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Violence Against Christians on the Upsurge*Pastors in Southern Districts Attacked and ThreatenedA pastor, together with his wife and two children, visited a sick parishioner on February 14 in Hambathota district. While inside the believers’ house, stones were suddenly thrown at them. The police apprehended a suspect who admitted to the stoning during an interrogation, although he refused to name those who had incited the assault.
The pastor filed a complaint at the Weeraketiya Police Station. He has been receiving anonymous phone threats and his church contends with verbal abuse from the villagers while on their way to the church service.
| | A strip of shops in Southern District, Galle |
In neighboring Galle district, a mob of about 200 went to another pastor’s house on March 2 and threatened him with death unless he left the village. The agitated crowd made references to his wife who was a Tamil, and suggested that the church could be suspected of involvement in terrorist activity.
After filing an official complaint, the pastor and his family evacuated to a safer undisclosed location, fearing for their lives. Three men armed with clubs threatened his congregation sometime in February during a Sunday School class.
Another church in Mallaitivu district was set on fire in the early morning of March 3. The pastor, his wife and child, along with two others, were inside the Zion Mount Prayer House at the time of the burning. According to initial reports, they escaped the fire, but their present location is still unknown.
Bible School Students Beaten by Masked MenTen students from Believers’ Church Bible College in Putlam district were walking to the Bible school on March 2 when a group of masked men on motorbikes blocked their way.
They were beaten with rods and kicked. More men arrived in a van and dragged a student inside, where he was beaten severely. When the attackers left the scene, one of the victims who hid during the onslaught managed to run to the Bible school to get some help, but a masked man immediately followed him close behind.
A few hours before the incident, a member of the Wennappuwa Provincial Council met the 10 students at 7 p.m. on March 2 as they walked from the Lunuwila railway station, and learned about their destination.
The same council member arrived later on the same day at the gate of the Believers’ Church Bible College threatening to shut down its operations for more than a week. A security guard from the school was also beaten by a masked man, who escaped after the assault.
More than 10 men attacked the students on the night of March 2, but only two of them were arrested. The complaint has been filed at the Koswatte Police Station.
The injured students were rushed to the Lunuwila Government Hospital and three of them were transferred later to the Marawila hospital for additional treatment.
Mob Harasses Church King’s Revival Church in Kaluthara district received a formal petition last January from its neighbors lobbying for its closure. On February 17 (Sunday), the local government official visited the pastor, inquiring about the accusations made in the petition, such as excessive noise from its worship services. After explaining that no sound amplification was used, the local official allowed the pastor to continue the worship service that day.
As soon as the church returned to its activities, a crowd of about 50 villagers carrying rods started putting up anti-Christian posters along the road leading to King’s Revival Church. The pastor began dismissing his congregation in small groups. As they went out, threats and insults were hurled at them; some were pushed and barred along the way.
A man and 10-year old child were hurt and two women were pulled by their hair. Believers from the Tamil ethnic community were threatened with imprisonment and even death if they returned to the church.
The incident was reported to the Mathugama Police and the pastor was requested to appear for inquiry on February 18. He asked for protection in writing, but police security was not granted for the church. Also, police did not round up any suspects after the harassment of the believers on February 17.
A crowd gathered again the following Sunday, February 24. They carried various tools and implements on the pretext of cutting grass alongside the road. When the believers started arriving, the villagers were threatened and prevented from attending the church service. The police came and dispersed the mob, but no further inquiry was made on the incident.
In January 26, 2004, the pastor of King’s Revival Church lost his home when a mob broke into his house and burned it. Before it was set on fire, he was beaten and tied up while his wife and children were locked in a room. But all of them miraculously escaped.
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* Source: National Christian Evangelical Alliance in Sri Lanka
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