Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero

Summary

• Venerable Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero is a Buddhist monk and a politician in Sri Lanka.
• He was reported to promote tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use through his mass media and social media appearances.
• He is a prominent advocate for the pro-cannabis campaign in Sri Lanka.

Background

Venerable Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero is a Buddhist monk who later became a politician in Sri Lanka.

He is reportedly educated in Bomiriya Madhya Maha Vidyalaya before ordination.

Seelaratana Thero is the Chief Incumbant at the Kawanthissapura Dhammavijaya Viharaya in Tissamaharama.

Image 1: Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero. Source: Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero Facebook page

Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero is the founder, leader and the secretary of the party ‘’’Jana Setha Peramuna’’’ (JSP, also known as People's Welfare Front). The party’s official symbol is the lotus flower, and the election symbol is the Tractor. Jana Setha Peramuna recorded its first and only election win (as of August 2026) by securing a seat at the ‘’’Weeraketiya Pradeshiya Sabha’’’ during the local authorities election in 2025.

Seelaratana Thero submitted nominations for the position of Vice President of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board representing the St. Anthony’s Sports Club in the Wanni District of the Northern Province in 2021. However, the Election Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) rejected his nomination citing that he had failed to meet the required criteria to contest for the elections.

Political Career

• Presidential election candidate – 2010, 2015, 2019 and 2024
• Parliamentary election candidate - 2015, 2020 and 2024

Tobacco Related Activities

Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero was reported to promote tobacco in his YouTube discussions. One such instance is mentioned in Table 1.

Table 1: Summary of YouTube Programmes in which Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero Promoted Tobacco Use

Date published	YouTube Channel	Mentioning of tobacco
3 October 2024	Srilankantv Plus	Claimed that during a visit to Thailand, he was reportedly gifted with a cigarette and a lighter because he was a monk.

Alcohol Related Activities

Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero was reported to promote alcohol in his YouTube discussions. Once such incident is mentioned in Table 2.

Table 2: Summary of YouTube Programmes in which Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero Promoted Alcohol Use

Date published	YouTube Channel	Mentioning of alcohol
12 September 2024	Nadeeka & Thilini	Suggested to give priority for local liquor industry by increasing tax on foreign liquor.

Cannabis Related Activities

Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero publicly supported legalisation of cannabis cultivation and cannabis use through several mass media and social media appearances. Further, Seelaratana Thero promised to legalise cannabis if he would be elected as the next President during several media appearances. Some of those appearances are mentioned in Table 03.

Table 3: Summary of Television, Radio and YouTube Programmes in which Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero Advocated for Cannabis Cultivation and Legalisation

Date	TV/Radio/YouTube Channel	Mentioning of cannabis
13 September 2024	Derana	Promised to legalise cannabis cultivation if he would become the next President of Sri Lanka. Claimed cannabis was used in ancient times to gain strength Stated inaccurate and unproven health claims as benefits of cannabis use.
12 September 2024	Rupavahini	Agreed that he is an advocate for the pro cannabis campaign in Sri Lanka Advocated to legalise cannabis cultivation.
17 August 2024	Sirasa	Made a false claim that most of Latin American countries who cultivate cannabis make huge profits. Suggested Sri Lanka should copy their approach to produce and export cannabis-based products.
12 September 2024	FM Derana	Promised to legalise cannabis cultivation, rationalising it by claiming it would bring in a huge foreign remittance Stated inaccurate and unproven health benefit,claims of cannabis use.
16 December 2024	NRTV	Promised to legalise cannabis use and cultivation in Sri Lanka.
12 September 2024	Nadeeka & Thilini	Promised to legalise cannabis use and cultivation if he would be elected as the next president in Sri Lanka. Made the unproven claim that cannabis was used in ancient Sri Lanka when constructing historical sites and British banned it to suppress the Sinhalese.
3 October 2024	Srilankantv Plus	Criticised the rationale of cannabis use being banned in Sri Lanka. Promised to legalise cannabis use and cultivation if he would be elected as the next President in Sri Lanka.

Implications

National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act No 27 of 2006 is the main legal framework for tobacco and alcohol control in Sri Lanka. Section 35 of the NATA Act prohibits tobacco and alcohol advertisements and promotion in media including ‘the internet’. NATA Act defines tobacco advertisements as, “any writing, still or moving picture, sign, symbol or distinctive colours or other visual image or any audible message or any combination of the aforesaid that promotes or is intended to promote – smoking, the purchase or use of a tobacco product, a trade mark registered in respect of a tobacco product or articles that include tobacco products, a brand name associated with a tobacco product, the name of the manufacturer of a tobacco product.”

Thus, promoting tobacco and alcohol use through his mass media and social media appearances violates the NATA Act. Promoting of cannabis violates the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (No. 17 of 1929) and its amendments (No. 26 of 1986 and No. 41 of 2022) which prohibits the following:

• Hemp pods, leaves, flowers or any part of Cannabis plant should not be either imported or exported; no person shall collect, prepare, process, sell or offer for sale, manufacture, store, obtain or have in his possession, consume, distribute or use and any preparation from hemp plant.
• Cultivation of cannabis plant without a license obtained from the Minister of Health is prohibited

Tobacco Unmasked Resources

• National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act
• Movement to Legalise Cannabis: The Global Context
• Movement to Legalise Cannabis - Sri Lankan Context: Legislation Attempts and Relevant Actors

The local language translations