All Ceylon Buddhist Congress was the first institution in post – independence Sri Lanka to investigate colonial – era crimes and their impact
Posted on December 1st, 2025
Source: AI Overview
The All-Ceylon Buddhist Congress (ACBC) was the first institution in post-independence Sri Lanka to investigate colonial-era crimes and their impact
, culminating in the 1956 publication of the Buddhist Commission Report. This report, popularly known as the Buddhist Commission Report (or in its abridged English version, The Betrayal of Buddhism), detailed the historical injustices faced by the Buddhist community under centuries of colonial rule and in the post-independence era, including the neglect of Buddhism under colonial rule, and was a significant event in Sri Lankan political and cultural history.
- Investigation and report: In 1954, the ACBC established a Buddhist Committee of Inquiry to examine the status of Buddhism on the island. The committee’s findings were published in February 1956 in a report that became popularly known as the Buddhist Commission Report.
- Findings: The report argued that centuries of European colonialism under the Portuguese, Dutch and the British had privileged Christianity, leading to the decline of Buddhism. It also criticized post-independence governments for not rectifying the damage done and pointed to the disproportionate Christian control over educational institutions.
- Recommendations: Key recommendations included the establishment of a Buddhist Sasana Council with the power to support and foster Buddhism and the withdrawal of government grants to Christian schools.
- The report’s findings had a significant impact on the country’s political landscape, particularly the 1956 general election, and led to major social and educational reforms in Sri Lanka. The government of the time had previously declined to appoint a state commission to investigate these grievances, citing constitutional constraints, prompting the ACBC to conduct its own independent investigation.
- Impact: Furthermore the report had a significant impact on Sri Lanka’s political, cultural, and social history, and some of its recommendations influenced later government policies.
Source: AI Overview