Churches in Sri Lanka under pressure

(Images courtesy of Baptist Press)

Sri Lanka (MNN) ― Christian persecution on the island nation of Sri Lanka has seen a dramatic increase in the past year.

In the last four months alone, Open Doors USA, which closely monitors the persecuted church, says over 30 churches have been attacked by Buddhist extremists attempting to maintain Sri Lanka's Buddhist heritage.

We spoke via Skype with a Christian leader working with Asian Access in Sri Lanka who confirms the reports. For security reasons, we'll call him Brother Amos. "Large numbers of churches have been attacked, and many people think--when it comes to violence--it is the Muslims who can be violent against Christians. But that is not true, in our experience, in this part of the world. The Buddhists can also be extremely violent."

Why the spike in trouble from Buddhists? Violence seems to go against all their principles. Brother Amos explains, "With the Church beginning to grow, they feel very insecure. Their economy is hurting because people are turning to Christ. As a result of that, they [Buddhists] have turned against the churches, and that is their belief that by violence and by persecution, they can cause the growth of the church to be stopped."

How is economy tied into this problem? The growth of the church means that people who used to go to Buddhist temples are no longer doing so. "The income that came to the temple from these believers of Buddhism has now been diverted to the Church. Some of the temples in rural areas are finding it difficult to survive because people are leaving Buddhism."

There's a political angle, too. "Our constitution says that every religion has freedom of worship and expression and to propagate their faith," explains Brother Amos. However, "70% of our people are Buddhist. So the government is aware that if they go against Buddhism, they will be thrown out of power very soon." The government turns a blind eye to the attacks in order to appease the majority Buddhists, he adds.

Some churches have taken legal action and received favorable decisions, but is this a development in the right direction? On one hand, it's an accountability question. On the other, the challenge of persecution puts the relevance of the body of Christ into play. Brother Amos says, "Our mandate is to develop leaders who become relevant to the soil and relevant to the nations. Part of being relevant to our nation now is to be able to face persecution. In the midst of persecution, one of the key factors has been helping our people to know that God still reigns and God is seated on the Throne."

Asian Access invests in leadership training for the future. "Our investment has been picking the best in the country, providing them with the best training and presenting them with the best models so that they can be the catalyst in the growth of the Church."

It's likely the backlash won't be easing up soon. "My gut level feeling is that it will continue and it will intensify until and unless the international community will bring pressure on the government," Amos says, confirming that extremists will do whatever it takes to keep Sri Lanka a Buddhist nation. What it boils down to is the fight for the soul of a nation. "The God of this world has blinded the eyes of the people. Our direct enemy is not the human beings who are attacking us, but our direct enemy is the Evil One who causes people to do things against the Church of God."

Will you pray with the believers in Sri Lanka? They're asking prayer for wisdom for the Christian leaders, strength to endure hardship, and boldness to share the hope of Christ regardless.

Escalating violence could threaten progress

Cover & story image courtesy of
 Vision Beyond Borders.

Burma (MNN) ― Violence could threaten so-called "progress" in Burma. The country is under a state of emergency following rising unrest between majority Buddhists and minority Muslims in central Burma.

"It's just continual upheaval for the people over there, and there's little protection for them from their government," says Dyann Romeijn of Vision Beyond Borders (VBB).

At least 20 people have been killed and more than 6,000 driven from their homes in Meikhtila, Burma. The conflict began Wednesday after a disagreement between a Muslim business owner and Buddhist customers quickly turned into a rampage.

Mobs are setting fire to mosques, homes, an Islamic religious school, and many businesses as thousands of minority Muslims take to the streets in fear. About a third of Meikhtila's 100,000 residents reportedly follow Islam, and before the violence started there were some 17 mosques in the city.

Concern grows as the scene begins looking more and more like last summer's violence in the Rakhine state. Sectarian violence between the Buddhist Rakhine people and the predominantly-Muslim Rohingya killed hundreds and displaced around 100,000 people.

When asked if the Meikhtila unrest could develop into a similar situation, Romeijn replies, "Absolutely. That's always possible in Burma. There have been over 2 million displaced over the last 25 years-30 years of the civil unrest."

