Anti-Conversion Legislation to be Introduced Next Month

23 March 2005

^{Minister of Buddha Sasana, Rathnasiri Wickramanayake}

As the country of Sri Lanka rebuilds following the devastation of December's tsunami, members of diverse religions have been able to work together in harmony to reconstruct their country and incidents of violence against Christians has dramatically decreased. Despite this, the government of Sri Lanka is reportedly planning to proceed with plans to introduce anti-conversion legislation in April. An article in the March 18 edition of Sri Lanka's "Daily Mirror" reports that the bill will be presented in Parliament by the Minister of Buddha Sasana, Rathnasiri Wickramanayake and that members of parliament will be allowed to vote according to their conscience, rather than along party lines.

The bill, if passed, would carry sentences up to five years in prison or a fine up to Rs. 100,000 ($1,200 CDN). If the offence is committed against a minor, the maximum increases to seven years or Rs. 500,000 ($6,000 CDN). A copy of the draft legislation presented to cabinet is available from www.srilankanchristians.com. If the legislation passes, there are concerns that even some of the tsunami relief will be seen as proselytism and could result in charges.

Last fall, The Voice of the Martyrs produced, in partnership with the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, a 35-minute documentary on the situation facing Sri Lanka's Christian minority. A preview of the documentary, "Faith Under Fire: Sri Lanka," can be seen in the Video section of VOM's multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com. Full-length copies can also be ordered in VHS or DVD format from VOM's online bookstore.

Pray that this proposed legislation will be rejected. Pray for Christian leaders, as they lead their churches through this time. Pray that well-intentioned humanitarian efforts will not be misconstrued as proselytism.

For more information on issues facing the Sri Lankan Church, click here. For a discussion on the difference between proselytism and evangelism, click here.

Sri Lanka

Current Ministry Projects
VOMC supports persecuted Christians in Sri Lanka as they witness for Christ in hostile environments through Biblical training, legal aid, and advocacy, as well as rehabilitation and emergency assistance.

Project Funds: Equipping the Saints, Legal Defence, Relief & Development, Families of Martyrs
Country Information
Population
23,326,272 (2023 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Sinhalese (74.9), Sri Lankan Tamil (11.2), Sri Lankan Moors (9.2), Indian Tamil (4.2), other (0.5)

Religion (%)
Buddhism (70.2), Hinduism (12.6), Islam (9.7), Roman Catholic (6.1), Evangelical Christianity (2.0)

Leader
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (Sept 2024)

Government type
Presidential republic

Legal system
Mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and Jaffna Tamil customary law

Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Sri Lanka
Let's unite our hearts in prayer for those in Sri Lanka who are being persecuted for their faith, thanking God for what He is accomplishing despite the opposition. Ask that His people will be encouraged, strengthened and equipped by the promises of the Bible – the Sword of the Spirit – knowing that He is watching over His Word to perform it (Ephesians 6:17; Jeremiah 1:12). May they not only overcome the strategies of the enemy, but also serve as effective witnesses to those in need of eternal salvation and deliverance from spiritual captivity.

Sri Lanka News

Church Pressured to Halt Christian Activities

A congregation in Sri Lanka.
Photo: VOMC

Members of the Way to the Comfort Ministry Church in Seethwaka, Sri Lanka, are receiving ongoing demands to cease all Christian activities in their village. On January 26th, Buddhist monks approached the church leadership and insisted that the pastor stop holding worship services, claiming that only Buddhist practices are permitted within the village. They further accused the pastor of forcibly converting people to Christianity and receiving foreign aid.

Read more...
Church Services Restricted to Pastor's Family

Photo: VOMC

In July, a complaint against the Jesus Jeewamanai Revival Church in Polgahawela was issued by some villagers and Buddhist leaders who opposed the worship services that were taking place at the pastor's home. In response, police requested that the church restrict the number of people attending the gatherings, particularly by limiting participants who were visiting from outside of the community, until guidance was received from the authorities on how to handle the situation. For more information about this incident, go to this report.

Read more...
Church Building Pelted with Stones; Worshippers Restricted Access

A group of Christians praying together.
Photo: VOMC

The Jesus Jeewamanai Revival Church in the town of Polgahawela has been the target of attacks perpetrated by disgruntled members of the community who oppose their place of worship. On July 7th and 11th, stones were thrown at the church building. Then, on July 14th, before the Christians' Sunday services were scheduled to begin, villagers blocked the road leading to the building in order to prevent the congregants and their pastor from accessing the facility.

Read more...
Arrests During House Church Construction

On June 13th, the pastor of God's Kingdom Gospel Church in Kandapola, Sri Lanka, was constructing a house church building, together with the support of other pastors and church leaders, when he was approached by a junior manager. The pastor was questioned by the manager as to whether or not the Christians had permission to build a church.

Read more...