Long since seen as the ‘liberal’ in the political spectrum, Wickramasinghe has emerged as an anti-democratic, authoritarian leader in the last two years since he first took office. As President, he has now turned in full towards the military to help him secure further power in the country and suppress peoples’ movements.197 IN 2024, A BUDDHIST MONK WELL KNOWN FOR ANTI-MINORITY RHETORIC CHIMED IN PUBLICLY ON SRI LANKA’S EFFORTS TO DECRIMINALIZE SAME-SEX SEXUAL CONDUCT BY ISSUING FALSE STATEMENTS THAT THE SRI LANKA PARLIAMENT WERE TRYING TO “LEGALIZE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE” AND THAT THEY SHOULD RESIST “WESTERN PRESSURE”. Far right Buddhist clergy’s continuing political influence was exemplified when, in 2024, a Buddhist monk well known for anti-minority rhetoric chimed in publicly on Sri Lanka’s efforts to decriminalize same-sex sexual conduct by issuing false statements that the Sri Lanka parliament were trying to “legalize same-sex marriage” and that they should resist “Western pressure”.198 Trends of ultranationalist Buddhist monk-led anti-minority violence in Sri Lanka and the explicit support of Buddhist clerical leadership’s support for the military and various government anti-minority policies and brutality are noted in Myanmar. Buddhist fundamentalist clergy there have explicitly supported the military junta regime199 and have been at the forefront of anti-Muslim violence, in particular inciting violence against the Rohingya community.200 AFGHANISTAN Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, neo-colonialism paved the way for fundamentalists to seize control. This has legitimized a fundamentalist group as a state government through aid and arms flows, 197 Nandakumar, V. (2022). Op. cit. 198 Tamil Guardian. (2024). Sinhala Buddhist monk denounces same-sex marriage and dismisses ‘Western pressure’. Tamil Guardian. https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/sinhala-buddhist-monk-denounces-same-sex-marriage-and-dismisses-western-pressure#:~:text=Sinhala%20Buddhist%20Monk%20Bengamuwe%20Nalaka,against%20the%20 %E2%80%9CBuddhist%20values%E2%80%9D 199 Aung, T. T. & McPherson, P. (2022). Insight: Monk militia: The Buddhist clergy backing Myanmar’s junta. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/monk-militia-buddhist-clergy-backing-myanmars-junta-2022-12-08/ 200 Gunasingham, A. L. (2021). Myanmar’s extreme Buddhist nationalists. The Interpreter. https://www.lowyinstitute. org/the-interpreter/myanmar-s-extreme-buddhist-nationalists 56