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PARIS, FRANCE, October 23, 2004: The UNESCO Executive Board unanimously decided to take action on the misuse of religious symbols and expressions at its 170th session in Paris on October 12 on a proposal by Sri Lanka. Fifteen countries cosponsored Sri Lanka’s proposal recommending that the UNESCO General Conference in 2005 adopt a Resolution on this issue that has received much public attention in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan delegation to the UNESCO was led by Information and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera, a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. (HPI note: Sri Lanka and Thailand, both Buddhist countries, have taken the lead in protecting Buddhism after some high profile misuses of Buddhist imagery, including in a Hollywood movie poster.)



Action at UNESCO in Paris follows a proposal by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at the 59th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, urging the World Body to call for due respect for religious symbols and practices. The President said: “regardless of whether the symbols belonged to the Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish or any other faith, such abuse should be condemned and prohibited.”



President Kumaratunga’s intervention at the General Assembly was the culmination of a series of measures taken by the Foreign Ministry to sensitize the concerned foreign governments and international opinion on this issue of great public concern in Sri Lanka. At a meeting of Ambassadors from countries with substantial Buddhist populations convened in Colombo last August, Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar conveyed Sri Lanka’s concerns about the issue and handed over letters personally addressed to his counterparts in those countries, seeking their support and cooperation. The UNESCO initiative originated from this effort. The Foreign Ministry has also instructed Sri Lanka’s diplomatic Missions abroad to make formal representations to the authorities and the commercial enterprises concerned, emphasizing the deep pain of mind caused to the Buddhists of Sri Lanka due to the degrading use of the Buddha Image for commercial purposes and calling for the removal of such offending items from the market in those countries. Several companies have removed such offending items from their catalogues and advertising material, as well as issued public apologies addressed to Buddhists all over the world.

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