How funny? Ranil and Somawansa, You can't cheat all the people all the time. From next election people decide your fate. After the election you can rest in peace with colonial powers.

.
Tamils are not surprised...Tamils were saying this for years.

Srilanka is the only Buddhist country that does not allow Buddhist spritual leader Dalai Lama to visit.

:-)

What is the reluctance is naming this rogue Buddhist monk who is said to have
threatened the Mahanayakas of Malwatta and Asgiriya? The people of the country
have a right to know those political monks who are a disgrace to the Sasana.
It is the duty of the political opposition to keep the people informed. Or is
Ranil scared himself?

ISS

There is at least one good thing in what MR Government is doing to Sri Lanka.

It is attempting to remove the influence of the Buddhist clergy by interfering into the Governance of the country.

By threatening to dismantle Malwatta Chapter if it holds the Sangha convention MR has proved that he will not tolerate the Prelates to dictate the Government policy.

The majority Sinhala Buddhists may be wondering now whether they have so far supported the wrong horse.

Wow, wow, Ranil (and BBC) sounds a savior of Buddhism.
/"The government is on a path to destroy Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Buddhist monks were threatened; they were told they would be bombed if they convened to Kandy. We condemn all these actions," he said./
Sure, it is bad being bullies to the religious admonitory but it is worse being stool-pigeons to the religious entity.

Thanks ISS. finally you seem to have attained enlightenment to challenge your idol, the Hon Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe.

Malwatta and Asgiritya Mahanayakas have been associated with the Sinhala Buddhist elite all along.So Rani'ls duty is to defend them and use them as much as he can at the up coming elections to gather as many votes as possible.

The people who voted for Rajapaksa are not the fans of Asgiriya and Malwatta.Ranil may try as hard as he can,but it would not matter a bit as far as the support of the rural poor to Rajapaksa.

When the heavy artillery rolls into the rural areas. with Ranil ,Sampathan,Somawansa and Mangala portraits attached to the gun barrels , The UNP and whatever JVP supporters left in the villages will be running to the polling booths, grabbing how to vote cards for the Rajapaksa coalition.

Why does Sri Lanka continue to remain as Silly Lanka? Why is this country in constant turmoil, one after another? When did Sri Lanka ever have a peaceful period after independence good enough to develop, and why is that other developing Asian countries have no such long period of turmoil. When the colonials (Europeans) arrived, they all branded the majority race (Singhalese) as a set of fools but why should they remain as fools for ever?

Without tranquility Sri Lanka remains a beggar country where richer ones continue to interfere. Sri Lankans are called beggars and Sri Lankan passport continue to remain unacceptable (with a Sri Lankan passport, even getting a visa to India is not easy). Sri Lankan currency still remains low and unacceptable.

The awful economic situation in Sri Lanka, corruption and the most expensive Parliament, President and ministers (one of the largest in the world with the highest perks) have caused unemployment and extreme poverty among a large part of the population forcing the poor young women to seek employment (cheapest labor in the world) as Nannies, House Maids and Cleaners in the Arab countries. The economy (foreign earnings) of Sri Lanka depends mainly on this slave trade, exporting the Sri Lankan women to the Arab countries. In Saudi Arabia, the most common destination for these women, Sri Lanka is known as “the Country of Housemaids.”

Sri Lanka has also produced hundreds of thousand of refugees within and outside, from India to the entire West and still remains accused for war crimes.

In the recent past, even the democracy has been eroded very badly. Media freedom is curtailed; the journalists are being attacked, abducted, and killed. NGO s is not free to act. The clergy (Buddhist and others) are not free to act. The Western countries are considered as enemies. The opposition and who ever speak against the government are branded as traitors and betrayers. The government monopolizes the State media and influence the majority of gullible public to accept and believe that the government is nationalist and patriotic and who ever opposes are traitors. Nothing is free and fair in Sri Lanka but the majority still remains as gullible and continues to keep up to what they were known from the colonial period.

When will Sri Lanka change? When will Sri Lanka have a peaceful period? When will Sri Lanka become at least a developed third world country?

At last, the maha sangha that had controlled the destiny of the motherland ever since the fifties, has been brought to heel, by their kith and kin.

