Strong evidence of unethical conversions: Commission Report

By Santhush Fernando
The Commission Report on Unethical Conversion of Buddhists states that it has overwhelming evidence of Sinhala Buddhists being converted to other religious by unethical and unfair means due to poverty and unemployment, along with Tamil Buddhists and Tamil Hindus.

The launch of the Commission Report on Unethical Conversion of Buddhists by the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress (ACBC) was held yesterday at Ananda College.

The Commission was established in Mihinthale on Poson Poya Day which fell on June 11, 2006 to inquire into the conversion of Buddhists into other religions through unethical means and ruses and was headed by retired High Court Judge Sarath Gunathilake. ACBC President Jagath Sumathipala, Cultural Affairs Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene and Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and Mahanayakes and members of the Maha Sanga were present at the occasion.

Article 9 of the Second Republican Constitution of 1978, accords Buddhism the “foremost place” and commits the Government to protecting and foster the religion. The Report recommends that the Government should appoint a Special Investigation Division to probe into all harmful religious groups and cults which were set up after the 1972 Constitution and take measures to proscribe them. “All religious and missionary institutions when registering should take an oath or pledge that they will undertake to uplift the religious wellbeing of their adherents and not that of other religions, and also to refrain from engaging in conversion by unethical and undue means,” it proposed.

The report has further recommended that written approval be obtained from the District Secretary for setting up or expansion of all temples, churches, mosques, shrines and prayer centers and that this approval be intimated to the Sashanarakshaka Balamandala of the area within two weeks. Such a request should be published in newspapers and the decision should be declared subsequent to a public inquiry, according to the report. The Government should take immediate steps to re-present the Bill against Unethical Conversion which lapsed with the prorogation of the Parliament as a State Bill, and that all Buddhist organisations at grass-root level should pressurize their representatives for its due enactment. Full details of all places of worship, prayer centres, pre-schools, day-care centres, elders and children’s homes, non-governmental organisations and special projects should be provided to the District Secretariat and that necessary legislations for the due supervision of the same be enacted.

The Report also states that the Sashanarakshaka Balamandala of the area be vested with power to inquire into such unethical conversions and that laws be enacted for the arrest, granting of bail or remanding of parties who fail to appear before Sashanarakshaka Balamandala when summoned, with similar to provisions of Section 109(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act No. 15 of 1979.

The Report further recommended that laws be enacted to restrain the use of residential or business premises as prayer / religious centres or be converted to the same later on, and Police to inquire into such complaints and to intimate the Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs of the same. It also recommended that public institutions such as the Auditor General directly accountable to Parliament, be set up to inhibit the actions of all individuals and institutions violating Article 9. Such institutiond should inquire into NGOs and foreign individuals, and take action to register them, and immigrations laws and Visa procedures should be streamlined to counter the same, it was further recommended by the Report.