SLBC up in arms against unethical conversions

by Shanika Sriyananda

The Sri Lanka Buddhist Congress (SLBC), which will commence a census Survey shortly in the Eastern Province to collect data of the Sinhala Buddhist people lived in the province warns the government of alleged attempts of unethical conversions in the East.

Citing examples to prove such attempts to convert Buddhists unethically immediately after the tsunami disaster, the Buddhist monks and the members of the SLBC emphasised on the need of implementing a surveillance and monitoring system of international non-governmental Organisations, which were allegedly engaged in unethical conversions.

The Buddhist monks at a recent media conference said that some INGOs operated in rural areas still practise unethical conversions in the guise of pre-schools and other charity organisations. They said that with the restoration of the day-to-day life in the Eastern province these INGOs would attempt to convert Buddhists and Hindus into their religions using their displacement and poverty to their advantage.

"Like in the early days, now the Buddhists cannot be converted to other religions easily and these INGOs have changed their ways to convert these poor people through charity services", they claimed.

The SLBC, with its 240 affiliated Buddhist organisations, has announced its willingness to help the government for the 'Nagenahira Navodaya', to help the displaced people in the Eastern province. "The civil administration, schools, government offices, hospitals should be restored in the East to make the eastern victory more meaningful. The wealthy Sinhalese business community is willing to join hands with the government to assist the new development programs in the East, they said.

The SLBC requests the Sinhala families who lived in the East to send their details including details about their properties, about businesses and deaths of family members and cases of abductions and disappearances by the LTTE to the SLBC, 380, Bauddhaloka Mw, Colombo 07.