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Buddhist Congress criticises government

by Chamikara Weerasinghe

The All Ceylon Buddhist Congress (ACBC) yesterday criticised the government for disregarding the voice of majority Sinhala Buddhists in all their plans, and in questions of national importance including the peace process.

This had led to civil unrest and a political crisis, Congress Vice President Mahinda Sarathchandra told a press conference at the ACBC headquarters, Colombo where they announced the launching of a national program to urge the ruling political parties to re-position the country on a national footing against their personal political ambitions.

Sarathchandra said the program, Bauddhaloka (light of intellect) urges the government to establish the voice of the Sinhala Buddhists, importance of which the successive Sri Lankan governments appeared to have been utterly "ignored" and denied over the last 55 years.

ACBC Secretary Suriya Gunasekara said the program demands total banning on the conversion of Sinhala Buddhists by organised Christian groups into their religion, and said that the Arch Bishop was also against it.

Gunasekara said that they would oppose holding further discussions on the proposals already made available by the LTTE as these provisions do not concern peace but separatist political ambitions that lead to war.

ACBC President Milina Sumathipala, Dr. Granville Dharmawardena, Joint Secretary Sudharman de Silva and All Ceylon Women's Buddhist Congress' Deputy President C. Fernando also spoke.

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