The Chief Prelates of all three Buddhist Chapters have expressed strong concerns that proposed amendments to the Penal Code introducing an offence for corporal punishment, together with government initiatives to promote LGBTQ-related tourism, could undermine cultural values and lead to serious social crises.
Their concerns were conveyed in a joint letter to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, signed by:
-
Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangalabidhana Mahanayake Thero (Malwatta Chapter, Siam Nikaya)
-
Most Venerable Warakagoda Dhammasiddhi Sri Pagghananda Gnanarathanabidhana Mahanayake Thero (Asgiriya Chapter, Siam Nikaya)
-
Most Venerable Karagoda Uyangoda Maithree Moorthi Mahanayaka Thero (Amarapura Maha Nikaya)
-
Most Venerable Makulewe Wimala Mahanayake Thero (Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya)
The letter stressed that disregarding Sri Lanka’s cultural identity, heritage, and traditions in favor of imitating foreign practices or adopting arbitrary policies could result in social disorder and the breakdown of moral values.
The Chief Prelates specifically criticized:
-
The government’s plan to amend Section 82 of the Penal Code to criminalize corporal punishment.
-
The Tourism Development Authority’s (TDA) efforts to promote LGBTQ-oriented tourism.
They described these initiatives as a serious disruption to social values and warned they could trigger multiple social catastrophes.
Calling on the President to uphold Buddhist principles in governance, the Chief Prelates urged him to give urgent consideration to these concerns and to take immediate measures to prevent what they described as unethical policies.
