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| Sunday, 21 December 2003 |
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New laws to stop unethical religious conversions by Shanika Sriyananda Government is exploring possibilities of either introducing tough new laws or strengthening existing provisions under the Penal Code, to curb the rising incidence of unethical religious conversions. Allegations have been rife about various organisations, many of them in the guise of charity workers carrying out unethical religious conversion in prisons, hospitals and in the villages. There has also been increasing calls for government action to make such conversion illegal. Minister of Justice, Law Reforms and National Integration and Buddha Sasana W. J. M. Lokubandara told the Sunday Observer that the government was considering the option and that they needed to study the issue thoroughly. "Thousands of complaints on unethical conversions have been lodged by individuals, organisations and government authorities to the Ministry and the Commissioner of Buddha Sasana. These complaints are from all parts of the country", he said. According to a top official of the Ministry, new laws to prevent unethical conversions had been introduced in Tamil Nadu recently. He said the Ministry officials were now in the process of studying those acts, along with the recommendations of the recent Presidential Commission Report on Buddasasana and complaints received by the Ministry and other institutions under the Ministry. "Each complaint to the Ministry and the Commissioner of Buddha Sasana will undergo a thorough check. We direct all complaints to the Divisional Secretary, District Secretary and Sasanarakshaka Balamandala in each area before commencing investigations", he said. |
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