Sri Lanka's Christian community is facing renewed concerns about future religious freedoms following the results from the November 17 presidential election. Prior to his election, Mahinda Rajapakse had formed an alliance with the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a party composed entirely of Buddhist monks whose primary purpose has been to pass anti-conversion legislation in Sri Lanka. In his first address as president, Rajapakse pledged to protect Buddhism but also provide freedom for all other religions. It remains to be seen how this will be demonstrated. His appointment of Ratnasiri Wickramanayake as Prime Minister raises further concerns. Wickramanayake had previously served as Minister of Buddhism and was responsible for the introduction of the government's anti-conversion bill, ironically called the "Freedom of Religion Bill." For more information on Sri Lanka, click here. A video report from Sri Lanka is also available at www.vomcanada.com.
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