By David Shelby
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The State Department's International Religious Freedom Report for 2004, issued in Washington September 15, found few changes in official policies regarding religious tolerance in South Asian nations over the past year, but said that religious discrimination and harassment persisted in most countries.

The report found slightly improved religious conditions in India, with changes in legislation and government practices on the provincial level and an important decision handed down by India's Supreme Court in a case of sectarian violence between Hindus and Muslims. Nevertheless, it said that problems persist due to ineffective investigation of attacks on religious minorities. The report attributed this failure in part to India's federal structure, which curbs powers of the central government.

The report said that the Pakistani constitution officially protects religious freedom but that in practice, the government imposes limits on that freedom. More significantly, according to the report, the government fails on occasion to protect the rights of religious minorities from the attacks of hostile religious groups. It has also allowed for the implementation of discriminatory religious legislation.

In particular, the report identified blasphemy laws as a source of discrimination and police brutality against non-Muslim minorities.

The report said that the Pakistani government does not encourage sectarian violence and that it has taken action against some extremist groups in recent months. Nevertheless, it attributed more than 100 deaths to sectarian violence over the period of study, saying minority Shi'a Muslims were most likely to be the victims. The report also listed forced religious conversions and activities of religious-based terrorist organizations as points of concern.

The report said that citizens of Bangladesh are generally free to practice the religion of their choice and noted that this right is protected by the constitution, but said that political strains were occasionally played out in harassment of non-Muslim minorities.

According to the report, the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party relies on the support of Islamic parties in its governing coalition, while the opposition Awami League attracts the support of Hindu minorities. The report said that political tension between the two parties has resulted in politically motivated acts of violence between Muslims and Hindus.

The report said that Afghanistan's new constitution allows for religious freedom, but added that relations between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims remain strained. The report also said that isolated cases of official harassment and infringement on religious freedoms continued to occur at the local level.

The report said that religious freedom is severely restricted in the Maldives, where Islam is the official religion, and the government requires that all citizens be Muslim. The law prohibits citizens from practicing any other religion. The report said, however, that foreigners are allowed to practice other religions provided that they do so in private.

The Nepali constitution permits the practice of all religions, and, according to the report, this official tolerance is generally respected. The report says, however, that authorities have restricted some observances of the Tibetan Buddhist population, particularly around the Dalai Lama's birthday.

Sri Lanka's constitution permits the free practice of religion as well, but according to the report, actions of religious extremists have resulted in a deterioration of religious freedom. In particular, the report raised concerns about attacks on Christian churches by Buddhist groups. While the government condemned such attacks, it has apparently done little to prevent them from continuing.

Complete analyses of the religious conditions in each South Asian country can be found at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/c12797.htm.