Senior Buddhist monk Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera has announced plans to launch a large-scale protest campaign involving around 800 monks in response to what he described as statements and insults made by a key figure in the current government targeting the Maha Sangha. He said the move is intended to strongly oppose what he views as growing disrespect toward the Buddhist clergy.
Speaking to the media at the Abhayaramaya in Colombo, the venerable monk said that the present situation has led to numerous difficulties and injustices faced by temples and members of the Sangha. He claimed that monks are increasingly being subjected to undue pressure and disregard in public and political life.
Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera further alleged that nearly 74 percent of the people in the country have effectively been sidelined, while the advice and guidance offered by Buddhist monks are no longer being taken seriously. He said the situation has deteriorated to the extent that even counsel given by the Maha Nayaka Theras, the most senior prelates of the Buddhist order, is being ignored by those in power.
Warning that this represents a dangerous breakdown in respect for long-standing religious and moral authority, the monk said the Maha Sangha is preparing to formally express its opposition through a major protest movement in the near future. He emphasized that the planned demonstrations are intended to defend the dignity of the Sangha and to draw attention to what he described as the government’s failure to heed religious leadership.
