On January 6, an anti-conversion bill that has been proposed in various forms in recent years was again presented by the Buddist-led Jathika Hela Urumaya (National Heritage Party) to the Sri Lankan Parliament. The purpose of the bill, which was first presented in 2004 (click here for more), is to "provide prohibition of conversion from one religion to another by use of force or allurement or by fraudulent means." The current legislation no longer contains two clauses that the Supreme Court deemed unconstitutional following challenges from several civil and religious rights groups. However, Christians and other religious minorities remain concerned because the bill, if passed, will introduce serious penalties for those found guilty of "forcibly" converting people, including jail terms, and could violate the right to religion and worship in the country.

Ask the Lord to intervene so that this legislation will not be passed (Daniel 7:25-26). Pray for wisdom and endurance for those serving Christ in Sri Lanka.

For more information on the challenges facing Sri Lanka's Christians, go to the Sri Lanka Country Report.