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| Saturday, 24 July 2004 |
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| Anti-Conversion Bill will enhance freedom of worship, says Minister The proposed Bill preventing unethical and forceful conversions to other religions is not confined to only Buddhists being converted to other religions but also those following any other religion to another faith, said Minister of Buddhasasana, Public Security, Law and Order and Deputy Minister of Defence Ratnasiri Wickremanayake. There is no problem if a person changes his religion of his own free will. What is to be made on offence is the use of force through unethical means, he said. "The freedom to follow any religion of a person's choice is in no way hampered by the proposed Bill and will only enhance that freedom", the Minister said at a reception at the Sri Shantharama Temple, Kawdana, Dehiwela where he presented the Act of Appointment as the new Sanghanayake of the Sri Kalyaniwansa Chapter for Dehiwala and Ratmalana to Ven. Karagampitiye Shanthananda Thera, Chief Priest of the Shantharama Viharaya, Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana, Parliamentarians and members of Local bodies were also present. The Minister said the introduction of the Bill is a recommendation of the Buddhasasana Commission which made a comprehensive and exhaustive study of various problems faced in the furtherance of Buddhasasana and Buddhist Affairs Minister Wickremanayake said the Commission was appointed when he functioned as the Buddahsasana Minister previously following agitation by the people. He said, however when the report was published, he was not the Minister. Its recommendation remained not implemented for several years and now as the Minister in-charge of Buddhist Affairs once again he has the opportunity of implementing its recommendations, Wickremanayake said. The Minister said the Cabinet on his recommendations has decided to introduce legislation to implement the main recommendations of the Commission. These laws are now with the Legal Draughtman and will be presented to Parliament shortly. "There are now attempts by certain quarters to misrepresent and distort the recommendations made by the Buddhist Commission. Therefore it is the duty of the Maha Sangha as well as the laity at whose request the Commission was appointed, to educate the people on the true facts and intentions of the recommendations of the Commission", Wickremanayake said. The Minister said the Buddhist Commission in its report has recognised the need to ensure freedom of worship of religion of one's choice and its recommendations are based on this premise the Minister said: "However some are now trying to make out that I am now trying to wage a religious war. There have been many articles in the newspapers. The aim of the Bill is to enhance the freedom of worship of one's religion preventing anyone from using unethical methods to force anyone to change one's religion. It is not one confined to Buddhists. Whether he is a Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu or Muslim, the Bill makes it an offence to force anyone to change his or her religion." The Minister said the proposed Bill does not prevent any person changing his religion on his own free will. It is the use of unethical methods to force anyone to change a religion that is made an offence. He said on the recommendations of the Buddhist Commission legislation will be introduced to set up a Conciliation Board comprising leaders of all recognised religions in Sri Lanka to promote religious harmony and amity and to resolve any conflicts or dispute arising between religious groups. |
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