The monks’ political manipulation accelerated nationalist entrenchment and blocked peace

Evidence

As evidenced above, Sri Lanka’s major political parties have manipulated the monks—seeking their imprimatur to legitimize political platforms but trying to counter their influence upon winning office—and some frustrated bhikkhus have tried to play a more direct role in politics. At the same time, new parties fully subscribing to the nationalist ideology have attained prominence, and the UNP and, especially, the SLFP have adopted hardline positions. Three political parties have played prominent roles in furthering and consolidating the Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist ideology. Their politicking and relative success, addressed below, partly suggest why a political solution to the ethnic conflict has eluded Sri Lanka. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 156

Categorization

• XREF: The two-way manipulation pattern — parties court monks for legitimacy then resist them in office — mirrors the backfire dynamics in the reading purpose: instrumental use of ideology hardens rather than moderates it. — connects to: A tolerant faction of monks lost to a supremacist faction within Sri Lankan Buddhism. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 118; Monks built anachronistic historical claims to legitimize politicized Buddhism — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 51; Moral responses to catastrophe get displaced by nationalist ideology that shields power structures. — Max Haiven, Cultures of Financialization, 218 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Monks built anachronistic historical claims to legitimize politicized Buddhism #expands (0.75) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 51
• Moral responses to catastrophe get displaced by nationalist ideology that shields power structures. #exemplifies (0.72) — Max Haiven, Cultures of Financialization, 218