after the country’s prime minister and presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa signed an election deal with a far right Buddhist party whose monks demand legislation that would make evangelizing illegal.
Over 1,000 Buddhist monks representing the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), or National Heritage Party and an umbrella Buddhist organization gathered in Colombo this week to urge Sri Lanka’s Government to introduce an anti-conversion law in Parliament before the upcoming November 17 elections.
Buddhist Monks of the JHU and the Jathika Sanga Sammelaneya or ‘National Buddhist Convention’ marched through Colombo, carrying Buddhist and Sri Lanka national flags accompanied by a traditional drum and also held a prayer session, several news reports said.
The Bill for the Prohibition of Forcible Conversion, proposed by the JHU, reportedly calls for prison sentences of up to five years and/or high fines for anyone found guilty of converting others "by force or by allurement or by any fraudulent means." It also encourages members of the public to report cases of suspected forced conversion.
DEMAND WITHDRAWN?
There were unconfirmed reports that the JHU leadership decided to withdraw its anti-conversion demand as part of the election deal with the prime minister, but the demonstration made clear that this position may be difficult to maintain.
Right-wing Buddhist monks have expressed concern about what they see as attempts by "fundamentalists Christian groups" to "unethically convert poor Buddhists in the pretext of social work."
In a published letter to the United States Embassy, the JHU said that Christian "ultra fundamentalists groups offer money and other financial benefits to our poor people" and suggested that "even the established Catholic Church" is against this and has "condemned these acts committed by these groups."
BUDDHIST COUNTRY
The JHU stressed that "Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country with 70% of its inhabitants practicing the teachings of Lord Buddha. Article 09 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka very clearly states that Buddhism should be given the foremost place and the Republic should take all necessary steps to protect and foster Buddhism while assuring all other religions the right granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)."
Evangelical Christians argue that they do not force Buddhists to accept the Christian faith as this would be against the Bible and everyone has in their words "to make a personal choice to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior."
Minority religious groups, specifically Catholics and other Christians, have reportedly expressed disappointment over the prime minister’s electoral pact with the JHU, amid apparent fears it could lead to more violence against churches.
US CONCERNED
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has said that "in the past two years, over 140 churches have been forced to close down due to attack, intimidation, and harassment." The USCIRF stressed that "particularly in the rural areas, there are reports that Christian churches have been desecrated or burned to the ground and individuals have been physically assaulted by mobs."
In addition following the tsunami last year that devastated parts of South Asia, and Sri Lanka in particular, "religious tensions have escalated following unspecified and unconfirmed reports relating to alleged methods of distributing aid," it added.
It suggested that the proposed parliamentary bill on "forced religious conversions" as tabled by the JHU would only lead to more tensions as it falls "short of international standards with regard to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief." 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, experts say
INTER-RELIGIOUS CONFLICT
The USCIRF said the pending legislation comes amid a "climate of inter-religious conflict and intolerance emerging in Sri Lanka" and urged "all parties to work together to restore a climate of religious respect, tolerance, and freedom in Sri Lanka. The Commission further urges the Sri Lankan government to refrain from passing laws that are inconsistent with international standards."
Opposition parties also fear that the election deal between the prime minister and the JHU could threaten fragile peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Under the 12-point agreement the current government-LTTE ceasefire would be revised while it also calls for the abrogation of a government-LTTE agreement for the joint administration of tsunami aid and the rejection of federalism as a base for a final peace deal.
Critics say the accord was made for "short-term electoral gain" but could lead to renewed civil war in which already an estimated 60,000 people died since 1983. "…The unmistakable logic of Rajapakse’s agreement with the JHU is to set the course for renewed civil war," said Wije Dias, the Socialist Equality Party presidential candidate in the Asian Tribune newspaper. "Despite protestations that he is for peace, the prime minister has effectively torn up the major planks of the so-called peace process that the current president Chandrika Kumaratunga and his own government have been claiming to revive," he added. (With BosNewsLife News Center, BosNewsLife Research and reports from Sri Lanka).
