The satyagraha at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo demanding the release of the imprisoned Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera has been temporarily suspended, ten days after it began, following word that the Mahanayake Theros of the Three Nikayas are intervening with the government on the monks’ behalf.
Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thera announced the suspension to reporters on Sunday afternoon, flanked by the monks who had been taking part. He said the decision followed information that the senior prelates were stepping in to secure Gnanasara Thera’s release, the Daily Mirror reported. Hiru News reported the same announcement in near-identical terms.
The protest had run at the park since 16 October, placing Sunday at its tenth day. Gnanasara Thera is general secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena.
What the prelates actually said
A separate statement issued the same day by the Mahanayake Theros, also reported by the Daily Mirror, is more pointed than the suspension announcement suggests.
The prelates confirmed they had already intervened and opened discussions with the government to resolve the matter “through legal means and dialogue”. But they also called on monks of all Nikayas to uphold monastic discipline and harmony and to settle disputes in accordance with the Dhamma and Vinaya — and warned that certain groups were exploiting the ongoing protests in ways that could damage the dignity and reputation of the Buddhist clergy both in Sri Lanka and abroad.
The statement was signed by four prelates:
| Prelate | Office |
|---|---|
| Most Ven. Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera | Mahanayake, Malwathu Chapter, Siam Nikaya |
| Most Ven. Warakagoda Sri Pannananda Dhammasiddhi Thera | Mahanayake, Asgiri Chapter, Siam Nikaya |
| Most Ven. Karagoda Uyangoda Maithree Moorthi Thera | Supreme Mahanayake, Sri Lanka Amarapura Nikaya |
| Most Ven. Makulawewa Sri Wimala Thera | Mahanayake, Sri Lanka Ramanna Nikaya |
Four signatures for three Nikayas is not a discrepancy: the Siam Nikaya is represented by both its Malwathu and Asgiri chapters.
How the protest got here
The satyagraha has been among the most persistent political stories of the month. Police arrested participants at the park on 21 October, a court ordered the protesters to disperse the following day, and a further motion by the monks was rejected on 23 October. On Saturday, council officials and monks confronted each other over display boards at the site. An earlier satyagraha in Kandy, in October, had made the same demand.
The Asgiri Chapter had already been drawn in: Gnanasara Thera’s position on a presidential pardon was raised with the chapter on 21 October.
One difference between the two filings
The Daily Mirror’s two reports describe the protesters’ demand differently. The suspension report calls it a campaign demanding Gnanasara Thera’s release; the Mahanayake advisory describes protests demanding a presidential pardon for him. These are not the same remedy — a pardon is an executive act, while release could follow from either a pardon or a court decision — and the distinction matters given that the prelates say they are pursuing “legal means and dialogue”.
Not reported
Neither filing says what form the Mahanayake Theros’ intervention with the government has taken, who they have met, or on what timetable. Neither names the groups the prelates accuse of exploiting the protests. Nothing in either report indicates the suspension is permanent — both describe it as temporary, and no condition for resuming is stated.
Ada Derana has returned a CloudFront error to this desk for 42 consecutive days, so any filing it made could not be dated and is not cited. NewsFirst had not filed on the suspension at the time of writing.