Mission group Gospel for Asia (GFA) told BosNewsLife that tensions rose March 15 around midnight when an elected provincial council member threatened a security guard with a gun at the Believers’ Church BibleCollege (BCBC) in Lunuwila of Puttlam District.
The official, identified by several media reports as Winton Appuhamy, arrived shortly after leading a protest of Buddhist monks against the Biblecollege, GFA and local media reports said. The demonstration came less than two weeks after alleged militants also attacked a group of 10 students, seriously injuring two of them, GFA and Christians said.
GFA said the violence is part of attempts to close down the school, which it claims is "being falsely accused of being a front for the Tamil Tigers rebel group." The Tamil Tigers have fought since 1983 for an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils who they claim have been marginalized for decades by successive governments run by majority ethnic Sinhalese. Over 70,000 people have been killed in the violence and nearly half a million displaces, according to estimates.
CIVIL WAR
"The ensuing civil war between the Tigers and Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese majority has lasted more than 20 years," GFA explained. The group suggested that the BCBC has been targeted as students "training to become native missionaries to their people, come from both Tamil and Sinhalese backgrounds."
It described the battle over the schools future as "spiritual warfare." In comments monitored by BosNewsLife, GFA’s local missionary leader Lal Vanderwall said that despite ongoing tensions, "many Sri Lankans are choosing to follow Jesus." He cautioned however this had increased the possibilities of attacks against the school and GFA-related churches in Sri Lanka, where Buddhism is the official religion.
"Accusing Christians has become more common than ever. We have more Bible college students this year than ever, and our churches are growing faster than ever before," he said. "This is all spiritual warfare, but we know that the Lord is on our side," Vanderwall added in a statement released by GFA that in one of the latest incidents against churches at least one pastor had to be moved for his own safety "when the local Buddhist monks threatened him
after he baptized 47 new believers."
The group said that a church was forced to cancel a monthly all-night prayer meeting because local laws forbid gatherings after 10 pm local time, apparently because of clashes between security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels. "The churches no longer feel safe having national gatherings or events," GFA said.
Police officials have said however they are investigating recent incidents at the GFA Bible school.
