Buddhism.
“We consider it a constitutional obligation of the government to prevent the continuous insults on the Buddha, the distortion of the Dhamma and the belittling of the Buddhist cultural traditions by taking cover behind Democracy and Freedom of Expression prevailing in the country,” said the organisations in a letter to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.
Signatories of the letter include the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress, Dharma Vijaya Foundation, Colombo YMBA, All Ceylon Women’s Buddhist Congress, Maha Bodhi Society, Shanthi Foundation and the Buddhist Lawyers’ Association.
The letter went on to blame “foreign wishes” that have “the intention of corrupting and destroying the much appreciated Sri Lankan value systems and thinking patterns”.
"We would like to appreciate the recent steps taken by Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and the Government to ban the distasteful book titled “Budunge Rastiyaduwa” written with commercial intent by insulting the Buddha and belittling the great renunciation and enlightenment and also to ban the radio drama series produced by the government’s reconciliation office,” the letter added.
Sri Lanka's Office of National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) has however, denied reports that three radio dramas it produced have been banned from being broadcast.
The Buddhist organisations went on to call upon the Sri Lankan president to “obtain a comprehensive interpretation of Article 9 of the Constitution from the Supreme Court… and implement it as a solution to such problems created to obstruct religious and social harmony and reconciliation in the country.”
Article 9 of the current Sri Lankan constitution states that “Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana”.
As talks continue to stall on a new constitution for Sri Lanka, both the Sri Lankan president and prime minister have reiterated that Buddhism will continue to hold the foremost place on the island.