How true is the claim that "Buddhism was spread by the sword across Sri Lanka, that Buddhism commands the deaths of all non-Buddhists as a mercy, and that 18,000 Jains were beheaded for drawing a picture of the Buddha."
As a Sri Lankan, wut. I've never heard of this, ever. Buddhism became an issue very recently due to politicization. In the past there weren't many conflicts. Except with south indian invaders of course.