Catholic and Christian Leaders Protest Against Proposed Anti-Conversion Bill

(ColomboPage) – Issuing a joint statement, Catholic and Christian leaders in Sri Lanka today expressed their dissatisfaction over the anti-conversion bill that will be presented by the Freedom Alliance government shortly in parliament. “Having carefully studied these drafts, we wish to state that if they are enacted into legislation, the freedom of thought, conscience and religion of all Sri Lankans will be seriously eroded. We are also of the opinion that these drafts contravene the fundamental human rights of our people enshrined in our Constitution as well as accepted prevailing international conventions and norms,” the statement issued jointly by the Catholic Bishops and the National Christian Council said. The minority government promised to introduce an anti-conversion law in parliament to satisfy extreme Buddhists elements in Sri Lanka . The Jathika Hela Urumaya and the JVP, a coalition partner of the minority government led by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, promised to introduce the controversial law during their election campaign in April this year. However, the election pledge has now brought on more social turmoil after Catholic and Christian leaders officially opposed the government’s move, a political expert told ColomboPage. “The fact that missionaries are being sent out from Sri Lanka to propagate religion in other countries demonstrates our appreciation and our exercise of that fundamental right in other countries. Therefore, we see no reason why a fundamental right enjoyed by us in other countries should be denied in our own. We affirm our commitment to protecting the individual’s freedom to have or adopt any religion or belief of his or her free choice,” the statement said.