Challenges to Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka
May 07
May 7th 10:30am
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing
Challenges to Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
10:30 AM-12:00 PM ET
Virtual
Hearing Transcript
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a virtual hearing on religious freedom in Sri Lanka and suggested policy options for the U.S. government.
Fifteen years after the decades-long civil war ended, Sri Lanka continues to reconcile with its history of religious and ethnic violence. Religious freedom conditions in Sri Lanka are on a worrying trajectory. Discrimination and periodic violence against religious minorities–particularly the Tamil Christians, Tamil Hindus, and Muslims–have exacerbated religious tensions. The Sri Lankan government has implemented and enforced a number of policies that have disproportionately targeted religious minorities, including the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act, and the Online Safety Bill. Recent efforts to expropriate places of worship, such as temples and mosques in the North and East, have echoed and intensified tensions.
In 2023, USCIRF traveled to Sri Lanka to meet with faith communities, religious freedom advocates, and government officials. In its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State place Sri Lanka on its Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.
Witnesses discussed Sri Lanka’s legal framework, including from the firsthand experience of those detained and persecuted because of their religious freedom advocacy. They also explored policy options for the U.S. government to engage with Sri Lankan officials to advance freedom of religion or belief.
Opening Remarks
- Frederick A. Davie, Vice Chair, USCIRF
- David Curry, Commissioner, USCIRF
- Stephen Schneck, Commissioner, USCIRF
Written Remarks
Panel
- Hejaaz Hizbullah, Human Rights Lawyer; Former Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) detainee
Written Testimony - Madura Rasaratnam, Executive Director, People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL)
Written Testimony - Mike Gabriel, Head of Religious Liberty Commission, National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL)
Written Testimony - Shreen Abdul Saroor, Co-Founder, Women’s Action Network
Written Testimony - Alan Keenan, Senior Consultant, International Crisis Group (ICG)
Written Testimony
This hearing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media. The video recording of the hearing will be posted on the Commission website. For any additional questions or to schedule an interview, please email [email protected].