US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1515

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001515 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, DS/IP/ITA, DS/IP/SA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2014 
TAGS: PREL, KIRF, CE, Religious Freedom, MIssion Security 
SUBJECT: IN PROTEST AT EMBASSY, BUDDHIST MONKS CALL FOR A 
USG BAN ON \"HOLLYWOOD BUDDHA\" 
 
REF: COLOMBO 1503 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of Mission.  Reason 1.4 
(b,d). 
 
1.  (C) ONE GROUP OF MONKS PROTEST \"HOLLYWOOD BUDDHA:\"  On 
September 13, the U.S. Embassy was again the site of a 
protest, led by Buddhist monks, against \"Hollywood Buddha,\" a 
newly released film in the United States.  Three Buddhist 
monks from the National Bhikku (\"Monk\") Council, an 
organization associated with the Sinhala-nationalistic 
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) party, presented two letters to 
poloff requesting that the USG \"take necessary steps to ban 
this movie immediately.\"  (While connected with the protest, 
the letter hand-over was pre-arranged, with the monks 
prepared to enter the Embassy\'s inspection room to deliver 
them.)  Although not included in the English translation, the 
Sinhala version of the letter stated that the United States, 
a \"Christian country,\" would not tolerate a Christian image 
being used in an insulting way.  The monks, one of whom was a 
JHU member himself, informed poloff that Sri Lanka was 
tolerant of all religions, but warned that unrest among Sri 
Lankans could occur if the movie was allowed to continue 
showing.  Poloff replied to the monks that the United States 
was also respectful of all religions, including Buddhism, and 
that the United States government was not involved in the 
making of the film nor could it censor it anyway.  She urged 
the monks to contact the movie director and producer directly 
to voice their views.  (Note:  According to local press, Sri 
Lankan Ambassador Subasinghe has been in touch with the 
producer, who has already apologized publicly.) 
 
2.  (SBU) The group of roughly 150 protesters, including 
Buddhist monks and schoolchildren, demonstrated for 
approximately 20 minutes before peacefully departing.  The 
Embassy local guard force and members of the local police 
station provided Embassy security and crowd management, 
keeping the traffic moving in front of the Embassy building 
throughout. 
 
3.  (C) ANOTHER GROUP OF SINHALESE NATIONLISTS PROTEST: 
Separate from the September 13 protest, Mission received a 
faxed letter from the Patriotic National Movement, another 
Sinhalese nationalistic organization aligned with the leftist 
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party.  (One of the eight 
signatures on the letter was that of Wimal Weerawansa, JVP MP 
and Propaganda Secretary.)  The letter stated that the 
director\'s efforts to address the situation -- such as the 
removal of the offensive advertising poster -- were 
inadequate and called on the government to demand the removal 
of \"all scenes which ridicule Buddhism.\"  The letter 
characterized \"Hollywood Buddha,\" which \"scoffs at Lord 
Buddha\'s character and His teaching\" as \"unethical.\"  It 
further declared that the movie, along with other 
anti-Buddhist efforts, were part of a \"conspiracy to incite 
Buddhists towards a religious war.\" 
 
4.  (C) COMMENT:  The Buddhist monks and nationalistic 
Sinhalese who have been most strident about \"Hollywood 
Buddha\" are from the extremes of the political spectrum. 
These two groups also helped lead the legal charge in Sri 
Lanka to institute a religious \"anti-conversion\" bill.  The 
majority of Sri Lankans have not been vocal about the movie. 
The small sizes of the two protests indicate the low level of 
interest and/or the understanding by Colombo-based Buddhists, 
at least, that the USG is not involved with the film.  END 
COMMENT. 
LUNSTEAD