Ranil Wickremesinghe defends 2019 pardon of Buddhist monk

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has defended the 2019 decision to grant a presidential pardon to Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera. The monk had been serving a prison sentence for contempt of court following a 2018 incident at the Homagama Magistrate’s Court.

Wickremesinghe stated that the pardon followed discussions regarding the religious implications of removing the monk’s robes while in prison. He noted that senior Buddhist monks raised concerns that removing the robes for an offense not warranting expulsion under monastic discipline would cause religious controversy.

The former president explained that the matter was discussed with then-President Maithripala Sirisena, who ultimately granted the pardon after the monk had served approximately one year. Wickremesinghe argued the issue involved the state’s constitutional responsibility to protect Buddhism under Article 9 and defended the historical practice of granting pardons without detailed written explanations.