Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Colombo (Fides Service) - Christians in Sri Lanka, including the local Catholic community are seriously concerned that parliament may approve an anti-conversion bill being discussed at present. If approved the bill, would cause radical change of attitude and relations between the different religious communities in Sri Lanka and it would violate religious freedom and human rights a local Church source told Fides.
Paradoxically, Fides source said, the bill to be discussed and voted in the next few days, is passed off as a measure to protect religious freedom, when its effects are the complete opposite. The bill outlaws any personal change of religion under circumstances which can be considered ‘immoral’ or illegal. Envisaged punishment includes a heavy fine, 500,000 Rupees (5,000 dollars) and up to seven years in prison. It falls to a magistrate to judge whether a person’s decision to change religion was the result of trickery and proselytising and is therefore illegal. The local Church is particularly concerned with regard to the understanding of proselytising because the social and charity work in favour of the poor and the needy undertaken by numerous priests, religious, lay persons and Catholic institutions and Christian NGOs is often labelled proselytising.
The bill was presented by nine Buddhist monks elected MPs members of the fundamentalist Buddhist party Jathika Hela Urumaya which had already presented the bill last year. On that occasion the supreme court of Sri Lanka ruled that the bill was ‘unconstitutional’ in parts. Despite the ruling and without any substantial amendments the bill was presented to parliament a second time.
The government of Sri Lanka and the president Chandrika Kumaratunga say parliament has freedom of conscience to make a decision. Observers say the president wanted to avoid antagonising Buddhist parties which means the bill will probably be approved seeing that parliament is 80% Buddhist.
Last year the Bishops of Sri Lanka said they were against the bill. In a more recent statement the Bishops endorsed their position warning that if the bill is passed it would represent a authentic violation of human freedom.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 28/04/2005 Righe: 29 Parole: 298)
