Terrorism

Thousands of monks protest new constitution

Thousands of saffron-clad bhikkus from the three Nikayas walked in a sombre, silent procession from the Sri Vajiragnana Dharmayatanaya, Maharagama last week for a National Sangha convention at the Youth Services Council Centre, Maharagama to register the strongest of protests against the Constitutional proposals presented in Parliament on Aug. 3, and due to be pushed through into the fundamental law of the land, in indecent haste.

High ranking prelates from the Malwatte and Asgiriya chapters, of the Siyam Nikaya, the Amarapura and Ramannya Nikayas made impassioned appeals to the Sinhala Buddhists to reject outright the constitutional proposals, cobbled together in total secrecy by the PA and the UNP. They demanded that MPs should not barter their birthright by voting for the Bill, the contents of which are not known to the Mahanayakes, the Maha Sangha, the Opposition, even senior Ministers of the PA and MPs on both sides of the House.

Nayake ther after Nayake thera condemned strongly the exclusion of the Maha Sangha, the Sinhala Buddhist organisations, the people, from the discussions, while even foreign diplomats, Norwegian officials, the Tamil and Muslim parties were consulted.

President Kumaratunga was advised to implement this Constitution in Norway!

The Convention was organised by the Jatika Sangha Sabha and the National Joint Committee, and invitations were sent out under the signature of the Most Ven. Agga Maha Panditha Madihe Pannasiha Maha Nayake thera of the Amarapura Nikaya. Buddhist monks filled the entire auditorium of the Youth Council Centre, and laymen occupied the galleries upstairs and stood around the hall. There were bhikkus from remote areas and even from endangered villages.

In Unison High ranking, influential and reputed monks raised their voices in unison and demanded of the people, that they forget all party affiliation and differences, UNITE, ORGANISE, STAND UP and OPPOSE the passage of the Constitution into law.

The convention was presided over by the most Ven. Madihe Pannasiha Maha Nayake thera and among the leaders of the Sangha community, who graced the stage were the Ven. Bellana Gnanawimala, Mahanayake of the Kotte Chapter of the Siyam Nikaya; the Ven. Aluthgama Dhammananda, member of the Karaka Sabha of the Malwatte chapter and President of the Kandurata Tri-Nikaya Sammelanaya, the Ven. Urulawatte Dhammakirthi, Deputy Secretary of the Asgiriya chapter; the Ven. Shastrapathi Anamaduwe Dhammadassi, of the Karaka Sabha, Asgiriya, the Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha, President of the Jathika Sangha Sabha; the Ven. Pandit Brahmanawatte Sivali, member of the Presidium of the Jathika Sangha Sabha, the Ven. Weligama Gnanaratna Anunayake of the Amarapura Nikaya, the Ven. Bellanwila Wimalaratne, the Ven. Muruththetuwe Ananda stop the talking, take action, the bhikkus urgently exhorted the gathering.

Bhikkus were requested to gather in their thousands at the Siri Perakumba Pirivena in Kotte at 8 a.m. on Aug. 8th to make the strongest possible protest.

Laymen were asked to put up black flags on Aug. 8. They were asked to persuade their MPs not to vote for the Bill, and even "Gherao" them in their villages. Vote 'No' if there is a referendum, they were told. At the forthcoming general election, chase away MPs who have voted for the constitution (with the 'illapotha', said the Ven. Sobhita) and do not vote for them.

Disaster The Ven. Madihe Pannasiha Maha Nayake thera called on the nation to forget party differences and unite to avert this disaster which will mean the demise of this country, the Buddha Sasana and an ancient civilisation. If this Constitution is passed, he said, the north will come under the rulership of the Tamils; the East will gradually become Muslim, the upcountry too will be Tamil dominated. There are already 400,000 Tamils who have migrated to the western province. There will be a mighty influx of Tamils from South India to the North, and then it will be too late to cry, he warned.

The Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhita reminded the gathering of the dangerous elements included in this secret document, the north/east has been donated to the Eelamists for ten years; the country will be carved up into pieces on ethnic lines as Regional Councils, the unitary status of the state has been eliminated and replaced by a federal system; there will be two Vice Presidents from the minority communities, a most dangerous precedent. In the absence of the President, a Tamil will take over authority. What would be the result, he asked. The north/east will be the 'nija bhumiya' (homeland) of the Tamils; the south will be their 'weda bhumiya' (workplace) and for the Sinhalese it will all be a 'susana bhumiya' (burial ground) he said.

We asked for a copy of the draft of this constitution and didn't get it up to now (Aug. 1). MPs are being asked to vote for a Bill which they have not seen. What are we to think, asked the Venerable monk. This is not exactly what was agreed between the PA and the UNP according to media reports. It is not and yet it is the devolution package of 1997. Na case, na ca anno (neither is it the same, not yet another (he commented, quoting from the Buddhist scriptures). He referred to the reported fact that UNP MPs were being bought for large sums, imprisoned in hotels before being brought at voting time, a la Jayawardene. Messages were read by high ranking bhikku representatives on behalf of the Malwatte and Asgiriya chapters and the Rammannya Nikaya.

The Ven. Aluthgama Dhammananda, member of the Karaka Sabha of the Malwatte chapter read a message expressing the total opposition of the Maha Nayake of the Malwatte chapter to the Constitutional reforms. He said, the package is being pulled this way and that way and that by amateurs. The President listens to nobody. It is reported that she flew to the UK to meet Anton Balasingham. Ranil should provide proof of this accusation he has made. We too are suspicious, he said.

Unconstitutional What the PA is trying to do is unconstitutional. The Presidency will be abolished under the new Constitution, but Chandrika Kumaratunga remains President for six years! When G. L. Peiris went to meet the Mahanayake of Malwatte and Asgiriya, he did not give them a copy of the new Constitution, even though he was asked for it, said the thera. She is falling at the feet of the Tamil parties, asking them what more they want. He called upon the monks who had come from even remote places to go from house to house and inform the people of the misfortune which awaits this country.

The Ven. Shastrapathi Anamaduwe Dhammadassi brought a message from the Asgiriya chapter totally condemning the Constitutional proposals. We have to dedicate ourselves for the protection of the Buddha Sasana and the Sinhala identity, he said. The state newspapers had reported that the Asgiriya Mahanayake had agreed to examine the proposals and approve them with some amendments. This is an absolute lie, the Ven. Urulawatte Dhammakirthi of the Asgiriya chapter said. The Ven. Muruththetuwe Ananda too passionately urged the 22,000 bhikkus in this country to block the "hench aiyas" the "gottas", the "ambattas", the "pandankarayas (all meaning stooges) from raising their hands in support of this Bill. We have made innumerable protests, and we have been ignored. The time for protests is over. When one bishop demanded that the Norochcholai coal plant be abandoned, the President complied.