Sri Lanka Church In Flames as Parliament Discusses Controversial Legislation

difficult Sunday, May 22, after Buddhist militants reportedly burned down their church, evangelical news agency Idea reported. Idea quoted aid workers in the region as saying that several militants entered the Methodist congregation, which was also used as a storage site for clothing and other aid packages for victims of the Tsunami disaster in December.

Aid worker and Pastor Albert W. Jebanesan said the fire "spread throughout the church building and also destroyed the adjacent pastoral home and a new house", Idea reported.

Nobody was injured, but all aid packages were reportedly destroyed. Idea quoted witnesses as saying that people could be seen fleeing burning buildings. The pastor of the church had apparently received several "threatening phone calls" in which he was urged to stop the Christian aid for Tsunami victims.

"MISUSING AID"

The militants have reportedly accused the church of "misusing the aid" to convert Buddhists to Christianity. Human rights watchers say there were over 160 incidents of violence and intimidation against Christians over the last two years, including church bombings, physical assaults, and desecrations.

News of the latest violence comes after the World Evangelical Alliance and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty expressed "deep concern" about a proposed anti-conversion law in
Sri Lanka, which is backed by politicians representing the Buddhist majority.  

In an April statement to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights the Christian rights organizations said the legislation "unfairly targets the country’s small Christian minority," BosNewsLife News Center monitored

FINES AND PRISON

The legislation reportedly advocates fines of around $5,000 and up to seven years in prison for anyone involved in illegal conversion. Both the convert and the person responsible for his or her conversion would suffer penalties if found guilty.
 
Buddhists have been actively involved in raising support for the law. Already in 2003 about 1,500 Buddhists reportedly protested against Christian activities. Buddhists comprise roughly 70 percent of Sri Lanka’s nearly 20 million strong population, while Christians make up just about 8 percent, according to official estimates. Hindu’s form 15 and Muslims 7 percent of the island’s inhabitants. (With BosNewsLife Chief International Correspondent Stefan J. Bos, BosNewsLife Research and reports from Sri Lanka)