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The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty recently sent two of its attorneys to Sri Lanka on a weeklong fact-finding mission. Read our brief on the issues. Read our Frequently Asked Questions. Read our press release on the Sri Lankan government's plans to introduce an anti-conversion bill. Read our oral intervention given at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. Read our statement on the news that the Sri Lankan government plans to introduce an anti-conversion bill. Listen to The Becket Fund's Roger Severino on CBC Radio discussing religious freedom in Sri Lanka (scroll down to Part 2). Listen to The Becket Fund's Roger Severino on the Family News in Focus radio program. Our Congressional briefing on Relief and Religion in Post-Tsunami Sri Lanka was a success. Read the briefing remarks in PDF format. The Becket Fund issued a press release on January 8, 2005: "Christian Aid and Assistance Unwanted and Even Unlawful In Southeast Asia: Religious Persecution Survives Tsunamis" Read our talking points on tsunami aid and religious persecution. The Buddhist Times published on September 14, 2004, an op-ed by The Becket Fund's Roman P. Storzer (PDF format). On July 23, The Becket Fund sent a legal memorandum (PDF format, 222K) to the Sri Lankan president and prime minister. This memo is a detailed legal analysis of the anti-proselytization and anti-conversion bills now pending before the Parliament of Sri Lanka. It concludes that the enactment of either bill would represent an egregious violation of the freedom of religion, expression, and assembly of Sri Lankan citizens under the country's various, enforceable international treaty obligations. The Becket Fund is circulating a Declaration of Religious Freedom for Sri Lanka and inviting signatories to the statement. Emilie Kao, The Becket Fund's Director of International Advocacy, gave a speech (PDF format, 188K) to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 60th Session, on April 8, 2004, on the plight of Christians in Sri Lanka. |