Pastor and wife forced from their home by Buddhist mob; police threaten to charge pastor with breaching the peace

Sri Lanka, April 21, 2017: A pastor and his wife in Ingiriya, south-west Sri Lanka, have been forced to leave their home after being targeted by a Buddhist mob. Police are supporting Buddhist extremists’ false claims that the church the pastor leads must be registered to meet and have threatened to charge him with breaching the peace. A 50-strong mob led by Buddhist monks disrupted a church meeting in March, demanding that all worship activities be discontinued. Police later supported the mob and ordered the pastor to suspend services, or be charged with breaching the peace. When he refused, the pastor’s vehicle was vandalised by Buddhists who then surrounded his house and threatened to attack him. At the request of police, the pastor and his wife have left their home for their own safety. The pastor has ministered in the area for the past 17 years, during which time one church building has been completely destroyed by a Buddhist mob.

– national christian evangelical alliance of sri lanka