A Sinhala Buddhist Monk Threatens Officials to Permit Land for Constructing a Buddhist Shrine

19-11-2021

Sarah Thanawala

Sri Lanka and Human Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence.

Ampitiye Sumanarathana, an extremist and radical Buddhist monk, threatened officials at the Divisional Secretariat office in Manmumai Southwest, Paddipalai (Tamil Guardian ,2021). The protest was in demand of allocation of land as construction site to build a Buddhist shrine (Tamil Guardian, 2021). Even though the police were present at the scene, there was no intervention imitated to stop the verbal abuse (Tamil Guardian, 2021). The monk was witnessed and captured on a video camera directing racial slurs at the officials after the Divisional Secretary refused having authority to allow building a shrine in the Keviliyamadu area (Tamil Guardian, 2021). In December 2019, Sumanarathana assaulted a Christian, and in November 2016, he used explicit racial slur against a Tamil government official in Batticaloa (Tamil Guardian, 2019). These incidents are evidence that hardline Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka can get publicly involved in racist acts without the fear of persecution and punishment. In turn, such acts marginalize the already discriminated minority communities, thus, requiring urgent attention and awareness to curb any such instances in the future. 

Sources and further reading:

Tamil Guardian (2021, November 17). Racist Sinhala Buddhist monk threatens officials  police watch on. https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/racist-sinhala-buddhist-monk-threatens-officials-police-watch , accessed November 19, 2021

Tamil Guardian (2019, December 31). Video of Sinahala Buddist monk assaulting Christian man goes viral. https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/video-sinhala-buddhist-monk-assaulting-christian-man-goes-viral , accessed November 19, 2021