President Dissanayake Orders Review of Prison Rules for Monks

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has ordered a review of the Prisons Ordinance of 1877 to determine if regulations regarding the attire of convicted Buddhist monks should be amended. The decision follows protests from the Maha Sangha after Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara, a convicted extremist and general secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena, appeared in the Colombo High Court wearing prison clothing instead of monastic robes.

The four Mahanayakas of the main Buddhist chapters argued that the removal of robes is a religious matter and that only they possess the authority to strip a monk of his saffron robe. They asserted that prison authorities have no role in such decisions. Gnanasara is currently serving a six-year sentence for contempt of court after the Supreme Court voided a previous presidential pardon.

To address the dispute, the President appointed a committee including the Attorney General's Department, prison officials, and the ministries of justice, public administration, and Buddhasasana. The committee has two weeks to propose new standing orders that provide authorities with more flexibility. Dissanayake stated that laws must be amended to reflect current needs rather than issuing a personal order for a single individual, noting that "My will should not become the law."