Sri Lanka pushing for anti-conversion bill

Amid the escalating ethnic-violence in Sri Lanka, there have been speculations of an anti-conversion bill being presented to the Parliament for its approval.

The bill has been submitted for the second reading after which the Parliament is expected to take a decision in another round of discussions in February, according to sources.

If the law is being passed, Christians fear intensified persecution against its community by Buddhist hardliners.

An advocate with the National Christian Fellowship of Sri Lanka cited MP John Amaratunge former Christian Affairs Ministers saying, the chances of bill being passed is very positive as the government prefers to have a "single majority". Ravi Karunanayake, former Minister and member of the opposition party later confirmed this.

Earlier, two separate acts were initially proposed to Parliament, one by the Buddhist Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a minority party allied with President Chandrika Kumaratunga, and the other by Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, the Minister for Buddha Sasana (Buddhist Affairs).

The draft bill on prohibition of forcible conversion advocates fines up to $5,027 and a maximum of seven years in prison for anyone involved in illegal conversion. Both the convert and the person responsible for his or her conversion would suffer penalties if found guilty.

Buddhists form 71 percent of the country's 19 million population, while Christians comprise a little less than 8 per cent.