Tags

Sri Lanka

• Religion Law Proposed

  

  Despite assurances that freedom of religion is guaranteed, various statements from Georgia's ruling party, along with those from the State Agency for Religious Issues (SARI), indicate that a restrictive religion law may be in the works for the nation of Georgia. Many religious groups strongly oppose such legislation which would mandate government registration of their faith communities.

• Theology Student Assaulted

  

  On August 4th, a student from the Evangelism Training College was leading a worship service at a home in the village of Mahiyanganaya. As the meeting concluded, a group of opposing villagers led by three Buddhist monks stood outside, demanding to speak with him. After questioning the worship leader about his religious activities, they began to physically assault him, demanding that he leave the village immediately. As a result, the young man suffered injuries to his head, stomach and spine.

• Protest Demands End to Worship

  

  On the morning of June 6th, approximately 50 individuals from the village of Divulapitiya, along with 12 Buddhist monks, gathered outside a village church to demonstrate a protest.

  In response to the threat, the pastor called on police to intervene. Instead, the authorities ushered the crowd into the church and, together with the monks, began questioning and threatening the pastor and his wife. The protestors demanded that all worship activities cease immediately. After three hours of deliberation, the mob disbursed, and the police left.

• Reaching Out in Love

  

  As the devastation of the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka fades into the memory of the media, the suffering of hundreds remains an ongoing concern for The Voice of the Martyrs Canada. As of May 6th, the total death toll stood at 257, including 40 foreign nationals. The hundreds who survived the attacks continue to face physical suffering, the horror of lost loved ones, and the trauma of witnessing such horrendous violence first hand. (For a previous report on the attacks, go to this page.)

• Hundreds Killed in Bombings

  

  The attention of the world is focussed on Sri Lanka following a series of devastating bombings that targeted Christian believers on Easter Sunday morning. At last count, more than 350 people have died and over 500 are left injured [NOTE: the official death count was lowered to 253 since the writing of this article.] The worship services of three churches were hit, along with three hotels that had organized Easter breakfast buffets. Included among the victims are 14 children from a Sunday school class that was bombed just after it had concluded.

• Mob Disrupts Worship Service

  

  As the pastor and congregation of the Christian Family Church in Galgamuwa prepared to begin their Sunday worship service on the morning of February 24th, a mob consisting of around 200 people, led by Buddhist monks, forced their way into the church premises.

• Churches Threatened

  

  Reports received reflect the continuing challenges facing churches throughout Sri Lanka. Christians who attempt to meet together face opposition and threats, as well as the possibility of violence.

  In the village of Bakamuna, located in central Sri Lanka, seven Buddhist monks took a Christian woman to the police station on November 10th to file a complaint against her. They protested that she was gathering people in her home for prayer. The officer in charge responded by telling the woman that this was a "Buddhist village" and, therefore, she must stop hosting the prayer meetings.

• Escalating Violence Against Christians

  

  The church in Sri Lanka has been facing increasing violence and discrimination in the past year. Contributing to the problem has been a recent rise in Hindu extremism taking root alongside the long-time Buddhist aggression.

• Pastor Ordered to Stop Activities

  

  Churches in Sri Lanka frequently face opposition from community members who are opposed to a Christian presence in this predominantly Buddhist nation. On the morning of August 19th, the pastor of the Assemblies of God church in Dikwella was meeting with a few church members for a Bible study when a police officer entered the building to seize him. The pastor was then transported to the local police station for interrogation by the officer-in-charge.

• Christians Assaulted and Threatened

  

  In two separate instances during the month of June, pastors and other Christians in Sri Lanka faced threats and intimidation from other villagers. One of those cases resulted in the injury of two women.

  On June 9th, the pastor of the Jesus Christ Testimony Church in Commanthurai was travelling with his wife to visit some congregants when they were stopped by a man who warned the pastor to not build a church as planned. The man claimed that he and others had recently burned down another church and would do the same if the prospective building was constructed. The pastor later received a phone call, reiterating the threat.