Religion-State Architecture in Sri Lanka

இலங்கையில் மதம்-அரசு கட்டமைப்பு

This dossier examines the constitutional, legal, and operational framework governing the relationship between religion and the state in Sri Lanka, focusing on the preferential status of Buddhism and its implications for religious minorities. It establishes a pattern of state-sponsored discrimination and an enforcement gap regarding minority religious rights.

This dossier compiles evidence on Sri Lanka's religion-state architecture. Article 9 of the Constitution grants Buddhism 'foremost place' and mandates state protection, a provision entrenched and repeatedly upheld by the Supreme Court. This constitutional declaration is operationalized through mechanisms like the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance and the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, which provide state funding and administrative support predominantly to Buddhist institutions, creating a significant asymmetry in state patronage. Evidence further establishes an enforcement gap: while the Constitution formally assures rights to all religions, the ICCPR Act, for instance, is disproportionately applied against minorities. UN reports, including that of SR Shaheed, detail the structural impact of Article 9, new worship-place restrictions, and state inaction against anti-minority incitement. Organizations like Verité Research and NCEASL document widespread religious freedom violations across minority communities. The long-term implications are clear: this architecture fosters Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism (ICG, DeVotta) and systematically constrains constitutional settlements regarding national unity. Persistent issues include land encroachment in the North and East, restrictions on religious expression, and a lack of accountability for anti-minority violence (USCIRF, ICG). Efforts to reform this system face significant institutional and political obstacles.

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