1. Case summary: when the media asked the palace
For some time, Hswagata’s magazine and public talks repeated the story that Buddha tooth relics linked to Mr B had been scientifically authenticated in England and that Buckingham Palace had sent two supportive letters under the names of King Charles III and Princess Alexandra.
In 2024 “an AP News Agency reporter named Deepa” contacted Sao Dhammasami after speaking to the chief spokesperson at Buckingham Palace. She was investigating whether the British Royal Family had really commissioned relic testing and issued those letters. The palace’s response was “clear and unequivocal”:
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The letters were forgeries.
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King Charles III had not authorised, commissioned or acknowledged any testing of the relics.
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Princess Alexandra’s office denied ever corresponding with the individuals named.
On the basis of this external confirmation, Hswagata and Indasoma publicly acknowledged that they had been misled, and began a formal review that also included an interview with Mr Thura Kyaw and a renewed commitment to strict verification protocols.
2. Buddhist perspective: allies in the search for sacca
From a Buddhist point of view, the AP investigation can be seen as a secular ally of right speech:
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The forged letters were a serious breach of musāvāda-veramaṇī (the precept against false speech), especially because they referenced the Buddha’s relics and high monastics.
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By checking with Buckingham Palace and exposing the forgeries, the reporter supported the restoration of sacca (truth) and helped custodians correct their earlier, mistaken statements.
Indasoma explicitly reads this episode through the Kālāma Sutta: the Buddha advises not to believe something just because it is repeated, written, or comes from a respected person, but to test whether it is truly skillful and blameless. After the AP inquiry, he concludes that he should “verify first,” not simply trust confident stories and impressive-looking letters.
In this sense, journalistic fact-checking becomes a modern form of kalyāṇa-mittatā (good friendship): it may be uncomfortable, but it helps the community live closer to the Dhamma value of truthful speech.
3. Peace Studies: transparency as a peacebuilding tool
Peace Studies emphasises that rumour and misinformation are drivers of conflict and mistrust. Before the AP investigation:
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The “royal letters + DNA testing” narrative gave Mr B enormous symbolic power and made it hard for others to question his claims.
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Doubts about authenticity circulated quietly, but there was no hard evidence either way, feeding suspicion and gossip.
AP’s external check did three peace-relevant things:
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Reduced ambiguity – the palace’s answer (“the letters are forgeries”) replaced vague speculation with clear fact.
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Protected wider relationships – by clarifying that the British Royal Family had no involvement, it prevented resentment against the UK and preserved space for future cooperation with British institutions.
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Opened space for honest reflection – Sao could speak openly about feeling “devastated” and about the need to strengthen verification, which is an important step in relational healing.
In Peace Studies terms, independent media here function as a peace infrastructure: they create transparent information that lowers the temperature of rumours and help rebuild positive peace (trust, honesty, and mutual respect).
4. Governance: independent verification and media as oversight
From a governance point of view, AP News and Buckingham Palace acted as external oversight actors over claims made by a religious–cultural institution:
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Hswagata had accepted and publicised the letters without fully verifying them.
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The AP reporter’s inquiries forced a second, more rigorous round of checks with the palace and other UK bodies.
This episode supports several governance lessons:
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Media are legitimate partners in accountability
Religious and heritage institutions should not see serious journalism as an enemy. When done fairly, it helps them correct errors, protect their reputation long-term, and align with SDG 16.6 on “effective, accountable and transparent institutions.” -
Independent verification must be standard
After this case, Indasoma resolves to:-
establish strict verification protocols before publicising any research,
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collaborate only with certified laboratories and accredited scholars, and
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“document every source, identity, and method.”
AP’s intervention highlighted why those reforms are necessary, not optional.
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Openness to correction
Governance is not only about preventing mistakes but also about how institutions respond when mistakes are exposed. By acknowledging the AP findings and publicly declaring the letters to be fake, Hswagata modelled a responsible, SDG-aligned response rather than denial or cover-up.
5. Conclusion
AP News’ inquiries and the checks with Buckingham Palace turned a closed, rumour-filled situation into one where facts could be faced and corrections made. In Buddhist terms, this process supported sammā-vācā and the protection of saddhā; in Peace Studies terms, it reduced the fuel for conflict by replacing gossip with documented truth; and in governance terms, it underlined the importance of independent verification and constructive engagement with the media as part of building strong, trustworthy relic institutions in line with SDG 16 and SDG 17.
Short reference list
Bhikkhu Indasoma Siridantamahāpalaka. (2025). Case studies on Buddha tooth and hair relic custodianship and institutional conflicts [Internal documentation]. Hswagata Buddha Tooth Relics Preservation Museum.
Bhikkhu Indasoma Siridantamahāpalaka. (2025). Custodians of the Buddha’s Sacred Relics, Vol. 1. Hswagata Buddha Tooth Relics Preservation Museum.
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (A/RES/70/1). United Nations.
