Michael Jerryson believes that Buddhism has been connected to government since its start. He thinks that the inability to understand the idea of a country without Buddhism leads to a kind of religious nationalism. He feels this is found in many Buddhist conflicts. In medieval Southeast Asia, there were many Buddhist states. These included the Pagan Kingdom, the Sukhothai Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa. In Sri Lanka, modern monks often took part in the politics of the country. They did this even though the Buddha only believed in helping others make their own choice in the government. Peace activists such as A. T. Ariyaratne have also used Buddhism for ways of doing things.