USCIRF Recommends Special Watch Status for Sri Lanka

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Jun. 27 issued a report recommending that the US State Department designate Sri Lanka as a Special Watch List country in 2023 and 2024, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

By placing Sri Lanka on the Special Watch List the State Department would establish US recognition of religious persecution in the country and allow it to take action to address the issue.

The USCIRF report notes that freedom of thought, conscience, and religion are constitutional rights in Sri Lanka, but that Buddhism has a “foremost place” in the country. While minority religions are officially tolerated, the Sri Lankan government has inhibited Christian worship activities, including restricting church permits – and this attitude has caused violence and dissension, the Commission found.

“During the year, the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) documented 43 anti-Christian cases of intimidation of and violence against pastors and their congregations, obstruction of worship services, discriminatory actions, and attacks on churches, compared with 80 cases in 2022,” the USCIRF report says.

“In many of the incidents, the NCEASL said police or other officials played a role, and, in cases of intimidation or attacks by Buddhist groups on Christian churches, the NCEASL reported that police often said the pastors were to blame,” the report reads.

Concerning US action to address the issue of religious freedom in Sri Lanka, the USCIRF report noted: “US embassy officials regularly urged senior government officials and political leaders, including the President, Prime Minister, and cabinet ministers to defend religious freedom for all, emphasizing the importance of religious minorities in the national reconciliation process.”

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