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| Sunday, 15 February 2004 |
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Rise in attacks on Christian places of worship by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE Attacks on churches which were intermittent and isolated until recently, have ballooned into an issue of serious national concern, with unidentified gangs attacking and destroying these places of worship, purportedly to protest alleged unethical religious conversions. Around 30 churches were attacked by gangs last month despite the arrest of some of the culprits. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga recently ordered police to take stern action against those responsible for these attacks, but the incidents continue to increase, raising concerns as to whether the attacks are being orchestrated to create ethnic unrest in the South. Unethical conversions of Buddhists into Christians is touted to be the main issue behind these attacks, although heads of Christian denominations have categorically denied that such conversions take place. Religious zealots have however seized the opportunity to create ill will among different religious faiths by resorting to such attacks, which have been condemned by the Buddhist clergy and the majority of people. The attack on a community centre at Kebethigollawa last Monday, by a gang that allegedly included two Buddhist monks, was a case in point. The attack took place around 9.15 a.m. on Monday, with a group of persons travelling in a Hi-Ace setting fire to the community centre, believing it to be a church. The fire caused extensive damage to the building and totally destroyed its furniture. Meanwhile, a Pradeshiya Sabha Member who learnt of the incident had informed the Kebethigollawa police about the group. The gang had fled the area after setting fire to the centre and had been proceeding along the Medawachchiya road. A police party from Kebethigollawa rushed to the Rabbawewa junction along the Medawachchiya road, intercepted the Hi-Ace van and arrested the gang. On careful examination, the police found a sticker with a false number pasted over the genuine number plate of the van. The van had been traced to a person from Sadagalle, Koshena in the Bulathsinhala area. Further investigations had revealed that the van belonged to an individual from Bulathsinhala. The owner had stated that his son had taken the van to visit a friend in the outstations. The two Buddhist priests travelling in the van had been identified to be from Keleniya and Homagama while the rest of the gang were from Heiyantuduwa, Bulathsinhala and Kadawate. Police also found a retired Sri Lankan engineer, now domiciled in Australia, among the gang. According to police, the same engineer had been involved in an earlier attack on a Church in Homagama and had been released on bail. Before the attack on the Kebethigollawa community centre, a group of persons had visited the World Vision office at Kebethigollawa and after threatening the employees, had removed several documents from the office. World Vision staff have lodged a complaint at Kebethigollawa police. The Apostolic Church at Padaviya was the first church to be threatened by mobs demanding its closure, on February 10, 2003. However, according to reports, there have been 107 incidents of violence, threats and intimidation from January 1, 2003 to January 12, 2004. The total number of incidents reported for 2003 were 91. After the announcement by the Minister of Buddha Sasana, W.J.M. Lokubandara on August 1, of plans to introduce anti-conversion laws, there had been 80 incidents of intimidation and violence. Several Christian churches in Anuradhapura, Polgasowita, Embilipitiya and Kaluvenkemi in the Eastern Province, Gampaha, Galle, Kandana, Kadawate, Rathgama, Thanamalvila, Lunugamvehera, Horana, Hikkaduwa, Kesbewa, Kandy, Kegalle, Mt Lavinia, Nugegoda, Kurunegala and Keleniya are reported to have come under attack by unruly mobs from early December 2003. Police believe that some unseen force is working hard to spread religious discord after the passing away of the Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thero. The government had condemned attacks on churches and instructed the police to take stern action against the culprits. |
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