NCC seeks dialogue to stop church attacks
The National Christian Council which comprises the mainline churches in Sri Lanka is to appeal to the government to stop the increasing number of attacks on churches in various parts of the country.

NCC General Secretary Rev. W.P. Ebenezer Joseph said they were deeply concerned over the continuing violence against some Christian churches and would take up the issue with the Government.

He said the issue was sensitive and the country was at the crossroads, thus they would be discreet in finding a solution. "The process to find a solution to the ethnic conflict is at a critical stage. We have maintained excellent inter-faith relationships with other religions and every step must be taken to maintain those hallowed ties for the sake of the country and highest national interest," he said.

Rev. Joseph said it was the responsibility of the police to take action against those who were behind the attacks. The move by the NCC comes after several churches, many of them branches of the People's Church (formerly Assembly of God) came under attack in various parts of the country.

A spokesman for the People's Church said the attacks were mainly due to a misconceived belief that they were adopting unethical means to conversion. He said whatever grievances could be resolved by dialogue while violence was certainly not the answer. The People's Church spokesman said their churches in Deniyaya, Hingurakgoda, Alawwa, Hikkaduwa and Ganemulla had been attacked or intimidated. In the latest incident, the People's Church in Kesbewa was torched last Friday by an apparently organized group.

Pastor Chrisso Handy of the People's Church said the attackers had placed tyres in the church premises, poured petrol on them and set them ablaze in a planned attack which virtually destroyed the church building.

He said the Fire Brigade was called in but when it arrived around 4.30 a.m., the church building was gone. “Everything was burnt. Fortunately, no one was injured as the pastor and others who stayed there had moved away.” He said they believed the reasonfor the attack was a family conflict after one member of the family joined the People's Church. The pastor said they had complained to the Piliyandala police besides appealing to the SSP and the DIG of the area, but little was done. Meanwhile in all these cases police complaints have been lodged and the police are proceeding with investigations.

Kotadeniya Police in the Gampaha division said they were investigating a case where an AOG church had been burnt and members of the congregation attacked. They have summoned both parties to the Police on Monday in a bid to settle the matter amicably.

At Piliyandala, police said that they had recorded a statement from the pastor and investigations were continuing. In the Hikkaduwa area where another AOG church was attacked, three monks have been charged for intimidation and the case is due to be taken up next month. Meanwhile villagers in these areas, who did not want to be identified, said one of the reasons for the increase in the attacks had been the groups coming to their villages and trying to convince people to join their respective religions.
They said that in some instances their own family members had been converted and they fear other family members also would convert to Christianity.