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The most Venerable Rambukwelle Sri Vipassi Maha Nayaka Thero of the Malwatte chapter of the Siam Maha Nikaya said despite the visit to the official residence of the Mahanayaka at Kandy by the Defense Minister Thilak Marapana as a government emissary and his subsequent statements to the press, he remained totally opposed to the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s decision to lift the ban of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The most venerable Maha Nayaka Thero made the statement to Mr. Gallege Punyawardana, the Secretary of the Federation of Buddhist organizations when he met the prelate at his official residence on Sunday August 25, he said in a message to this correspondent. “My position is I am against de-banning the LTTE. I have not changed my position. And I will not,” the most venerable Maha Nayaka Thero reportedly told Punyawardana. As typical of the majority of Sri Lanka newspapers these days the Sunday Times weekly said on August 25, 2002 in a prominent news item on its front page, “Defense Minister Thilak Marapana yesterday called on the Malwatte Mahanayaka Thero to obtain his blessings for the peace process and assured him that the government’s decision to lift the ban on the LTTE would not be harmful to national security,” But the newspaper owned by the Prime Minister’s maternal uncle, Mr. Ranjith Wijeyawardene did not care to publish the Maha Nayaka Thero’s view on the matter. Such unprofessional journalism has become the order of the day in Sri Lanka under Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government, according to many media analysts in Colombo. In an earlier published interview The Mahanayaka Thero, whose authority has been accepted by the majority of Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka told Punyawardana that when the Prime Minister and ministers visited him they also saw to it that they got only what were good to them published, in Sri Lanka’s not so free press. He reportedly said it was unfortunate that such distorted statements were damaging to the country and create very bad and sad impressions among the people. The Mahanayaka Thero was quoted having said, “Minister Marapana came here and talked about the proposed sacred city in Mahanuwara. At that time he talked something about de-banning of LTTE. He was trying to tell me that it is not a matter to be taken so serious. He also gave me a document regarding that. I did not read it because I did not want to read it. I did not utter a word about it. (But on) his way back he has spoken to the press.” The Mahanayaka Thero was further quoted having said, “ Minister Marapana has told (newspapers) that I invited him for lunch and that was a great honor! Well, when somebody comes to your house during lunchtime it is our tradition to give him a meal. I do not think it is something great to be told to the press.” (EOM) (02/08/27 go2lanka.com) |