THE SANGHA AND ITS RELATION TO THE PEACE PROCESS IN SRI LANKA

The report examines the complex relationship between the Buddhist Sangha and the peace process in Sri Lanka. It details the organizational structure of the Sangha, the influence of Sinhala Buddhist nationalism, and the emergence of politically active monks, specifically the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) party. While many monks fear that a federal solution would lead to the division of the country and the betrayal of Buddhism, a minority of peace-activist monks and some high-ranking mahanayakas support a negotiated settlement. The report suggests that Norway, as a facilitator, should engage more deeply with influential monks to prevent them from becoming spoilers and to secure public support for a political solution.

• The Sangha is not a unitary political actor but is loosely organized into three main bodies: the Siyam Nikaya (the largest and most traditional), the Amarapura Nikaya, and the Ramañña Nikaya.
• Sinhala Buddhist nationalism is heavily influenced by the Mahavamsa, a sixth-century chronicle that promotes the concepts of dhammadipa (island of righteousness) and sinhadipa (territorial claim based on heritage), which lead many monks to reject the partition of Sri Lanka.
• The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) party, which entered parliament in April 2004, views the peace process as a threat to Buddhism and argues that the state must remain unitary, opposing the Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals.
• A significant portion of the Sangha is critical of the Norwegian-facilitated peace process, with one informant estimating that approximately 75% of monks believe negotiating peace will betray the Sinhala people and Buddhism.
• Despite the dominance of nationalist views, a small minority of monks actively promote peace and coexistence, with some high-ranking mahanayakas, such as the head monk of Malwatte, showing a more moderate or supportive stance toward the peace process.
• Buddhist monks frequently use rituals and sacred places, such as the Bo tree or the Tooth Relic in Kandy, to articulate both state support and political opposition.
• The report recommends that Norway should engage in informal discussions with influential monks who are critical of the process to prevent them from becoming 'spoilers' and to build networks through participation in public ritual events.
• The 2004 tsunami disaster provided a new field for monks to manifest their social importance through humanitarian relief and inter-faith memorial services.

APA

Frydenlund, I. (2005). THE SANGHA AND ITS RELATION TO THE PEACE PROCESS IN SRI LANKA. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/44a836ce-6357-4371-bdaf-3b4f302a0990/Frydenlund - The Sangha and its Relation to the Peace Process in Sri Lanka PRIO Paper 2005.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Frydenlund, Iselin. THE SANGHA AND ITS RELATION TO THE PEACE PROCESS IN SRI LANKA. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2005. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/44a836ce-6357-4371-bdaf-3b4f302a0990/Frydenlund - The Sangha and its Relation to the Peace Process in Sri Lanka PRIO Paper 2005.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Frydenlund |first1=Iselin |title=THE SANGHA AND ITS RELATION TO THE PEACE PROCESS IN SRI LANKA |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=January 2005 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/44a836ce-6357-4371-bdaf-3b4f302a0990/Frydenlund - The Sangha and its Relation to the Peace Process in Sri Lanka PRIO Paper 2005.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{frydenlund2005sangha, author = {Frydenlund, Iselin}, title = {{THE SANGHA AND ITS RELATION TO THE PEACE PROCESS IN SRI LANKA}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2005}, month = jan, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/44a836ce-6357-4371-bdaf-3b4f302a0990/Frydenlund - The Sangha and its Relation to the Peace Process in Sri Lanka PRIO Paper 2005.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }