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Sri Lanka

• Sri Lankan Police Order Christians to Stop Meeting

  On Sunday, August 7, twelve Christians from the Foursquare Gospel Church in Horana, Kalutara District met for worship, despite threats by a mob the previous week. According to an August 9 report from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL),  approximately fifty Buddhists disrupted the service, demanding that the Christians leave and not return. 

  The pastor called the police and both sides were asked to come to the police station. The mob claimed that the Christians had no right worshipping in the village which is almost entirely Buddhist.  Though the police inspector acknowledged the Christians' right to worship, he ordered the Christians to stop meeting immediately since their meetings were disturbing the peace.  They were further told they could not meet anywhere else.

  Pray for these believers as they consider their response at this point.  Pray for Christians throughout Sri Lanka facing intimidation from those opposed to the spread of the Gospel.

  For more information on the challenges of being a Christian in Sri Lanka,click here.  Earlier this year, The Voice of the Martyrs Canada released a new video report, "Faith Under Fire: Sri Lanka," available from our online catalog. A 14-minute excerpt of this video is available online for the first time in the Video section of VOMC's multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com. 

• Church Buildings Attacked and Worker Injured

  Two incidents in recent weeks demonstrate that religious tensions in Sri Lanka have not abated.  According to a report from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), a church in Kayankerny in the Batticaloa District was damaged in the early morning of July 7 when dynamite detonated in three places around the foundation of a newly constructed building. The walls, roof and floor were damaged.

  On July 16, the Holy Cross Church in the town of Pulasthigama was attacked by a group of hooded men who began smashing the furnishings.  A fire was set in the church that complete destroyed the building.  Two young men in the building at the time and were beaten.  One, Angel Rukmal Fernando, 19, was admitted to the Polonnaruwa hospital.  The attack was widely condemned by politicians and religious leaders, including the Buddhist leader, Pahamune Sumangala Thero.

  Pray that Christians in Sri Lanka will be free to practice their faith without fear of violence by those opposed to their message.  Pray that those fighting against the Church will see the love of Christ in the lives of believers and come to repentance and faith in the Lord.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Sri Lanka,click here. Two video reports on Sri Lanka are also available for viewing on www.vomcanada.com.

• Escalating Violence Against Christians in Sri Lanka

  

  For reasons known only to those responsible, the number of attacks on Christian churches in Sri Lanka has increased dramatically over the last month.  A press release from the National Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) gives the following list of incidents since May 29.

  The Kithu Sevana Church in Kaluvilapothane, Ambanpola has been meeting in the same location for the past ten years.  On Sunday, May 29, ten Christians had gathered to pray when a crowd of approximately one hundred, together with a local Buddhist monk, disrupted their prayer meeting.  The local believers were threatened and told to stop conducting meetings.  A visiting pastoral worker was told to not return.  Because of fears of another attack, the next prayer meeting scheduled for the following Sunday was cancelled.

  In the Batticaloa District, the NCEASL, in partnership with The Voice of the Martyrs in Canada, has been constructing a leadership training centre amidst threats.  On February 29, the building where construction workers stayed was burned down.  On the night of June 2, the home of the family who donated the land for the training centre was set on fire.  The family was able to escape without injury and extinguish the fire before the entire house was destroyed.

  The Assembly of God Church building in Ambalangoda (Galle District) was destroyed in the December tsunami and the church was fortunate to purchase a new building on June 4.  The following night, however, the windows of the building were smashed with rocks and bottles.  The street lights had mysteriously been switched off during the attack.  The next morning, a mob of around one hundred surrounded the building, hurling threats at the Christians.  By mid-afternoon, the threats turned to violence as the crowd invaded the building and attacked two parishioners and the pastor.  The three were brutally beaten and required treatment.  One is reported to be in serious condition.  Further threats of violence against the men have been reported. The church building also suffered serious damage in the attack.  The pastor's van was damaged and his wallet, identification and cellular phone were stolen.

  Pray that the increased violence will subside.  Pray for the healing of those injured in the Ambalangoda attack.  Pray for courage for the believers facing ongoing threats against them.  Pray that proposed legislation banning religious conversions will not pass in the Sri Lankan parliament.

  For more information on persecution in Sri Lanka,click here or visit VOMC's multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com for video news reports from Sri Lanka.

• Sri Lanka Update: Court Hearing

  On June 6, a court hearing was held for two men accused of assaulting and attempting to rape four female pastoral workers from the Assembly of God Church in Kotadeniyawa.  The two are also charged with damaging the church premises.  Though the lady pastor faced particularly tough questioning in the hearing, she was able to maintain her composure and not be intimidated.  The next hearing is scheduled for September.

  The two men on trial were among thirty who attacked the women in September 2003.  The four victims were falsely accused of being prostitutes and were later charged with breach of peace.

• Sri Lankan Pastors Face Threats from Police

  A May 31 report from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) recounts three situations in which pastors have faced threats from police in the past two weeks.

  On May 19, pastors went to meet with police over threats received by an Assembly of God Church in Polonnaruwa.  Rather than receiving support from the police, they were instructed to stop all Christian activities and to not build any church buildings in Polonnaruwa, since it is a Buddhist area.  They were threatened with arrest for breach of peace if they continued to meet in the area.

  Charges of breach of peace have been filed against the pastoral worker of an independent church in Halpita, Polgasowita.  On May 15, Buddhist protestors demanded that the church be closed.  On May 27, the pastoral worker was summoned to appear before the Kesbewa Magistrates Court on May 30.

  On May 30, a pastor in the village of Bendiwewa was asked to come to the local police station for a discussion with the local Buddhist monk and community leaders.  The pastor was asked to explain the ministry of the church.  Stating that they do not wish to resort to violence, the monk and leaders requested that a church building not be built in the village and the pastor not engage in evangelism.  The police requested that the pastor confine all his activities to the five Christian families in the church.  He was given the impression that he would be welcome to stay if he did not introduce Christianity to anyone outside of the church.

  Pray for each of these churches facing opposition from members of the community as well as the authorities.  Pray that all charges will be dropped.  Pray that the proposed anti-conversion legislation will not pass in the Sri Lankan parliament.  Pray that Sri Lankan Christians will continue to share their faith despite pressure to remain silent.

  For more information on Sri Lanka and the difficulties facing Christians there,click here.  Video clips from Sri Lanka are also available on VOMC's multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com.

• Sri Lanka Update: Court Case Against Workers

  Sister Ayesh One of the pastoral workers on trial

  The NCEASL reports that the court case against four female pastoral workers from Assemblies of God Church in Kotadeniyawa is scheduled to continue on June 6, 2005. These ladies were attacked by a mob of men who broke in to their house in during the night in September 2003 and then falsely accused them of being prostitutes. Later they were charged with breach of peace. The court hearing has been going on for some time.

  The NCEASL asks that we please pray for them as they give evidence in court. Pray also for their lawyers, the judge and the prosecution attorneys; for justice to prevail; that these women of God will not be humiliated before the court.

  In late 2004, The Voice of the Martyrs produced, in partnership with the NCEASL, a 30-minute documentary on the current situation facing Sri Lanka's Christians.  The story of these women is included on this video.  To order a copy online, click here. A preview of the video is also available in the Video section of www.vomcanada.com.

• Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief ends visit to Sri Lanka

  The following is the statement delivered May 12 by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief of the Commission on Human Rights, Asma Jahangir, at a news briefing in Colombo following her 2 to 12 May visit to Sri Lanka:

  "First of all, I would like to introduce my responsibility here as Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. I serve in this capacity as an independent expert, distinct from any United Nations agency, and report to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the worldwide situation of freedom of religion or belief. My methods of work include visits to countries of concern for the mandate. These visits are not limited to countries which have a weak record in terms of freedom of religion or belief but include countries where emerging issues may threaten a satisfactory level of religious tolerance.

  A Special Rapporteur visits countries at the invitation of the Governments concerned and I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Government of Sri Lanka for its excellent cooperation during the entire duration of the mission.

  I am also aware that I have come to Sri Lanka shortly after the tragic event that have affected your country with the Tsunami. The resilience of Sri Lankans in dealing with their trauma and sufferings is in this regard particularly remarkable.

  During my stay in the country, in addition to Colombo, I have traveled to different locations, including Homagama, Kandy, Batticaloa, Ampara, Jaffna and Killinochi. I have met with a number of Government officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Constitutional Affairs and the Ministers responsible for the different religious communities present in the country. I have also met with representatives of the different political parties as well as with the leader of the opposition. Meetings have been held with representatives of the Buddhist community, including the Most Venerable Udagama Sri Buddharakhitta, representatives of the Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities as well as of smaller religious groups. In Killinochi, I met with representatives of the LTTE. Finally and most importantly, I met with a number of representatives of the civil society, concerned Sri Lankans and members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

  The report on my visit to Sri Lanka will be submitted to the Commission on Human Rights after my visit and will include conclusions and recommendations to the Government as well as to the international community. At this stage I am therefore only in a position to share with you some of my preliminary observations.

  During my visit I have noticed that there is a high degree of transparency in the Sri Lankan society, including amongst the government functionaries and the political leadership that I met. They were open to discussion and keen to preserve their culture of religious tolerance. However, I have noticed that certain issues related to the right to freedom of religion are not appropriately addressed. In this regard, I am concerned that inaction or lack of proper attention could lead to numerous misunderstandings and promote a climate of religious intolerance.

  Over the last few years, I have received a number of reports of violent acts of religious intolerance such as the destruction or burning of places of worship. These have been perpetrated against different religious communities and have been widely confirmed by interlocutors from all sides. I have noted that in most cases the perpetrators have not been brought to justice. Moreover, in many cases, the police and other competent authorities appear to have been reluctant to take appropriate actions despite the identification of perpetrators. The inaction of the Government can only embolden the forces of intolerance and paralyzes rational voices. Inability to take appropriate and timely measures in arresting the rising trends of religious intolerance could make political as well as religious leaders a hostage to the very few who take extreme positions. I consider that the reported attacks on places of worship, mostly on churches, constitute clear violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief and the Government has an obligation to prosecute their perpetrators and to compensate the victims.

  During my visit, I have received numerous allegations of organized groups involving in improper or unethical practices to induce individuals to change their religion. While it was not claimed that anyone was coerced to or forced to change his or her religion in a manner that is clearly incompatible with the right to freedom of religion or belief, many of these allegations have remained vague as to the identity or circumstances of the so-called victims. Despite several requests and efforts in this direction, I have been unable to hear direct testimonies of such cases. Nevertheless, second hand accounts by credible sources indicate that conversions through improper means have indeed occurred and certainly raise a concern.

  There were a few reports of incidents of deliberate 'hurt' to religious feelings and of defiling of religious symbols. These are of concern to my mandate and I will be following the outcome of the investigations. I believe that the existing legal provisions in the Penal Code of Sri Lanka are sufficient in dealing with the nature of offences reported to me and urge that these be effectively implemented.

  Moreover, in the same context, there have also been allegations that faith based organizations that have brought humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka for the victims of Tsunami, have adopted certain methods exploiting the vulnerability of the population. I have also not been able to confirm these allegations by precise and individual cases but a sufficient number of allegations are confirmed by a number of sources.

  I would therefore call on those Sri Lankans and foreigners that are involved in humanitarian and development efforts to respect the guiding principles on humanitarian law. The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/182 urges NGOs, religious and missionary organizations to provide aid without espousing any particular religious opinion. A large number of humanitarian workers and organizations have scrupulously observed this principle. They have generously donated and tirelessly worked for the victims of Tsunami but regrettably a few have not strictly observed these guidelines. These are regrettable practices but do not constitute a criminal offence or a clear violation of the right to freedom of religion, as long as such conversions are not carried out under force, pressure or other coercive methods. Nevertheless, they do raise anxiety.

  In response to these religious tensions, some initiatives have led to the introduction of two draft laws that would criminalize acts of 'unethical' conversions. Contrary to what has been often claimed, the content of these drafts as well as the implementation of their provisions do raise concerns under human rights law, including the right to freedom of religion or belief.

  In this respect, I note with some satisfaction that there are in Sri Lanka independent mechanisms and pluralistic as well as democratic traditions. As such Sri Lankans are adequately experienced to resolve emerging religious tensions. The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in its determination has declared portions of one of these draft Bills as unconstitutional. In my opinion, the provisions of both draft Bills could result in the persecution of religious minorities rather than the protection and promotion of religious tolerance. The enactment of these Bills could seriously undermine the culture of religious tolerance enjoyed for decades in this country. It could impair the religious harmony that this country can rightly be proud of sustaining even through the difficult period of a civil war.

  More essentially, while I could be apprehensive by the relative determination of a few, I have been encouraged by the fact that the important majority of my interlocutors have expressed their willingness to resolve this question through appropriate means".

  For use of information media; not an official record

• Church Buildings Destroyed in Fire, Mobs Threaten Churches Just before midnight on April 27, a group of unidentified people broke into the premises of the Kiran Methodist Church in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.  In the compound were the church building, the home of the pastor, a newly constructed building for relief work and other buildings used for storing relief and reconstruction supplies.

  According to Rev. Dr. Albert W. Jebanesan, the fire began in a store room filled with tsunami relief supplies and spread to the other buildings.  While no one was injured, all the supplies and buildings were destroyed.  When neighbours and the army rushed in to put out the fire, the attackers threw a hand grenade to frighten the people and then fled the area.

  According to a report posted on the website for the Lincoln and Grimsby District of the Methodist Church of Great Britain, the minister had received threats a few weeks earlier, calling on him to stop relief activities.  He was accused of using this relief for religious conversion.  Convinced that this was not true, the pastor did not take the threats seriously.

  Accusations such as those made against the Kiran Methodist Church are common in Sri Lanka and have led to renewed calls for legislation against "forcible conversions" by Buddhist leaders.  The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief of the Commission on Human Rights, Asma Jahangir, recently completed a visit to Sri Lanka and expressed her concerns at a news conference in Colombo on May 12.  Her complete report is yet to be submitted.  A transcript of her news conferences statement is available online (click here).

  Sunday, May 15 brought threats against three churches as mobs led by Buddhist monks surrounded the buildings, demanding that they permanently close.  In Kesbewa, the pastor received information before the morning service that a protest march was planned.  Police provided security as the congregation met.  This church was completely destroyed in September 2003.  A few months ago, the congregation began meeting in the burnt shell of the building.  Some of those from this protest are also reported to have gone to another church in Homagama and shouted demands that the congregation stop meeting.

  One of the granite Buddhas at the Polonnaruwa citadel

  The morning service of the Assembly of God Church in the Polonnaruwa District of Sri Lanka was also disrupted when a mob of approximately 150 people, led by six Buddhist monks, accused the pastor of offering money for people to convert.  The pastor was warned that if he did not close down the church, there could be bloodshed.  Polonnaruwa is a sacred site for Buddhists, with a citadel dating back to the tenth century.

  Pray for the Kiran Methodist Church as they begin the process of rebuilding.  Pray for Christians throughout Sri Lanka who are facing threats of violence.  Pray for wisdom for Sri Lanka's legislators, as they debate the proposed legislation.

  For more information on the persecution of the Church in Sri Lanka,click here.

• Anti-Conversion Legislation Referred to Committee Proposed anti-conversion legislation was presented to the Sri Lankan Parliament on May 6 for second reading and has been referred to a Standing Committee.  Under Sri Lankan parliamentary procedure, the bill can be referred to committee in its entirety or selected clauses can be referred.  According to a report from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), it is unclear at this point which clauses have been adopted by parliament.  Following committee evaluation and possible amendments, the law goes back to the Parliament for final reading and a vote.

  This proposed legislation, "Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion," was presented to the Parliament by the opposition Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) party; a party composed of Buddhist monks.  Parts of the proposed legislation were rejected in January by the Supreme Court as being unconstitutional. Since it was presented to Parliament without amendment, constitutional amendments will be required to pass the legislation.

  Pray for the Church in Sri Lanka as they work to defeat this legislation.  Pray that the freedom to worship and practice all aspects of religion will be respected in Sri Lanka.

  For more information on the difficulties facing Christians in Sri Lanka,click here. Video reports on Sri Lanka can be viewed on VOM's multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com.

• Top Buddhist Leader Calls for Anti-Conversion Legislation

  Malwatte Mahanayake, the Venerable Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero

  For the first time, the Malwatte Mahanayake, the Venerable Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero, has issued a statement calling for the immediate implementation of anti-conversion legislation in Sir Lanka.  According to an April 26 news release from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), the Mahanayake warned that Buddhists are being converted to other religions "at an unprecedented rate" and said that the matter must dealt with urgently.

  These words, from a man carrying a position of great influence in the country, comes as the second reading of the Buddhist JHU Party's "Prohibition of Forcible Conversions" Bill appears slated for May 6.

  Pray that this and other anti-conversion legislation being proposed in Sri Lanka will be rejected.  We encourage Christians to write to Sri Lankan authorities, expressing their concern.  Contact information, as well as a copy of the proposed legislation, can be found at www.srilankanchristians.com.

  The Voice of the Martyrs has produced a 35-minute documentary, "Faith Under Fire: Sri Lanka," filmed on location in Sri Lanka.  The video can be purchased from our website.  Excerpts can be viewed in the Video section of our multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Sri Lanka,click here.