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Sri Lanka

• Reaching Out in Love

  

  As the devastation of the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka fades into the memory of the media, the suffering of hundreds remains an ongoing concern for The Voice of the Martyrs Canada. As of May 6th, the total death toll stood at 257, including 40 foreign nationals. The hundreds who survived the attacks continue to face physical suffering, the horror of lost loved ones, and the trauma of witnessing such horrendous violence first hand. (For a previous report on the attacks, go to this page.)

• Hundreds Killed in Bombings

  

  The attention of the world is focussed on Sri Lanka following a series of devastating bombings that targeted Christian believers on Easter Sunday morning. At last count, more than 350 people have died and over 500 are left injured [NOTE: the official death count was lowered to 253 since the writing of this article.] The worship services of three churches were hit, along with three hotels that had organized Easter breakfast buffets. Included among the victims are 14 children from a Sunday school class that was bombed just after it had concluded.

• Mob Disrupts Worship Service

  

  As the pastor and congregation of the Christian Family Church in Galgamuwa prepared to begin their Sunday worship service on the morning of February 24th, a mob consisting of around 200 people, led by Buddhist monks, forced their way into the church premises.

• Churches Threatened

  

  Reports received reflect the continuing challenges facing churches throughout Sri Lanka. Christians who attempt to meet together face opposition and threats, as well as the possibility of violence.

  In the village of Bakamuna, located in central Sri Lanka, seven Buddhist monks took a Christian woman to the police station on November 10th to file a complaint against her. They protested that she was gathering people in her home for prayer. The officer in charge responded by telling the woman that this was a "Buddhist village" and, therefore, she must stop hosting the prayer meetings.

• Escalating Violence Against Christians

  

  The church in Sri Lanka has been facing increasing violence and discrimination in the past year. Contributing to the problem has been a recent rise in Hindu extremism taking root alongside the long-time Buddhist aggression.

• Pastor Ordered to Stop Activities

  

  Churches in Sri Lanka frequently face opposition from community members who are opposed to a Christian presence in this predominantly Buddhist nation. On the morning of August 19th, the pastor of the Assemblies of God church in Dikwella was meeting with a few church members for a Bible study when a police officer entered the building to seize him. The pastor was then transported to the local police station for interrogation by the officer-in-charge.

• Christians Assaulted and Threatened

  

  In two separate instances during the month of June, pastors and other Christians in Sri Lanka faced threats and intimidation from other villagers. One of those cases resulted in the injury of two women.

  On June 9th, the pastor of the Jesus Christ Testimony Church in Commanthurai was travelling with his wife to visit some congregants when they were stopped by a man who warned the pastor to not build a church as planned. The man claimed that he and others had recently burned down another church and would do the same if the prospective building was constructed. The pastor later received a phone call, reiterating the threat.

• Recipients Express Thankfulness
  
  Sri Lankan Christians received materials to help them grow in their faith

  In mid-October, approximately 50 people gathered together at a 250-year-old historical church in Matara, a major city that's located along Sri Lanka's southern coast. There they received teaching materials designed to both encourage them in their relationship with the Lord and help them grow in their understanding of the Christian faith.

• Church Forced to Stop Worship Services

  On the morning of February 10th, while the youth of Calvary Church in Morawaka were engaged in a prayer meeting, a police officer accompanied by approximately 30 villagers arrived at the church demanding that the youth stop their religious worship activities. The villagers then forcefully attempted to take away their Bibles.

  After being instructed to attend a meeting at the Morawaka Police Station that same day, the pastor's wife and two other congregants met with the Officer in Charge early in the afternoon. The officer instructed them to first register their place of worship with the local Divisional Secretariat, and then obtain a certificate of registration for submission to the police station. He further stated that, until such time, they should stop conducting religious worship activities.

  "According to Sri Lankan law," states a legal representative of NCEASL, "there is no legal requirement to register places of religious worship with the government." This incident follows a series of unwarranted attacks on various churches in Sri Lanka since January. To review a previous report on the destruction of a church that took place earlier this year due to persecution, click here.

  Prayerfully uphold the pastoral leaders of Calvary Church, and those legally representing them, as they meet with governing authorities regarding the worship services. May the Holy Spirit serve as their Advocate during the mediation process, granting them wisdom, the appropriate words to speak, as well as the ability to rejoice in trial (Mark 13:11; Romans 15:13). Also pray for the young people who were unfairly interrupted during their prayer gathering, asking the Lord to strengthen their spiritual resolve and fervency in prayer -- further impacting the ministry of the church and its vital outreach in the community.

• Church Continues Despite Disaster

  
  The Kithu Sevana prayer centre that was destroyed.
  Photo: World Watch Monitor

  The leader of a Sri Lankan church destroyed by a mob earlier this month has vowed that the church will continue to meet. Kamal Wasantha, leader of the Kithu Sevana Prayer Centre, states: "No attack can stop us. We shall continue to meet and pray under a tree." Despite the attack leaving the Christian community of 15 families and 20 other worshippers nowhere to meet, they have no desire for revenge. "(We) shall not attack them in retaliation," he adds. "Judgement belongs to God."

  On January 5th, a group of people, allegedly led by a Buddhist monk, attacked the church in Paharaiya, northwestern Sri Lanka. "First, they threatened us verbally," Kamal explains. "Then they came with wooden sticks, iron bars and knives, and destroyed everything. (People) begged the attackers not to damage the place of worship."

  Four days prior to the attack, a Buddhist monk from Gothamiramaya reportedly threatened them with "serious punishment" if they continued to lead worship at the church. A complaint was filed with the police by the leaders of the church and warnings were given to others in the Christian community. Then on January 5th, two of the church leaders and the monk were summoned to the police station. Ironically, the attack happened that same night. About 200 witnesses named the monk and 12 other people as the attackers. The accused perpetrators of the crime remain free on bail.

  The church was growing quickly and, with all its members being from other faiths, this attracted the attention of those in the village who do not tolerate Buddhists changing their religion to Christianity. Kamal, himself a Buddhist convert, says he "cannot abandon (this) mission just because of the attacks."