Lion's Blood: Behind Sri Lanka's Sinha Le Movement
The rise of Sinhala-Buddhist ultra-nationalism (allegedly with political backing) could threaten reconciliation.
A monk from the Buddhist organization Bodu Bala Sena (Buddhist Power Force, BBS) uses his phone to take pictures during a speech at the BBS convention in Colombo, September 28, 2014.
Image Credit: REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte
By Zachary Walko-June 29, 2016
Since coming to national attention in late 2015, Sinha Le, the grassroots Sinhala-Buddhist nationalist movement in Sri Lanka, has stoked ethnic tensions across this tiny, tear-drop island of 22 million people. While Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism is not a new phenomena in Sri Lanka, the Sinha Le campaign’s popularity and social media presence has set itself apart.
