A/56/253 Malaysia 52. In November 2000, four people including a woman were reportedly sentenced by the Sharia high court in the state of Kelantan, to three years imprisonment because of their conversion from Islam to Christianity and their refusal to repent and return to Islam. Myanmar 53. Since 1997, the administrative authorities of Toungoo have allegedly been trying to bring about the destruction of the Hantha mosque. On 15 May 2001, a group of people, some of them dressed as monks, reportedly entered the mosque in order to begin the work of demolition. At the same time, a crowd of some 300 men led by a monk allegedly launched an attack against the Muslim quarters, also attacking houses and the Kaka mosque. In spite of appeals by Muslims to the police, the latter are said to have taken no action. On 16 May 2001, the same crowd allegedly set fire to the Hantah mosque and to Muslim shops. In all, at least 20 Muslims were allegedly killed, about 100 seriously injured and 20 mosques burned down. It was only on 17 May 2001 that the army reportedly put an end to the violence. Nepal 54. On 29 October 2000, four Christians were apparently arrested and accused of proselytizing in Rajbiraj, Saptari district. They were reportedly arrested in spite of the fact that Hindu extremists had interrupted an evangelist meeting and attacked Christian believers, including the four people just mentioned. 55. On 26 February 2001, the Nepalese Government reportedly obstructed the Tibetan New Year celebrations at Kathmandu, for example prohibiting the display of photographs of the Dalai Lama outside monasteries. Nigeria 56. In November 2000 in the state of Katsina, a man was apparently sentenced to 100 strokes of the cane and one year’s imprisonment on the grounds that he had had extramarital sexual relations with an 18-year-old girl. The sentence was reportedly carried out. On 12 October 2000, in Abuja, the local authorities reportedly ordered the demolition of a Seventh Day Adventist church. 57. Early in 2001, following a visit by the Israeli ambassador to the capital of the state of Gombe and discussions between the Governors of the southern States with a view to challenging, in the Supreme Court, the introduction of sharia law by the northern States, riots apparently broke out involving thousands of young Muslims. Four people were said to have been killed and Baptist churches ransacked. Pakistan 58. On 23 November 2000, the Secretary-General of the Shiite Tehreek-i-Jafria Pakistan political party was reportedly assassinated. A press release by the party apparently attributed the crime to religious extremists who were receiving hospitality from the Taliban in Afghanistan. On 26 February 2001, another prominent Shiite member of Tehreek-i-Jafria Pakistan was reportedly assassinated. 16