8/13/2019 Sri Lanka Christians Protest After Attacks by Buddhist Extremists

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Sri Lanka Christians Protest After Attacks by

Buddhist Extremists

Salem-News.com-Jan-30-20!

Two churches and a Christian prayer center were attacked on January 12

by Buddhist mobs claiming they were illegal and aiming to takeBuddhists away rom their religion! ""# reported.

$C%&%#B%' - (ecent attacks on Christian places

o worship by Buddhist e)tremists ha*e sparkedprotests in the Sri &anka capital against a

percei*ed lack o religious reedom! "orld "atch#onitor reports.

The organi+ation reports the story o Christiansaround the world under pressure or their aithand it said that more than 2!,,, Christians

gathered in Colombo on Sunday to protest.Senior Buddhists and other religious leaders

accused police Tuesday o ailing to prosecute

those behind a recent wa*e o attacks onChristians and #uslims! the gence rance-

/resse news agency reported. multi-aith group led by Buddhist monks said Sri &anka had ailed to

grasp the threat posed by hate speech and attacks due to local mediareports not being 0impartial or actual.

"#here is at $resent a $ub%ic $erce$tion that such attacks are takin& $%ace due to fai%ure of %a'

enforcement authorities to take necessary action(" said the )orum for *nter-)aith +ia%o&ue

,)*)+.

"If unchecked, these alarming trends would cause immeasurable damage and

drawback to the country."

Two churches and a Christian prayer center were attacked on January 12 by

uddhist mobs claiming they were illegal and aiming to take uddhists away from

their religion, !! reported.

/(( CNT(

The prayer center, belonging to the Church of the #ours$uare %ospel in &itipana,

near Colombo, was set alight on the same day as attacks on the 'ssemblies of%od Church and Cal(ary #ree Church in the southern coastal town of )ikkaduwa.

The fire was $uelled in &itipana before the center was completely destroyed.

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*elease International reported that a note was left outside the building,threatening further (iolence. oth churches in )ikkaduwa suffered e+tensi(e

damage, with windows and furniture smashed and ibles burned.

The 'ssemblies of %od Church had been one of three churches attacked onChristmas (e and had been warned on January 11 of the threat of a new attack.

!! said se(eral policemen were stationed outside the church on January 12,but they failed to pre(ent a mob of around 2- people breaking through the gatesof the church.

' police spokesman said that 2/ suspects were identified and would face trial.

0ri ankas 3aily irror newspaper reported that the trials of 14 suspects,

including fi(e uddhist monks, began at %alle agistrate Court, near )ikkaduwaon January 25.

'nglican bishop 3hilora6 Canagasabey asked for the countrys Christians to en6oy

the freedoms promised in the national constitution when he spoke at theCathedral of Christ the i(ing 0a(ior in Colombo.

"The freedom of thought, conscience, religion and association should be a(ailable

to all religious communities," said the bishop, $uoted by the 7C' Catholic newsagency.

"!e e+pect the rule of law to be upheld and worry about hate speech and hate

mongering against non8ma6ority faith communities.

"Christian communities face hardships in educating children in accordance with

the tenants of their faith. any children are compelled to study the ma6ority

9uddhist: religion, a clear (iolation of our religious rights," said ishop 3hilora6Canagasabey.

Christians make up ;.1 percent of 0ri ankas population, while uslims make up

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It noted the go(ernment has announced plans to introduce regulations againstpublications that "defame the original teachings and traditions of the ma6or

religions".

!hile outwardly a positi(e mo(e, the legislation has been likened to thecontro(ersial "anti8con(ersion laws" in neighbouring India.

#i(e Indian states ha(e passed laws placing restrictions on religious con(ersions

that are seen by minority religions as not applying to ma6ority )indus.

The 7.0. Commission on International *eligious #reedom, an ad(isory body to the

7.0. Congress, said that "while intended to reduce forced con(ersions and

decrease communal (iolence, states with these laws ha(e higher incidents ofintimidation, harassment, and (iolence against religious minorities, particularly

Christians, than states that do not".

The Centre for &olicy 'lternati(es, a Colombo8based political think8tank, said theproposals in 0ri anka would "stamp a further official seal of appro(al on 0ri

ankas slide towards ma6oritarian religious e+tremism and sectarian (iolence,"said !!.

0ri anka is =o. 2< on the 21/ !orld !atch ist, which ranks the - countries

where Christians face the most opposition. The country did not appear in the top- the pre(ious year.

cumenical =ews