Sri Lanka Evangelicals Urge Gov't to Protect Religious Freedom

The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) has urged the country’s government and law enforcement agencies to uphold for every citizen the right to freely practice the religion of their choice, without any harassment, a statement released this week said.

Officials of the NCEASL said in the statement that they were “alarmed at the manner in which unruly elements used violence and force against minority Christians engaging in prayer and worship.”

They added that the government has turned a blind eye over the matter for a long time, reported Compass News Direct.

The NCEASL issued the statement following a number of unpleasant incidents involving minority Christians being harassed for practicing their faith.

On Nov. 12, Buddhist extremists had prohibited church members of the Assembly of God (AOG) Church in Yakkala, Gampaha district, from attending Sunday service.

The group, consisting of some 100 people, including four Buddhist monks, was armed with clubs, according to NCEASL. The group pasted posters slandering Christianity in the neighborhood and blocked the road that lead to the church.

The group also verbally abused church members who attempted to walk past them down the road. Only a handful of church members managed to reach the church, who then alerted their pastor regarding the matter.

This was the second time the church had been harassed since the first attack on Oct. 29. The church has decided to stop its weekly Sunday services for the time being after the Nov. 12 incident.

The pastor told the NCEASL that he had requested for police protection following the harassment, but no concrete action was taken to put a stop to the matter, Compass Direct News reported.