Ravana Balaya
Ravana Balaya | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Ven. Ittekande Thera[1] |
| Ideology | Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism Ravanism |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| Slogan | We are the ones who oppose who oppose the country! |
The Ravana Balaya[2] (Force of Ravana) is a Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist organization in Sri Lanka,[3] which follows the legendary King Ravana.[4] It is led by Ittekande Sandhatissa.
History[]
The Ravana Balaya gained notoriety for its attacks on Jehova's Witnesses and other Christians. It was believed that then president, Mahinda Rajapaksha on behalf of the SLFP, extended his support to the organisation; additionally received support from the police forces in its campaigns to suppress minority religions.[5]
Organization[]
The Ravana Balaya is named after the ten headed Rakshasha King Ravana, who in the epic Ramayana is said to have fought against the god Ram and monkey god Hanuman.
The Ravana Balaya along with the Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Rawaya are members of the far-right campaign Sinha Le.[6] These organisations have been described as "Fascist" by several academics including DBS Jeyaraj[5] and . Several human rights organisations have criticized Mahinda Rajapaksha for supporting the groups.
External links[]
References[]
- ^ http://www.dailymirror.lk/caption_story/ravana-balaya-at-buddha-sasana-ministry/110-50392
- ^ Ravana Balaya insists would rebel against Government if demands not met. lankanewsweb.net.
- ^ Sri Lanka to research Ravana's aviation routes
- ^ http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/newsdetail/index/6/19190/hey-ram-politicians-cook-up-ravana-cult-in-sri-lanka
- ^ a b http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/22025
- ^ Extremist Buddhist Monk Visits Tamil Temple Threatened by Sinhalisation. 2020. Tamil Guardian.
- Sinhalese nationalist organisations
- Anti-Christian sentiment in Asia
- Far-right politics in Asia
- Buddhist nationalism
- Buddhism and violence