Purported news graphic shares false quote from Sri Lankan cabinet minister

"So he is being criticised for no reason, since extortion is condoned in Buddhist verses?" reads the Sinhala-language caption of an image shared on Facebook on June 10, 2023.

The image appears to be a screenshot of a news graphic showing an image of Sri Lanka's Minister of Urban Development and Housing Prasanna Ranatunga above a quote attributed to him.

The purported quote reads: "Extortion is not a violation of Buddhist principles. A Buddhist verse even refers to its acceptance; it goes, 'sugandhang seethalang kappam'."

Ranatunga was convicted in June 2022 of extorting money from a businessman over a land deal, a rare guilty verdict in a graft case in the majority Buddhist South Asian island.

As well as a two-year suspended prison sentence, Ranatunga -- whose elder brother Arjuna captained the country's cricket World Cup winning team -- was ordered to pay the man one million rupees in compensation.

Ranatunga has reportedly filed an appeal (archived link).

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Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on June 16, 2023

The same image was shared alongside similar claims on Facebook here and here.

Altered from unrelated news graphic

Part of what appears to be the logo for A5 News -- a Facebook-based Sri Lankan news outlet -- is visible in the bottom-left corner of the photo of Ranatunga used in the false post (archived link).

A5 News posted the original news graphic on June 2, featuring the same photo of Ranatunga (archived link).

However, the post quotes him as saying there should be a grassroots uprising against those who use hate speech.

Below is a screenshot comparison between the image used in the false post (left) and the A5 News post on Facebook (right):

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Screenshot comparison between the image used in the false post (left) and the A5 News post on Facebook (right)

The caption of the A5 News post reads: "Chief government whip and Minister of Urban Development and Housing Prasanna Ranatunga says a village-level uprising should be staged against persons who make hate comments and stir unrest."

The caption says Ranatunga made the comments about certain groups inciting religious conflict while speaking to journalists outside the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission on June 2.

AFP was unable to find any reports about Ranatunga making similar comments to those in the false post, as of June 20.

Speaking to AFP by phone on June 16, Ranatunga's media spokesperson Pradeep Anura Kumara said the minister had not spoken about Buddhist views on extortion when he addressed journalists.

"This is a complete fabrication," he said.

Ranatunga himself also described the claim as "fake news" on June 15 when he was asked about the wider topic of regulating electronic media, as seen in a clip published by Dasatha Lanka News (archived link).

"I support efforts to regulate electronic and digital media because I have been a victim of fake news," he said. "Just last week a claim linking me circulated, where it's made to look like I have said Buddhism supports extortion."

Misinterpreted Buddhist verse

Furthermore, an academic said that the posts did not accurately represent the Buddhist verse "sugandhang seethalang kappam".

Makuruppe Dhammananda Thero, head of the Buddhist and Pali studies department at Sri Lanka's University of Kelaniya, told AFP that the words are the first line of a verse recited when making offerings of beverages, such as herbal drinks, to Buddha.

The verse translates into English as, "Great, blessed one / Please accept this beverage that is fragrant, cool, pleasant, sweet and good" (archived link).

"There is no gaatha (verse) in Buddhism that condones extortion. It is completely fabricated," Dhammananda Thero said on June 16.

"Any acts of harm, including extortion, are not accepted in Buddhism. It’s a religion that promotes non-violence and the practice of good thoughts."