Speaker says he’ll shoot himself if Buddhism is harmed

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is being inundated with telephone calls from Buddhist organisations and members of the clergy over the proposed constitutional changes.

By Friday afternoon, he had received 32 telephone calls. Several Buddhist monks told the Speaker that he should protect both the country and Buddhism.

He replied that he would never allow any harm to come to the country, members of the clergy of any religion. If that happens, he declared, he would take a pistol and shoot himself.