Urgent Appeal by Mahanayake Theras Following Monk Arrests

Buddhist religious leaders, including the Mahanayake Theras, have made an urgent request to the government to reinstate restrictions on foreign travel for monks, following the arrest of 22 monks at Bandaranaike International Airport with narcotics worth over Rs. 110 million.

Investigations have revealed that the group of arrested monks had traveled to Thailand without obtaining any official approval from the Mahanayake Theras.

Previously, monks were required to obtain written approval from the Mahanayake Theras before traveling abroad. However, this regulation had been recently lifted by the government.

Buddhist leaders have pointed out that the relaxation of this rule has contributed to serious misconduct, including large-scale drug trafficking incidents.

Commenting on the matter, Gamini Senarathna stated that the requirement for monks to obtain approval from the Mahanayake Theras had only been temporarily suspended.

He further noted that the Mahanayake Theras have now requested the immediate reinstatement of this regulation, and that this request has been officially communicated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.