Church attacks continue, but pressure for GSL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000192

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, INR/NESA, DRL/CRA, DRL/IRF,
DRL/PHD, SA/PD

NSC FOR E. MILLARD

PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/14
TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL PHUM SOCI KPAO CE
SUBJECT: Church attacks continue, but pressure for GSL
to enact "anti-conversion" legislation seems to abate

Refs: (A) Colombo - SA/INS 02/03/04 unclass e-mail
- (B) Colombo 17, and previous

(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead.
Reasons 1.5 (b,d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: There have been several attacks on
churches in recent weeks, continuing the trend that
began in 2003. The President and the PM have both
condemned the attacks, but, as of yet, there have been
few arrests and no prosecutions. On the positive side,
pressure on the government to enact legislation against
so-called "unethical conversions" appears to have abated
somewhat. Many Sri Lankans have been shocked and
repulsed by the attacks, and it appears that the country
may be slowly turning a corner. That said, Buddhist
extremists remain a force to reckon with. END SUMMARY.

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More Attacks
============


2. (SBU) There have been several attacks on churches in
recent weeks, continuing the trend that began in 2003
(see Ref B). Extremist Buddhist monks continue to be
implicated in the incidents. Details of three of the
recent attacks -- which all occurred just east of
Colombo and involved Catholic churches (most previous
attacks were on Evangelical Protestant churches) --
follow:

-- On January 26, a Catholic church in Mattegoda,
located some 15 miles east of Colombo, was damaged in a
late-night arson attack. No injuries were reported, but
part of the building was damaged. No arrests have been
made to date.

-- On January 18, St. Anthony's Catholic Church in
Hokandara, located 10 miles east of Colombo, was
attacked. There were no injuries in the incident.
Police have not made any arrests to date.

-- On January 15, St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in
the vicinity of Homagama, 20 miles east of Colombo, was
attacked. There were no injuries nor any arrests.


3. (SBU) (Note: As outlined in Ref A, the National
Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, "NCEASL,"
reports that there were over 100 attacks on religious
organizations and places of worship in 2003. Of those
reported attacks, over 50 reportedly occurred in the
December 2003 timeframe. NCEASL asserts that there were
over 30 attacks in January 2004. Mission continues to
try to confirm the reported incidents listed by NCEASL.
End Note.)

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Right Words at the Top, but no Prosecutions
===========================================


4. (SBU) President Kumaratunga continues to publicly
speak out in condemnation of the attacks. Prime
Minister Wickremesinghe and other GSL officials have
also publicly condemned the attacks. Despite the
outcry, there have been few arrests and no prosecutions
in these cases. (Note: Mission has heard a report that
one person may have been arrested in one of the attacks
and then released on bail.) There was one case of
discipline being meted out, however, when the local
police chief was transferred for not taking preventive
steps in the connection with the Mattegoda attack
mentioned above.


5. (C) When asked about the situation on January 30 by
the Ambassador, G.L. Peiris, a key adviser to the PM and
Constitutional Affairs Minister, admitted that he knew
of no prosecutions in any of the cases. Peiris felt
there was local pressure on the police not to pursue the
investigations, as well as a lack of direction from
higher-level officials. As he has with many other GSL
officials, the Ambassador expressed deep concern about
the attacks and underscored that it was necessary for
the government to take steps against those responsible.
Other interlocutors have also suggested that the lack of
police action stems from the reticence of local
authorities to be seen questioning (the extremist)
Buddhist monks, who are often implicated in the attacks.
Other contacts report that local Christian officials are
also reluctant to press charges, fearing that they and
their community may become a target for further acts of
violence.

======================================
Whither "Anti-Conversion" Legislation?
======================================


6. (C) While the attacks on Christian groups continue,
there are indications that some of the pressure for the
GSL to enact legislation against so-called "unethical
conversions" may be abating. (Note: Draft legislation
on this topic was developed last year and has been
"under review" in the Attorney General's office for
several months -- See Ref B.) One reason for the
decrease in pressure may be the following: local
committees consisting of representatives of various
religious groups recently set up by the PM to discuss
tensions (see Ref B) have been meeting and evidently
have had some success in defusing some of the fervency
of Buddhist concerns. Moreover, some of the anger about
the conversions matter may have also been funneled into
a 31-member committee of Buddhist monks recently
established by W.J.M. Lokubandara, Minister of Buddhist
Affairs. According to contacts, Buddhists are aiming
barbs at each other in the committee, with more radical
members pitted against moderate monks.


7. (SBU) Coupled with these developments, there has
also been a significant reaction in the local press and
in Colombo "elite" circles against the spike in
religious tensions. Civil society commentators have
called for greater interfaith dialogue and have
characterized the draft legislation as misguided and
counter to Sri Lanka's reputation for religious freedom.
As for the press, the following excerpts are
representative of the many recent editorials and op-eds
in local English-language papers expressing concern
about the religious freedom situation:

-- A February 1 editorial in the SUNDAY OBSERVER, a
government-owned English weekly, said the "desecration
of places of worship and the destruction of sacred
symbols cannot serve the interest of reviving or
sustaining religion and community. It only further
undermines civilization and the religious traditions of
the perpetrators."

-- An editorial in the January 29 ISLAND, an independent
English daily, stated that "churches are not for
burning. Anonymous posters with anti-religious
overtones are still appearing...these are forces that
have to be tracked down."

-- An op-ed in the ISLAND on January 29 stated that "the
adoption of legislation to regulate a change of
religious belief or faith is not...a measure the
government should take. It is neither practicable or
desirable to try to legislatively define conversions by
`unethical' means."

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COMMENT
=======


8. (C) Not wanting their country to become a religious
battleground (it is already ethnically divided),Sri
Lankans, in general, have been shocked and repulsed by
the church attacks. Given the depth of these concerns,
Sri Lanka may be slowly turning a corner on religious
freedom. That said, Buddhist extremists remain a force
to be reckoned with. Until the government arrests and
prosecutes someone, the extremists will probably not be
deterred in their attacks. In the ongoing milieu of
cohabitation turbulence, the extremists probably are
calculating that they can get away with the violence.
In light of the threat to civil peace, the government
clearly needs to be much more vigilant and forceful in
its response. END COMMENT.


9. (U) Minimize considered.

LUNSTEAD