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Sri Lanka Commission Urges Steps To Prevent Unethical Conversions of Buddhists

By Howard M. Friedman

In Sri Lanka, the Commission on Unethical Conversions, headed by former High Court judge Kalubowilage Sarath Gunatilake and comprised of a number of former government officials, has released a report recommending several steps to protect against unethical conversions of Buddhists to other faiths. The Colombo (Sri Lanka) Sunday Times says in tomorrow's edition that the Report recommends newly registered religious or missionary institutes be required to furnish an affidavit promising to engage in religious work only among their already established followers. It also calls for approval by a District Secretary for the construction or expansion of any place of worship.

The Report urges the government to investigate religious groups that arrived in Sri Lanka after 1972, and ban any found to be harmful. The Finance Ministry should monitor non-governmental organizations to prevent them from carrying out unethical conversions. The Report calls for the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress to create a center where members of the public can file complaints about unethical conversion attempts, unauthorized construction of places of worship, fundamentalist "praying centres" and other attempts to tarnish the image of Buddhist clergy.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 24, 2009 (boomark / email).