For immediate release from the World Evangelical Alliance

April 14, 2005

WEA EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER SRI LANKA’S PROPOSED ANTI-CONVERSION LAW AT UN

On April 13, in a joint statement to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the World Evangelical Alliance and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty expressed deep concern about the proposed anti-conversion law in Sri Lanka.

Janet Epp Buckingham, UN spokesperson for the WEA, says “It was important that we voice our concern for our brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka in this way. The proposed legislation unfairly targets Sri Lanka’s religious minorities and is likely to fuel religious intolerance in the already vulnerable country.”

Sri Lanka’s population is 70% Buddhist, 15% Hindu, 7% Muslim and 7% Christian yet there have been over 160 incidents of religious violence and intimidation over the last two years, directed mainly at Christians, including church bombings, physical assaults, and desecrations.

The UN Commission on Human Rights is currently holding its annual six week session in Geneva. It will wrap up on April 22.

Statement on Protection of Minorities Under Item 14 61st UN Commission on Human Rights

The World Evangelical Alliance and The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

We are deeply concerned about the proposed anti-conversion law in Sri Lanka that unfairly targets the country’s small Christian minority. Sri Lankan Christians have been the subject of over 160 incidents of violence and intimidation over the last two years, including church bombings, physical assaults, and desecrations. The Sri Lankan government defends its law by saying that it is needed to protect religious freedom. But laws protecting religious freedom should protect religious minorities, not discriminate against minority groups in favour of majority religions! Protestant Christians are only one percent of Sri Lankaâ?Ts population while Buddhists number 80 percent. How can the government of Sri Lanka propose legislation to protect the 80 percent against the one percent?

At a time when Sri Lanka as a nation is struggling to recover from the cataclysmic effects of the tsunami, such a move by the government to impose a law that will create more volatility between religious groups is untimely and frivolous.

In the aftermath of the tragedy of the tsunami, there was an unprecedented humanitarian effort at every level of society, both nationally and internationally. To a large extent, ordinary citizens rose to the occasion, helping each other, irrespective of ethnic or religious differences. In fact, the tsunami itself swept away people irrespective of ethnic, social and religious divides. Mansions and mud huts, churches, mosques and temples were all swept away.

But rather than the government of Sri Lanka building on this unity, it is about to pass a law that will usher in more religious strife.

This proposed law, copies of which are being freely circulated in Sri Lanka and elsewhere, are in breach Sri Lanka’s international obligations as stated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 18 of the ICCPR establishes the right to change oneâ?Ts religion. Article 27 clearly requires that governments protect religious minorities and allow them to freely practice their beliefs. Christians have long been known around the world for providing education, social assistance and relief as part of their religious practices. Yet, the proposed law imposes a sentence of up to 7 years of imprisonment for persons providing aid to members of other religions.

We believe that the proposed anti-conversion law will endanger religious minorities in Sri Lanka and fuel religious intolerance. We call on the government of Sri Lanka to withdraw this legislation. We call on the Commission to protect the right of religious minorities to freely practice their beliefs by providing assistance to others without the threat of criminal penalties.

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