SRI LANKA: ANTI-CONVERSION BILL MIRED IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000906

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: ANTI-CONVERSION BILL MIRED IN
COMMITTEE, NO INCREASE IN CHURCH ATTACKS

REF: COLOMBO 635

Classified By: CDA JAMES F. ENTWISTLE FOR REASONS 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (SBU) Summary: The parliamentary select
committee to discuss the Buddhist monk-based
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU)-sponsored bill
proposing to outlaw "unethical conversions" began
hearing testimony in May (Ref A). According to
one member of parliament (MP) serving on the
committee, the group is "leaning" toward forming
an inter-faith council as an alternative to
passing the legislation. In the meantime, some
evangelical groups have raised the profile of
attacks on churches and congregants; while some
such attacks have occurred, Post finds no overall
increase in the trend of such assaults. End
summary.

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ANTI-CONVERSION LEGISLATION MIRED IN COMMITTEE
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2. (C) In August 2004 the Buddhist monk-based
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) introduced a bill
proposing to outlaw "unethical" conversions, but
the Supreme Court ruled that the bill needed
several amendments in order to bring it in line
with the Constitution. The bill languished for
eighteen months, until the Speaker of Parliament
finally appointed a Parliamentary Select Committee
to discuss the bill (Ref A). In May 2006, the
committee began hearing testimony about the bill
from religious leaders and other stakeholders. In
a May 23 meeting, Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister for
Urban Development and a member of the Select
Committee, told poloff that he expects the hearing
process to "drag on" for some time. Most
committee members agree that forcible conversion
is wrong, he reported; the problem arises in the
varying interpretations applied to "forcible."


3. (C) Observing that trying to legislate matters
of conscience like religious onversion would
likely prove ineffective anyway, unawardena said
that the committee is "leaning" oward setting up
an inter-religious council to hndle complaints of
forcible conversion instead. The JHU is likely to
try to block these efforts, he predicted, because
for the Buddhist party the anti-conversion bill
is "a prestige issue."


4. (C) In a separate meeting with poloff May 25,
MP Joseph Michael Perera, another member of the
Select Committee, said he was personally opposed
to the bill. As a Christian, he said, he felt the
right to proselytize was part of his freedom of
religion. He noted that the Bishop of Chillaw,
speaking on behalf of the Bishops' committee,
testified before the select committee and
suggested an inter-faith council as an alternative
to the anti-conversion legislation, an idea Perera
supports. Perera said a number of the people
testifying before the committee represent
Christian groups.


5. (C) Perera added that the committee would have
to amend the bill to bring it in line with the
Supreme Court's recommendations, which, according
to him, would leave any final version of the bill
devoid of substance and retaining "only its
title." He assessed the JHU might be placated if
even the shell of a bill were passed; the JHU
would consider it a public relations victory,
Perera said.

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SOME CHURCH ATTACKS, BUT NO UPSWING IN TREND
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6. (SBU) In periodic press releases, the National
Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka
(NCEASL) notes instances of attacks on churches,
religious leaders, and congregants. In a May 31

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phone conversation with pol FSN, NCEASL
representative Godfrey Yogarajah alleged that 115
such attacks have taken place since June 2005.
However, NCEASL has only published reports of
around 40 incidents, approximately 15 of which the
Embassy has been able to confirm.


7. (U) In one recent confirmed incident,on April 23,
a Methodist church in Pilyandala, south-east of Colombo,
re-opened for the first time since 2003, when threats
from Buddhist monks caused the church to close. In a
May 31 phone conversation, the priest told pol FSN
that on the day of the re-opening, the same group
of monks led a mob who let air out of congregants'
tires, pushed over motor cycles in the parking
lot, damaging vehicles, and smashed the priest's
windshield. The priest said he informed the
police, and on April 24 the local magistrate ruled
that the church has a right to hold services.
Nevertheless, according to the priest, unruly
groups of people are threatening congregants and
burning tires on the road to the church. A court
hearing is scheduled for June 16.

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COMMENT
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8. (SBU) As reported in Ref A, the anti-
conversion bill stands little chance of passage.
Two committee members with whom we spoke
assessed that it is more likely an inter-faith
council will emerge. As far as the
April 23 church attack in Pilyandala, while
obviously distressing, it does not mark an overall
upswing in attacks. Indeed, the scheduled hearing
indicates that local authorities are trying to address
the problem through the court system.

ENTWISTLE