BY PANCHAMEE HEWAVISSENTI Courtesy Ceylon Today

Religious unrest in the country is one of the chief challenges that the good governance government, which promised equal rights to the followers of all religions, is faced with today. In a statement issued by the Chief Prelate of the Asgiriya Chapter of Siyam Nikaya recently, it is mentioned that Sinhala Buddhists have faced discrimination and the government should come forward to protect the Buddha Sasana and Buddhist monks, who are targeted by extremists.

In an interview with Ceylon Today, Minister of Justice and Buddha Sasana, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, stated that those who are funded by the NGOs are engaging in disrespecting Buddhist monks and creating religious unrest in the country. “Traitors who live by NGO funds need to create unrest in the country in order to retain their income. If the country is peaceful they will lose their income,” alleged the Minister. He added that some media organizations have boosted the image of NGO funded traitors who blaspheme Buddhist monks.

Excerpts of the interview:

? The Mahanayaka Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter has pointed out in a statement that those who appear in the guise of Buddhists and some non-Buddhist movements have embarked on a mission to drag the Sinhala community into a brawl by issuing racist and anti-Buddhist remarks. The Thera also disapproved of the government‘s failure to take actions against politicians who deliver racist and antagonizing speeches and its witch-hunt of the Buddhist monks who react to racist and antagonizing speeches delivered by such politicians. What is your view as the Minister of Buddha Sasana on the statement made by the Mahanayaka Thera?

A: The government has not warranted any acts pertaining to maltreatment or harming of Buddhist monks. The Mahanayaka Thera has issued the statement to condemn the statements made by some extremist groups. That statement did not censure the government.

? The Asgiriya Mahanayaka Thera also reprimanded the act of referring to Buddhist monks merely by their names, without ascribing due reverence to them, which is highly unethical in the Buddhist tradition. The Mahanayaka Thera brought this matter to the attention of the government. What actions is the Ministry of Buddha Sasana going to take against those who do not revere the Order of the Sangha in the country?

A: No one in the government is alleged to have addressed a Buddhist monk merely by the name. Such wrongs are committed by a few lunatic imbeciles. The media too highlight the statements made by those insane people. It is the responsibility of the media to be selective of what is being printed, telecast or broadcast. Without systematic filtering, media has the audacity to carry out any crap. Even today’s media appear to be atheists and have no veneration to the religion or the Buddhist monks of this country. It is unethical for the media to give publicity to those who make disrespectful statements about Buddhist monks in the country. Some extremists in fact disrespect and refer to Buddhist monks by their names.

As I know, true Buddhists never disrespect monks. Only extremist politicians speak malignantly of them.

? You are alleged to have provided a hideout for Ven. Gnanasara Thera. Any comment?

A: That implies the idea that the Minister of Justice is to be blamed for providing custody for the accused. Do you blame then Minister of Justice Rauff Hakeem for providing custody to Ven. Gnanasara Thera when the Aluthgama crisis had erupted? Has the Minister Hakeem interfered to protect Ven. Gnanasara from being apprehended?

The Minister of Justice does not have the authority to provide custody to anyone. Extremists are spreading this type of allegations to aggravate unrest in the country.

? The United National Party says it is a secular political party. As a member of the Party and as the Minister of Buddha Sasana, do you agree with this stance of the Party?

A: I totally disagree with that allegation. The UNP has nowhere mentioned to be so and there is no possibility of happening that. It is the prime duty and the responsibility of the country as a whole to safeguard the pre-eminency of Buddhism and to protect the Buddha Sasana. That responsibility does not lie with a singular political party.

? You recently said that you will take action to disbar a lawyer if he fails to apologize to the nation for his statement regarding alleged attacks on 166 Christian places of worship. Many organizations criticized your statement in support of the lawyer. As a President‘s Counsel, who is well-versed on the provisions of the law, do you think this lawyer‘s disbarment is possible?

A: He is a traitor and is in a mission to spoil the reconciliation process. He is eagerly waiting to grab an opportunity to create unrest in the country. These people behave in a manner similar to animals.

I am taking action against his statement. You can see the results in a couple of days.

? Do you agree that those who attempt to curb the voice of Sinhala Buddhists are funded by NGOs? And those NGOs pay thumping amounts of money to those who engage in portraying a bad image of Sri Lanka that the minority ethnic groups are discriminated and tortured in the country by the majority?

A: Yes, of course! The more the religious unrest is prevailing in the country, the merrier for those who live by the aids of extremist foreign organizations. Some people, for instance the alleged lawyer who claimed that 166 Christian places of worship were assaulted, openly work for NGOs and some do not publicly appear to be so. But, all of them are being funded by NGOs.

They are prepared to engage in any unethical act if they are paid well. They neither practise a religion, nor they belonged to an ethnic group, and they do not have roots. They act in accordance with the whims and fancies of NGOs. If there is no crisis in the country and if it is peaceful, those NGOs will have to pack their bags and leave the country. If so happens, they will lose their means of living. They attempt to create religious and ethnic unrest merely for their survival.

That is why they create crises in the country to retain their income. They operated during the previous regime as well. In comparison to the previous regime, the freedom of expression and freedom of media are assured by this government. Hence, their presence and activities have become intense after this government came to power.

As we have assured media freedom, the media recklessly report what these NGO funded traitors jabber before the cameras and mikes. That is also one of the main reasons to aggravate this problem. Media has no idea what should or shouldn’t be done.Nowadays we cannot find journalists. There are only reporters who report whatever is being said by someone.