Over the course of his presidency, Thein Sein has ushered in a series of reforms to move the country toward democracy. But in trying to change the face of Burma, Sein continues to face challenge after challenge. Along with the current unrest in Meikhtila, there's been an upsurge in fighting between the Burmese military and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO).

Romeijn says that in recent days, "There were 2 churches that were burned to the ground in Kachin state, and there's been a lot of violence against the Christians."

Around 90% of the ethnic Kachin people are Christ-followers.

"Pray that that will have an influence on the Muslims, and the Buddhists, and the Animists, and those around them--that they will see the light of Jesus in the Kachin," requests Romeijn.

VBB works with partners on the ground in Burma to help refugees and orphans. You can help provide food, clothing, medicine, and the love of Christ by clicking here.

"Through all of the conflict and the genocide...it leaves a lot of orphans in that country, and so there's a lot of work to be done," Romeijn says.

Ask God to protect His people in Burma. Pray they would shine the light of Christ as they endure dark and troubled times.

"What the enemy means for harm, God can turn for good. Pray for protection for the people and that God would use that to reach many more," Romeijn asks.

Buddhists force Christians from village

Strong Hindu and Buddhist
 populations make persecution of
 Christians common in Nepal (Photo
 courtesy of VCM)

Nepal (MNN) ― A strong Buddhist population in Nepal recently rose against a group of Christians and drove them out of their village with their pastor.

According to the Voice of the Martyrs, Canada, the Nepali pastor was accused of bringing a foreign religion into the village and teaching ideals that were offensive to society.

Attackers also accused Christians of bribing and coercing other villagers into converting, an act frowned upon by society.

While the anti-conversion laws are not officially in effect in Nepal, anti-conversion law language has been used by the Nepali government in their ongoing process of drafting a constitution.

On top of forcing Christians out of their village, one member of the opposition reportedly sexually abused the six-year-old daughter of a Christian family.

A worker with the Voice of the Martyrs helped the believers resettle in another village and prayed with the family of the assaulted six-year-old girl.

Nepali Christians only make up 2.8% of the population. Over 75% of the population is Hindu which, up until 2006, was the official religion of the country.

While persecution is not as common as it used to be in the 1990s, it is still a major issue for believers there. Attacks against Christians are especially frequent when one converts from the Hindu or Buddhist faith.

Please pray that Christians may begin to gain religious freedom in Nepal. Pray for the healing of the girl who was sexually assaulted and for strength among the ousted believers.

Click here to get the full Persecution and Prayer Alert with Voice of the Martyrs, Canada.  

Sri Lankan Church Bloodied by Mob Attacks

The homes of several Sri Lankan
 Christian were attacked in mob
 violence. (Photo courtesy of Uthavi)

Sri Lanka (MNN) ― Home destruction and violent beatings have Sri Lankan Christians on edge. According to Voice of the Martyrs, Canada, several attacks on Christians throughout Sri Lanka have taken place these last few weeks in an escalation of persecution.

A pastor was brutally attacked and beaten in the Ampara District on Sri Lanka's eastern coast after attending a meeting about land distribution. A Buddhist monk called the pastor and several others to the meeting on July 10.

During the meeting, the Christian pastor was brutalized by the monk and others there. The monk kicked the pastor repeatedly in his stomach and arms, causing serious injuries.

Then while the pastor was escaping to his home, his attackers followed him and verbally abused him and his family members.

Sri Lanka is predominantly a Buddhist country with 70% of the population following that religion. The Christian minority has experienced an increase in persecution since 2005, especially at the hands of militant Buddhists.

Another serious persecution case occurred in the Badulla District in southeastern Sri Lanka on July 19. That evening, a large mob of approximately 50 people assaulted five Christian families in their homes.

The mob hurled stones at their roofs and smashed windows using clubs and rocks. The terrified families fled into the jungles for protection from the angry mob.

Additionally, a grocery store owned by one of the Christians was destroyed and vandalized. The store owner was seriously injured in the attack.

There are reports of talk to force these families either to deny their faith or to leave the village.

Please pray for healing and strength for the persecuted Christians.

Ephesians 6:18-20 encourages us to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."