Source: www.MNNonline.org
Date: April 21, 2022
By Katey Hearth
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis imploded earlier this month. Thousands have taken to the streets demanding food, fuel, and other essentials. See our full coverage here.
Protestors are not the only ones demanding action. According to Yamini Ravindran, Associate Secretary-General of the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, officials who ignored warnings about the 2019 church bombings have not faced any consequences.
Sunday marked the third anniversary of attacks on three churches — two Catholic and one Protestant — that included simultaneous suicide bombings during Easter celebrations on April 21, 2019. Bombings at three tourist hotels killed 42 foreigners from 14 countries.
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Although Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the attacks, they weren’t the only ones to blame.
“One of the things people seem to be upset about is maybe it could have been avoided. From the part of the state, [authorities did not] take proper actions to prevent such an atrocity from happening,” Ravindran explains.
“There is disappointment amongst the people (believers). We have not seen justice in this particular situation.”
There is a strong Christian presence in Sri Lanka, but believers face oppression from the Buddhist majority. Together with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka helps persecuted believers overcome hardship.
“Persecution of religious minorities in Sri Lanka is a very real thing,” Ravindran says.
“Last year alone, we documented just over 70 incidents. [So far] this year, we have documented over 18 incidents.”
Pray governing officials will act fairly towards believers. As Sri Lanka is in the midst of political upheaval, pray the Lord’s ministry of peace and love will be demonstrated among all citizens, using the faithful witness of His followers as “salt” and “light.”
Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Marco Verch (trendingtopics)/Flickr/CC.