{"id":156030,"date":"2026-05-03T14:42:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T21:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=156030"},"modified":"2026-05-03T14:42:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T21:42:36","slug":"sri-lankas-support-to-south-vietnamese-buddhists-in-1963-was-a-significant-moment-of-international-buddhist-solidarity-that-had-never-been-seen-before","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/05\/03\/sri-lankas-support-to-south-vietnamese-buddhists-in-1963-was-a-significant-moment-of-international-buddhist-solidarity-that-had-never-been-seen-before\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka’s support to South Vietnamese Buddhists in 1963 was a significant moment of international Buddhist solidarity that had never been seen before"},"content":{"rendered":"

Senaka Weeraratna<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

The Buddhists of Sri Lanka supported the Buddhists of Vietnam to the hilt in an unprecedented manner never seen before. Huge demonstrations were held all over the country in sympathy with our coreligionists in South Vietnam. The movement was led by L.H. Mettananda, President of the Bauddha Jathika Balavegaya (BJB). The demonstrations reached their peak at a Meeting held at Ananda College, Colombo, organised by the BJB in October 1963. Thousands of people attended this meeting. It took the demonstration three hours to pass a point. Such was the size of the Demonstration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, then Prime Minister, taking the cue from public anger at what was happening in a sister Buddhist country, ordered Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative Hon. R.S.S. Gunawardena to raise the issue at the UN. He did it with great determination and passion. The UN appointed a Fact Finding Select Committee headed by Mr. R.S.S. Gunawardena which visited South Vietnam. Within a few days of their arrival in Saigon in October 1963 the dreadful Catholic regime of Ngo Dinh Diem was overthrown on November 02, 1963.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The Sinhalese monk Ven. Narada Thero of the Vajiraramaya Temple in Colombo visited South Vietnam several times in the 1950s and 1960s and he was a great solace to the South Vietnamese Buddhists at a time of their greatest need. The Buddhists of Vietnam will never forget the hand of friendship and solidarity extended to them by the Buddhist Sinhalese of Sri Lanka in their hour of crisis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka’s intervention to support South Vietnamese Buddhists was a significant moment of international Buddhist solidarity, led by a nation (Sri Lanka) that has always viewed itself as a guardian of the Dhamma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senaka Weeraratna<\/p>\n\n\n\n

see <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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