09 October 2015
Police summoned and questioned a Christian pastor after four Buddhist monks forcibly entered a church in Bandaragama, in the Kalutara District, on September 6, and claimed the church was not a registered place of worship.
The Officer in Charge of the police station ordered the pastor to register the church with the Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs in order to continue operation, and was made to sign a document stating he would not continue with his religious activities until this was done.
The incident was reported in the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, in its periodic incident report.
The church was initially visited by officials on August 31, when 2 officers from the Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs informed the pastor that they were investigating a petition submitted against him and his religious activities.
Days after the incident with the Buddhist monks, officials from the divisional secretariat visited again, repeating that a petition was submitted against him . The pastor was told to stop all religious activities and was warned that the officials would seal the premises if he does not comply. The pastor requested the officials to provide the order to cease religious activities in writing.
The registration of religious places of worship with the ministry, which comes under the purview of Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapaksha, is not a legal requirement. However officials often use a 2008 circular issued by the ministry, which "only" demands registration prior to the construction of new places of worship. The Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs on September 11 also sent the pastor a letter, referencing said circular.