Now to safeguard themselves, they have called off the protest, what goes around, always comes aroud, it is alleluia time in the land of the hypocrites.

Well done. a j.

All Mahanayakas should take care of Buddhism, Buddhist culture and Buddhists. They should not mess up with dirty politics.

Ranil issued this statement 3days after the Mahanayas postponed the convention. If the alleged incident took place the Mahanayaka priests should have issued a statement immediately themselves. Besides, the press would have carried it on the following day.

This statement is from a person who gave false information to the Mahanayakas to persuade them to hold the convention. On being appraised of the factual position, and accepting the advise that the timing was inopportune, the Mahanayakas postponed the convention, much to Ranil's disappointment.

The BBC has been giving "Breaking News" coverage to this trivial affair.

Dear Mr Ranil Wickramasinghe,
Many say that you are a spent force. However, it is well-known that some foreign media as well as leaders like you.
With that credit to you, kindly consider what I say below:
1. Nothing in this world is permanent as Buddha himself preached. It applies to Sangha too. After the 18th C. revival of Buddhism the various modern Nikayas started. Moladande Conspiracy, an account of which will be found with the Johnston Mss at the CBO Museum, shows how some priests resorted to violence when they did not like foreign rulers in the Kandyan Court. Fr SGP of course jumped at the information and published parts of it in the CLR. I am sure you know that it is W.A.S.Sangharaja who revived Buddhism at a time when they were farming and indulging in various trades.
2. I believe that your statement that the "GOSL is trying to destroy Buddhism" is a powerful political statement, which could be for the consumption of a part of the credulous devotees of Buddhism who choose to believe you.
3. Any prudent person could understand that in the same way Christians of various denominations survived after they broke away from Rome, Buddhists with their village and area Temples and Pirivenas can carry on with the various sects. Then they all become THE SANGHA THE BUDDHA PUTRAS.
4. Those sects through their control-rituals, quite contrary to VINAYA RULES that must govern them have arrested power among the Sangha.
5.
*Please inquire from the priests the amounts Applicant Priests have to bring in the "heppuwa" as bribes, covered with a saffron coloured kerchief when they come with Dayakayas to handover applications for higher posts in Districts or titles.In addition to those bribes to each and every member of the karakasabhawa the applicants also traditionally carry Jaffna Cigars, large bags of Samba Rice as well.

* Please also ask about journals or publications of quality those Nikaya HQs have published for educating the Buddhist Public &

*What they do with the money that they collect.

I have no doubt that in your heart of hearts, when you consider the lives they lead, based on the answes to the above, you will be disillusioned and would give a C-.

Dear Mr W, they are digging their own grave.As a previous writer wrote on the internet, Vidyalankara Pirivena must be commended for their "Deshapalana Prakashaya" of the 1940s when Sir Nicholas Attygalle was the President of the Pirivena Dayaka Sabha(1944-his death). They showed the limits of a Deshapalana Bhikku ,but today it has been abused!
Buddhism will take its normal course; some of the educated pious sangha will survive and stay with the populace; the rest will cry "wolf" to get the attention of the politicians whom they could manipulate.
IT IS MY FERVENT HOPE AS A STUDENT OF HISTORY AND BUDDHISM THAT THE NIKAYA SYSTEM WITH HIERARCHY WILL END and that except for old priests that at least a few priests from each temple will beg for their meals with the bowl to maintain the philosophy behind begging. Will a person who has renounced the world who is expected to possess only the begging bowl, 3 kinds of robes, a needle & thread , a strainer, a razor and a tooth brush(ATA PIRIKARA) and eats the food of people from all walks of life ever enjoy the luxuries that the Nikaya Hierarchy enjoy in the hillcountry and elsewhere. PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG!

