Efforts are being made by the ultra Sinhala-Buddhist nationalist JHU party to reinstate an “anti-conversion” law, making it illegal for an individual to change religions, except in special circumstances with a magistrates’ permission.
According to the Vatican news agency, Agenzia Fides, local sources have said the JHU has sees other religions on the island as “contamination for the country”, and has renewed efforts to pass the law, which they have been pushing for the last 7 years. The JHU currently have 9 monks as Members of Parliament.
This follows the Ministry of Religious Affairs ordering the closure of all “non official churches” last September and ordered that all “construction or maintenance” work for places of worship needed prior approval from the Ministry.
There has been a long history of attacks against Christian churches, dating back several years.
See below for a video for a past protest that resulted in a church being attacked.
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