COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Anti-conversion laws are once again on the agenda in Sri Lanka after a brief respite while the government dealt with tsunami aid issues. Christian leaders believe the renewed emphasis on anti-conversion legislation could be a move to appease the Buddhist community following an aid-distribution agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the violent separatist group whose members are largely Hindu.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga signed the agreement with the LTTE June 24, sparking riots in the capital. The president’s position further weakened when her coalition partner resigned in protest of the agreement, leaving her with a minority government. Days after the agreement was signed, the Government Gazette published an anti-conversion bill proposed by Sri Lanka’s minister of Buddhist affairs.
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