? Don‘t you think that reconciliation has led to making unethical movements against Buddhists and Buddhist monks more intense as they engage in attacking the Sinhala and Buddhist community in the guise of reconciliation?

A: After we have paved the way for reconciliation in the country, NGOs and anti Buddhist and Sinhala movements began to operate with no hindrance. They abuse their freedom overtly. If this government was also to adhere to the procedures of the Mahinda regime, those movements and organizations would maintain low profiles. This government does not suppress them and have assured their freedom and that is the reason for their unwarranted behaviour.

I agree that they make use of the tender side of the reconciliation to operate in an unethical manner.

? When Buddhist monks speak against the injustices caused to the Buddha Sasana, they are being subdued with allegations of causing harm to the reconciliation of the country. Do you agree?

A: We do not subdue Buddhist monks in the country. Extremist NGO cohorts are the ones who attempt to suppress monks and Buddhists. They appear before media and blaspheme Buddhist monks. None in the government has reviled Buddhist monks.

? All Muslim politicians were united to urge the government to arrest Gnanasara Thera, in spite of their political stance. Some referred to their action of rising against a Buddhist monk and urging to arrest the monk as unethical as Sinhala Buddhists have voted to elect them. What is your view on this?

A: People belonging to an ethnic group get together when they are collectively faced with a problem. Our Sinhala politicians are not intelligent enough to do so. The Sinhala Buddhist politicians do not have the vision to get together and stand up for their own ethnicity and religion. The disunity among the Sinhalese is the main problem why we cannot solve the racist and ethnic problems.

? Do you think a Sanghadhikarana (the Buddhist Court system to solve the matters pertaining to the Bhikkus) should be introduced to Sri Lanka when a Buddhist monk is to be apprehended as it is not appropriate for lay people to arrest Buddhist monks?

A: I perceive that a Sanghadhikarana is needed for a Buddhist country like Sri Lanka. Some steps were taken to implement a Sanghadhikarana and we did not receive the approval of the Maha Sangha Ratna in the country. That can be implemented if the Buddhist monks agree on that.

? It was reported recently that Sri Lanka is targeted by ISIS recruiters. You have spoken on this subject extensively in Parliament. What do you think of this new finding?

A: That report states that Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh are targeted by the ISIS recruiter. The government takes actions to eradicate terrorism despite the religion of that terror outfit. Any government will not let terrorists thrive in the country.

? As the Minister of Buddha Sasana, do you admit that unethical conversion is taking place in the country? Have you taken any steps to bring that under control?

A: Unethical conversion does not take place in a large-scale in the country. Christians are highly affected by unethical conversions that take place in the country. Fundamentalists convert ordinary Christians to their cults. Buddhists are not being largely converted into other religions.

? Buddhist religious sites such as Kuragala, Devanagala, Muhudu Maha Viharaya and Digha Vapiya are being captured by Muslims who now claim ownership of such Buddhist sites. Many a Buddhist archaeological sites in the Eastern Province have been destroyed by Muslim settlers in those areas. Have you forwarded any proposal to preserve Buddhist archaeological sites?

A: That subject does not come under my ministry. I visited many archaeological sites in North and East that are said be in a state of controversy. I reported on the destruction of Buddhist archaeological sites to the President and the President advised the Commissioner General of Archaeology to implement a programme to preserve Buddhist archaeological sites. We deployed 2,000 members of Civil Security Force in protection of those sites. For the past 40 years no government has taken action to preserve the Buddhist archaeological sites. The Department of Archaeology has done nothing to preserve them.

? Broadcasting of Pirith chanting by some temples were inhibited after receiving complaints by non- Buddhists. This happened after the good governance government came to power and no previous regime was reprimanded for doing so. Is the Yahapalana Government in a mission to wipe out attributes of Buddhism to satisfy extremists in the name of reconciliation?

A: Chanting of Pirith is acclaimed to be sacred by Buddhists and the Bhikkus chant Pirith or broadcast them in temple for the betterment of the people. They do not earn any profit by that. Those who cannot comprehend this truth have lodged complaints against broadcasts of Pirith at temples. That is a problem with their comprehension and knowledge. Pirith is chanted to bless people and the surroundings and the Bukkhus never curse or reprimand the believers of other religions. If someone is against chanting of Pirith I can say that they lack understanding.

? Could you elaborate on the Shakya Janapadaya set up at Piliyandala, which comprises the Bodh Gaya, the palace of Suddodhana and other Buddhist religious sites existed in India?

A: This place is set up in the intention of facilitating spiritual uplift of the Buddhists. Facilities have been made for 10,000 devotees to engage in meditation. The devotees can also study Buddhist history.

It is also intended to attract Buddhist tourists to Sri Lanka. Many devotees in Sri Lanka spend colossal amounts of money to go on pilgrimage to the ruins of Buddhist sites in Bodh Gaya. We intend to save those monies from being going out of the country by encouraging the devotees to visit Shakya Janapadaya, which is a model of Shakhya Janapadaya that existed during the Buddha’s time in India.

As we decided on the International UN Vesak Day celebrations, we intend to make Sri Lanka the main hub for Buddhism in the world. We also have planned to set up vernacular media institution to propagate Buddhism to the world.

? For what purpose have you acquired the controversial Malwana bungalow that was said to have belonged to Basil Rajapaksa formerly?

A: I presented a Cabinet Paper with that regard and I was granted permission to use that property. We intend to convert that bungalow into a training centre for law students. We also intend to set up a Police Training School in a part of that premises.