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Sri Lanka

• Christians Beaten Following Prayer Meeting

  

  On the afternoon of November 20th, the pastor of the Gospel Tabernacle Church in Polgolla, Sri Lanka, went to visit a Christian family with another member of his congregation for a time of prayer. As they were concluding their time together, the Christians noticed that a crowd had gathered outside, including a Buddhist monk.

• Family Refused Christian Burial

  

  After a member of the Grama Missionary Church in Karukkamunai, Sri Lanka, passed away, the family arranged for a funeral to be held at the public cemetery on September 27th. However, a local public official, along with other members of the community, intervened and refused to allow the family to hold a Christian funeral.

• Churches Face Threats and Questioning

  

  Churches in Sri Lanka have frequently faced harassment from community members, Buddhist religious leaders and civil authorities. To read previously published reports on some of these cases, go to our country report. The following three incidents that occurred in mid-March demonstrate some of the challenges regularly experienced by Christians.

• Disruptions by Mob Violence

  

  Mob demonstrations are a common way to disrupt and protest Christianity in the nation of Sri Lanka. Although opposition often comes from the dominant Buddhist community, two recent incidents in the Batticaloa District appear to have been instigated by Hindu leaders.

• Pastor Harassed by Mob and Police

  

  As believers gathered for worship in the village of Ihala Yakkura on the morning of February 2nd, a mob of around 150 people, led by Buddhist monks, arrived and disrupted the service by questioning the owner of the premises. The pastor called the police, who were able to maintain peace until the service concluded, even though the mob remained present.

• Officials Demand Worship Activities to Cease

  

  On the morning of October 23rd, a police officer, along with the district's governmental leaders, arrived at the Hokma Bible Centre in Deniyaya to question the pastor about the legality of this place of worship. The authorities demanded that all worship activities cease until authorization is received from the Divisional Secretariat, and for the local police to be informed of any church functioning in the area. An hour later, the pastor received a phone call asking him to come to the police station and make a legal statement. The accused refused to comply without the consultation of his lawyer.

• Assaults on Christians Seeking to Worship

  

  On the morning of September 21st, six Christians were on their way to a worship service at the Berea Prayer House in Kalkudah when they were accosted by ten villagers. After they had been beaten with sticks, the believers were taken to area hospitals for treatment.

  Two of the ten people responsible for the attack were arrested for assault and mandated to appear in court the following day. Prior to this attack, the pastor and members of the church have faced continuous harassment from a group of hostile individuals in the community.

• Religion Law Proposed

  

  Despite assurances that freedom of religion is guaranteed, various statements from Georgia's ruling party, along with those from the State Agency for Religious Issues (SARI), indicate that a restrictive religion law may be in the works for the nation of Georgia. Many religious groups strongly oppose such legislation which would mandate government registration of their faith communities.

• Theology Student Assaulted

  

  On August 4th, a student from the Evangelism Training College was leading a worship service at a home in the village of Mahiyanganaya. As the meeting concluded, a group of opposing villagers led by three Buddhist monks stood outside, demanding to speak with him. After questioning the worship leader about his religious activities, they began to physically assault him, demanding that he leave the village immediately. As a result, the young man suffered injuries to his head, stomach and spine.

• Protest Demands End to Worship

  

  On the morning of June 6th, approximately 50 individuals from the village of Divulapitiya, along with 12 Buddhist monks, gathered outside a village church to demonstrate a protest.

  In response to the threat, the pastor called on police to intervene. Instead, the authorities ushered the crowd into the church and, together with the monks, began questioning and threatening the pastor and his wife. The protestors demanded that all worship activities cease immediately. After three hours of deliberation, the mob disbursed, and the police left.