A mob of about 600 people broke into a Christian chapel in Sri Lanka on Sunday, March 6, the group International Christian Concern reported this week.
The report said a group of people, including at least 60 Buddhist monks, broke into the Mercy Gate Chapel and demanded all religious activities to stop.
The mob reportedly threatened the pastor and assaulted churchgoers, one of whom ended in the hospital for treatment of injuries.
The report said the attackers dispersed after police officers intervened but not before the Buddhist monks inspected the place of worship and declared it “illegitimate.”
“There have been many examples of anti-Christian mobs turning violent,” noted the ICC report.
Christian communities in Sri Lanka have been facing hostilities in recent months, human rights groups said.
Buddhist fundamentalists who believe the country is a historic Buddhist land have been tagged as the perpetrators of the attacks.
Christianity is viewed in Sri Lanka as a product of Western colonialism that threatens Buddhists’ identity, the Washington-based ICC reported, adding that the practice of Christian evangelism is seen as an obstruction to Buddhists’ vision for the country.
In past reports, Open Doors USA, which closely monitors the Church in Sri Lanka, noted that “the perpetrators of such acts were not brought to justice.”