Problem with Ranil is,he himself is not serious of
what he's talking.People know this and Ranil know this
too.Politics for Ranil is a gift from his uncle fox.He
can share a victory but can not initiate one and can
not even maintain one.He's not doing anything serious
to prove that his words have meanings.He's trained the
people to see him from the glasses he has provided.JR
in Ranil's seat,would have turned the country into a
real non-violent but battle ground against the govt by now.Ranil should be blamed for putting UNP to sleep.UNP
as a party,is heading like a headless chicken.MR to
partly blame and Ranil largely to blame because he is carelessly missing opportunities available to limit
damages.For example,cmc nomination blunder.Making people like M.H.Mohamed,Navin dissanayake,Mano wijeratne and many more, cross over.He simply let them slip due to his unskilled approach.Of course there are those who changed for personal gains offered by MR.
The option available for UNP is action in their capacity as the main opposition.Successful protest to win the release of SF will be a major boost which the govt will do everything to crush.Take it or sing lullaby.What MR's done in disguise is,seperating the shouting mouth from the mouthless.What's discussed in this page is the fate of "SAADUS" from Rnil's view.Do you notice something about MR? He's very good at
imitating.JR once roared to SAADUS that he will break their skinned heads and put TAR in it,when saadus were getting ready to show some muscle.MR's just letting loose the history.Ranil's just uttering the samething that SLFP did when they were in opposition and failed under JR.Ranil will have to work out new and bold strategies to overcome present crisis and should be even ready to end up in lock up.THERE IS NO SILVER TRAY presentations,in the present climate.MR is standing with the gloves on,in the ring and clearly pointing at you to confront him and all you do is running after everyone, bent in three for support not to fight but to negotiate a peaceful exit.People don't see you as a fighter and as long as this continues people will continue to see you as a loser.

Lord Buddha said when ever the dispensation is destroyed it will happen by the actions of the monks and not by the action of the laity who support

The Buddhist Monks are the main cause of all the problems in Sri Lanka. Right from the beginning, it was the Buddhist monks, the Maha Sangha, ACBC, and even the Maha Nayaka Thero from the four chapters who opposed the BC pact, DC pact and all kinds of proposals to the ethnic problem. Right from independence, every Sri Lankan leader (Sinhala-Buddhist) was scared of the Maha Sangha and the Maha Nayakas. This is the first time a Sri Lankan government has gone against the Maha Sangha and the Maha Nayakas or rather attempt to remove the influence of the Buddhist clergy from interfering into the Governance of the country irrespective of what the reason is.

If there is any Sri Lankan leader who is loyal to India (does not go against India) and if there is any Sri Lankan leader who can ignore the Buddhist Maha Sangha and the Nayaka theros, then that is the most suitable leader for a multi-ethnic multi-religious Country. We need such leaders for ever. If MR can successfully isolate the Buddhist monks who interfere with the government decisions, then he can do many more for the betterment of the country without getting scared of the Buddhist-Monks.

Unfortunately, the Tamil leaders have never understood Sinhala leaders and the attitude/behavior of the Sinhala politicians. None of the Sinhala leaders ever went against the will of the Buddhist clergy. Right now we have a leader who can ignore the Buddhist clergy which is good for the minorities and the country. This is the right time the Tamils should support MR and his government. All these years, the Tamils were against the prevailing governments and they gained nothing. Right now what the Tamils need is the devolution of power through India-Lanka pact (13th amendment fully implemented) and to get the NE developed without anybody opposing and only MR can do it.

After the General election, if MR wins, the Tamils should join hands with MR. The TNA and all other Tamil leaders should extend their full support to MR in forming the new government. After all, why should the Tamil leaders go against the government or rally around the losers like SF and Ranil from whom we cannot get anything done?

Kukul Kakul Charlie Aiye:

You've read me wrong again. Ranil W - my idol?? He knows all too well I am one of those who openly called for his graceful departure in 2004 when a group of us discussed NGP Panditharatne's Report that recommended the same thing. NGPP report was "hidden" from many UNPers. Weragoda, Secy/UNP and a Ranil favourite argued with me before several friends there was no such report. Later on he went and told Ranil it was I who was raking up the report. So, KKC Aiye - very little love lost between me and him. He looked pretty strained when he finally spoke usual banter with me when a group of a few of us were invited to the
wedding of Mahathma Gandhiji's grand-daughter in Bangalore during that time.

I am no friend of Sirisena Cooray but I agree with him when he wrote "Ranil
inflicted the greatest harm on the UNP in its entire history" I am sorry if that graceful young lady Maithri reads this - but, in the interest of the UNP -Ranil must give up the leadership.

ISS

Good on you ISS.