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Nathasha Edirisooriya, a Sri Lankan stand-up comedienne, was arrested at Katunayake International Airport on 28 May 2023 , on accusations that she “defamed Buddhism” through her performance in a comedy programme “Modibhimanaya”(Fool’s Pride) in April.

This is an attack on basic democratic rights including the right to the freedom of speech, in the name of safeguarding Buddhism. The immediate reason for the campaign against Edirisooriya was some remarks she allegedly made in a satirical manner referring to what has been said in Buddhist literature on the birth and early childhood of Lord Buddha, then known as prince Siddhartha, Also on the ethics maintained in the country’s Buddhist girls’ schools.

According to Buddhist literature, prince Siddhartha was born in the 6^th century BCE ad the son of the king Shuddhodana of the Shakya clan, near Kapilavastu , Kosala Kingdom. On his birth, prince Siddhartha not only walked but made a statement that he would become the greatest person in the

world. During her presentation, Ediridooriya, referring to , Siddhartha’s birth, allegedly made some critical remarks about concerns expressed by contemporary parents over the weak performances of their children in Starting to walk and talk . The comedienne reportedly said, “ when hear these things, I suppose there might have been enormous pressure on kids who were the same age of baby Siddhartha. Look at the child of Shuddhodana , he walked just after he was born…That lad of Shuddhodana had cited a poem just after being born, but what about our kids! ..[O]ur ones are waiting until we will do everything on behalf of them.”

These were the particular lines that Sinhala Buddhist provocateurs seized upon as “defaming” Buddhism . However, confronting the racialist provocation, Edirisooriya, posted an online video publicly apologising for her remarks. The video of her remarks was also removed from the social media

platform. The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is deeply concerned with the recent arrest of comedienne Nathasha Edirisooriya reportedly under the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act (ICCPR), the latest move to stifle freedom of speech in the guise of protecting religious harmony.

CPA has previously highlighted how such provisions are abused and weaponized to target individuals belonging to minority groups, stifle dissenting voices, and criminalise free speech, serving as a distraction from more pressing socio-economic and political issues at a time of an exceptional crisis.