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| Sri Lanka |
| Criminalising conversions may harm religious harmony |
| 2005-05-13 |
| Sri Lanka's efforts to legally ban induced or forced religious conversions may result in the persecution of minorities, a visiting United Nations official warned on Thursday. Sri Lanka has a Buddhist majority, and monks here complain that Christian missionaries offer money and jobs to entice poor Buddhists to change their religion. The Buddhist monks have been pressing the government to stop such practices, and the government is already discussing two draft laws. However, a UN official balked at such a step. "In my opinion, the provisions of both draft bills could result in the persecution of religious minorities rather than protection and promotion of religious tolerance," Asma Jahangir, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion, said at a news conference in Colombo. Jahangir said the proposed legislation may contravene human rights laws and the right to freedom of religion, and that people might use the laws for personal revenge in disputes. She didn't elaborate. Jahangir said the government failed to act against those responsible for attacks on Christian churches since the death in 2003 of prominent Buddhist cleric Gangodawila Soma, who worked against religious conversions. Some Buddhists claim Christian missionaries were responsible for Soma's death, which occurred while he was touring Russia. Jahangir also said however that some religious groups helping thousands of Sri Lankan victims of the Dec 26 Indian Ocean tsunami have been "exploiting the vulnerability of the population." She urged non-governmental and religious charity organisations to respect a UN resolution calling such groups to provide aid without asking recipients to espouse particular religious opinions. |
| Posted by:Fred |