Annual Report

Sri Lanka has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and made it part of its own law through the ICCPR Act of 2007. However, Section 3 of this law has been subject to criticism for its wording being too broad and ambiguous.

Sri Lanka has also ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

While there are limits on religious freedom in Sri Lanka, the law generally follows international rules. The Constitution of Sri Lanka protects freedom of religion, including the right to practice and manifest one’s religion. However, sometimes the protections in the Constitution are not as strong as what international agreements promise, and lead to less protection.

Laws such as the Penal Code provide protection to religious places, and in some important cases, the Antiquities Ordinance can also be used to protect religious sites with historical value. Additionally, laws like the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the ICCPR Act, and the Online Safety Act are meant to protect peace and security. However, because these laws are worded in a very broad way, they can sometimes be misused to unfairly target minority groups.

The main legal limit right now is the law that controls noise, which is allowed under international rules.

There are also wide restrictions on what people can say about religion, aimed at protecting religious feelings. But because these rules are very broad, they could lead to too much censorship and may not meet the international standards of being truly necessary or proportionate.

The Constitution does not explicitly recognize the right to try to spread or promote one’s religion to others. The courts have supported this view.

Some efforts to pass laws against religious conversion have not been successful. However, the courts have also said that even though promoting religion isn’t a protected right, it is not against the law either.

The Constitution gives Buddhism the highest place among religions.

Children have the right to learn the religion of their parents. When students are admitted to Government schools, the mix of religions in the school at the time it was taken over by the Government is considered.

Some rights in the Constitution are only for citizens, which means refugees are not given the same protections. Sri Lanka has also not ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention, which protects the rights of refugees.

There are some barriers to setting up and running places of worship. A government circular says they must be officially registered, but obtaining this registration is often hard. Sometimes, if a place of worship isn’t registered, it can be unfairly targeted.

A new law has been proposed for NGOs (non-governmental organizations), which would compel them to register and follow government rules very strictly. This could make it harder for them to speak out or disagree with the government. There haven’t been proper discussions with the public about this law, and since an official draft hasn’t been shared yet, it’s unclear how it will affect religious groups.

There seems to be a focus on protecting and developing Buddhist heritage sites, while religious and cultural sites important to non-Buddhist communities are often neglected. (e.g. the government is actively working on improving the Anuradhapura sacred site, but has done little to protect places like Kandasamy Hill in Trincomalee, where important ruins have been damaged and ignored).

Decisions about heritage and archaeological matters are mostly made without fair representation from all ethnic and religious groups. Committees and plans often include only Buddhist leaders.

The law that protects historical sites (the Antiquities Act) is often seen as being unfairly used. In some cases, construction is allowed on protected heritage sites, even when courts or official rules say it shouldn’t be. Meanwhile, the same rules are used to stop minority groups from worshipping or holding festivals at their religious sites.

There have also been cases where Buddhist symbols have been placed in areas mainly important to other religions, sometimes in ways that seem irregular or unfair.

On a more positive note, Hindu worshippers were recently allowed to visit temples on military-controlled land in the North under certain conditions. Also, the new President has made verbal promises about returning land and not openly supporting unfair treatment, which is seen as a small step forward.

Authorities in Sri Lanka are quick to use international human rights laws like the ICCPR when they feel Buddhist beliefs are being challenged, but are less willing to do the same for other religious or ethnic groups. Sometimes, this law is also used unfairly against people or events that don’t comply with the government’s view. However, the 2024 court decision to acquit comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya for charges under the ICCPR Act, can be considered as a positive development. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has also helped by stepping in when the law was used incorrectly.

There are incidents where laws concerning religious places are not enforced equally. Minority groups, especially Evangelical Christian churches, face more difficulties.

Some religious organizations that work on promoting peace between faiths say the situation has improved, and that local authorities are more supportive. But civil society groups that focus on more sensitive religious issues—like disputed worship sites—often face pressure, surveillance, or even threats.

When police deal with community disputes between religious or ethnic groups, the response has been mixed. In some cases, police act fairly and helpfully. But in other cases—especially those involving heritage sites—they seem to take the side of Buddhist interests.

Although 2024 saw fewer incidents linked to extreme Buddhist groups, there has been a rise in actions by extreme Hindu groups, especially in the North and East. However, this hasn’t gained much support in the community, partly because Tamil political parties haven’t encouraged people to strongly identify with the Hindu religion.

Authorities have been quick to step in when something is seen as a threat to the government or to Buddhist interests. But they haven’t done much when actions or speech have targeted Muslims or Christians unfairly.

