Sri Lanka: Radical Buddhist monk receives jail sentence

Sri Lanka | 08 July 2018

As the Irrawaddy reported on 15 June 2018, radical Buddhist monk Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara was sentenced to two terms of six months in jail after intimidating the wife of an abducted journalist in a court hearing in 2016. Thomas Muller, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, explains: "The monk serves as secretary-general for the radical nationalist Buddhist group Bodu Bala Sena and justified his actions with just having done his duty for the country. This shows that radical Buddhists are indeed convinced that Sri Lanka is under attack and threatened by the Muslim and Christian minorities. Consequently, they consider all means - including violence - justified and mere acts of defense."