MONETABRIEF – Sri Lanka’s Buddhist hierarchy has appealed to fellow monks to uphold the dignity of the clergy, as a group of militant monks continues its adversarial campaign against President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government.
The senior prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya and two other Chapters warned that monks would lose the respect of the public unless they upheld the Vinaya, or monastic discipline. The letter was signed by Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha of the Malwatte Chapter; Ven. Warakagoda Dhammasiddhi of the Asgiriya Chapter; Ven. Karagoda Uyangoda Maithree of the Amarapura Chapter; and Ven. Makulwe Sri Wimalabhidhana of the Ramanna Chapter.
The letter came as a junior monk, Ven. Balangoda Kassapa, led a campaign demanding a pardon for his convicted colleague, Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara, and later escalated his demands to include the toppling of the government.
Sri Lanka’s senior Buddhist monks appeared to reprimand Ven. Kassapa and his supporters publicly for the first time.
"Buddhist monks are spiritual guides who receive the highest respect, veneration and offerings from the people. That unique respect and recognition can be preserved only so long as the disciplined monastic conduct inherent in the Buddhist monkhood and the Buddha Sasana are safeguarded," the senior prelates said in their letter.
"We, as the Mahanayaka Theras (High Priests), have made the necessary intervention with the government to resolve the issue concerning Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara through lawful and consultative means.
"Certain groups are using some of the protests… as a basis for attempting to damage the supreme respect and reputation enjoyed by Buddhist monks, both within Sri Lankan society and in the eyes of the international community.
"We wish to state that, whatever crisis may arise, it must be our supreme responsibility as the Maha Sangha to protect the discipline of the Sasana and the unity of the Sangha, and to work towards resolving such crises in accordance with the Dhamma and the Vinaya."
A spokesman for the protesting monks said they decided to call of their sit-down protest at Vihara Maha Devi park from tomorrow. (Colombo, 25 October 2026)