Some laws that aim to protect religion and religious feelings—like the ICCPR Act or the Online Safety Act—are written in a broad way. This can lead to too much censorship and might go beyond what’s really necessary or proportionate in the given situation.

There were a few reports of harmful language during election campaigns, especially at the local level, but overall, such incidents have reduced. The election commission has also introduced clearer and better rules, which can be seen as a positive development.

Tamil and Muslim communities have raised serious concerns about disputes over religious sites in the North and East. So far, the government hasn’t made any clear promises to fix these issues, but it has demonstrated some good faith by starting a credible investigation into the Easter Sunday Attacks (ESA).

While major religious groups in Sri Lanka continue to get official recognition and support from the government, smaller religious groups and denominations say they are being ignored. This lack of recognition makes them feel left out and treated unfairly.

On a more positive note, independent bodies like the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), have stepped in and handled some religious freedom issues well.

There have been no reports in 2024 of community-led boycotts because of religious hatred. However, in places like Kalutara, Colombo, Hambantota, Kurunegala, Kandy, and Galle, some community members have used intimidation against others.

In most cases where police or local authorities have restricted the operation of places of worship, especially Evangelical churches, this has happened because of pressure from local communities.

The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) reported at least five attacks or physical fights at Christian churches in Colombo, Puttalam, Mannar, Kurunegala, and Gampaha.

While there have not been any reports of abductions or killings linked to religious conflicts, there have been violent incidents pointing to group violence and one assault. For example, a church in Kurunegala faced pressure to register or shut down. During this time, stones were thrown at the church, and villagers even blocked the road to stop people from attending services. In July, a church service in Wattala was disturbed by neighbors playing loud music and using bad language, and the pastor’s wife was hurt in the fight that followed.

NCEASL also recorded at least two cases in Matale and Kurunegala where people were denied or restricted from using common resources from the Funeral Aid Society because of their Christian faith or recent conversion.

Some people believe that “aggressive” efforts by certain Evangelical Christian groups to spread their faith, sometimes in ways that upset other religions, are causing tensions within and between communities. These actions, like preaching or practices that some see as disrespectful, have made Evangelical churches and the wider Christian community more vulnerable.

Similarly, there is some influence from Hindutva ideas that are causing divisions within the Hindu community by challenging traditional Sri Lankan Hindu customs. However, this influence is not very strong and has faced setbacks with recent political changes.

Although Wahhabism’s open influence seems to have decreased, conservative views in the broader Muslim community have made it harder to change laws like the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA). In some rural Muslim areas, harmful practices like female genital mutilation are still supported by parts of the community.

Even though some religious leaders are open-minded, many leaders in Sri Lanka still hold views that exclude LGBTQI+ people and women. This is clear from the recent opposition to laws like the Gender Equality Bill, Women’s Empowerment Bill, and changes to the Penal Code.

Some members of the Muslim community, including those living abroad, continue to oppose changes to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) and have targeted activists who support reform.

Although the Constitution protects the right to change one’s religion, most people and religious leaders resist this in private and within their communities. Some religious leaders have also asked for laws to control preachers they believe are ‘misleading’ people, especially when it comes to Buddhist teachings.

Conflicts between and within religious groups—whetherprovoked at the state or community level—don’t seem to have significantly affected how people in Sri Lanka take part in shared festivals, rituals, or visit common religious sites.

Even though there are some challenges, inter-religious groups and networks have shown that there is still space in Sri Lanka for people from different religions to come together, talk, and work through issues. During the research, many religious leaders and members of civil society said they preferred more understanding and open discussion, rather than bringing in new laws.

In 2024, social media posts mostly targeted freedom of religion or belief in connection with disputed religious sites in Vedukkunaari (Vavuniya) and Kurunthurmalai (Mullaitivu).

Some posts also included threats or calls for violence against people who converted to Christianity or Buddhist preachers seen as changing traditional Buddhist teachings. There were also threats made against Pastor Jerome Fernando, including by a well-known Buddhist monk, Ven. Rajangane Saddha Rathana Thero.

There are signs that organised social media campaigns may have made tensions worse, especially in Vedukkunaari, where Hindu worshippers faced difficulties in accessing their place of worship.

There is clear evidence of harmful online content targeting certain ethnic and religious groups. This includes hate speech against Muslims and insulting language aimed at Catholic and Christian communities. Some of this hate speech is linked to the results of elections and is directed at minority groups.

Muslim cultural and religious practices, especially Islamic customs, have been mocked or disrespected in many posts.

Although there have been a few cases of hate speech used to push political agendas—mainly at the local level—overall, there has been a big drop in politically motivated hate speech.