Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka

December 14, 2007 1:47 PM

Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka
posted by chunking express (4 comments total)

From the Abstract:

This study argues that political Buddhism and Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism have contributed to a nationalist ideology that has been used to expand and perpetuate Sinhalese Buddhist supremacy within a unitary Sri Lankan state; create laws, rules, and structures that institutionalize such supremacy; and attack those who disagree with this agenda as enemies of the state. The nationalist ideology is influenced by Sinhalese Buddhist mytho-history that was deployed by monks and politicians in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries to assert that Sri Lanka is the designated sanctuary for Theravada Buddhism, belongs to Sinhalese Buddhists, and Tamils and others live there only due to Sinhalese Buddhist sufferance. This ideology has enabled majority superordination, minority subordination, and a separatist war waged by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The study suggests both LTTE terrorism and the ethnocentric nature of the Sri Lankan state, which resorts to its own forms of terrorism when fighting the civil war, need to be overcome if the island is to become a liberal democracy.

The present government of President Mahinda Rajapakse is the first to fully embrace the Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist ideology, suggesting that a political solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict is unlikely. Meaningful devolution of power, whereby Tamils could coalesce with their ethnic counterparts amidst equality and self-respect, is not in the offing. A solution along federal lines is especially unlikely. Instead, continued war and even attacks on Christians and Muslims seem to be in store for Sri Lanka as the Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist ideology is further consolidated. The study recommends that the international community adopt a more proactive stance in promoting a plural state and society in Sri Lanka. In addition to countering the terrorist methods employed by the LTTE, the international community should initiate and support measures to protect fundamental civil liberties and human rights of Sri Lanka's ethnic and religious minority communities.

posted by chunking express at 1:48 PM on December 14, 2007

Surely there's more than just the abstract for a 104 page pdf to back this up!
That said, this is a favorite topic of mine - westerners tend to think of buddhism as a magical religion that is incorruptible, which is really fucking irritating to this western buddhist. We can look to Sri Lanka, Burma and the former feudal theocracy of Tibet to tell us otherwise. No one's doing buddhism any favors by thinking power won't corrupt it just like it does anything else.
posted by smartyboots at 2:18 AM on December 15, 2007

Interesting. That's a whole lotta ground to cover, and I don't have time to read atm.

Rather sympathetic to the Tamils, with the pro-devolution stance. My tendency is to think of devolution as a geographic policy which leads to distinclty-concentrated and potentially antagonistic regional power. How exactly would devolution lead to a plural society?
posted by honest knave at 6:46 AM on December 15, 2007

He's written a book on this topic as well, though I haven't had a chance to read it. It sounds like it covers similar material.
posted by chunking express at 6:40 AM on December 17, 2007