E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.3 Page 20 106. It was also reported to her that a referendum on this question (to be organized if the initiators of the draft laws did not want to amend them in accordance with the determination of the Supreme Court) would be a perilous exercise and could lead to violence and a deepening of differences. 107. The Special Rapporteur has observed that in response to these tensions, religious minorities have not only proposed alternatives to the legislative process but also unilaterally committed themselves to abide by certain rules or principles, or taken other actions in particular cases. In one of the cases reported to the Special Rapporteur, the Catholic Church formally and publicly apologized for showing a movie that injured the sensitivities of Buddhist believers. More generally, and in the longer term, a number of religious minorities, in particular Christians, have taken steps to adopt and formally recognize sets of guidelines or codes of conduct for church activities and to promote the establishment of mechanisms to deal with religious tensions, including allegations of improper conversions. Among them is the creation of an inter-religious council composed proportionately of representatives of the religious communities present in Sri Lanka and tasked with taking preventive measures to strengthen religious tolerance, as well as with acting on certain cases and situations that reveal improper conducts by religious communities. So far these proposals have not been followed up by the authorities. VIII. EDUCATION 108. Throughout her visit, the Special Rapporteur tried to establish a link between the situation of freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka and the educational system. She had received complaints from different groups, most of them blaming the educational system for not giving sufficient importance to their respective religion. Some Christians complained that in public schools children were forced to perform certain Buddhist rituals in violation of their freedom of religion. She has not received information about actual initiatives that were taken to promote religious tolerance and dialogue by the school system. IX. CONCLUSIONS 109. The Special Rapporteur considers that Sri Lanka is a country with a high level of tolerance and which has always experienced religious harmony. Moreover, the Government generally respects freedom of religion or belief and has so far remained neutral vis-à-vis the different religious communities present on its territory. Nevert heless, the recent deterioration of religious tolerance and the absence of appropriate action by the Government have brought respect for freedom of religion or belief to an unsatisfactory level. 110. While the acts that have led to violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief are usually committed by non-state actors, the Government has to fulfil its positive obligations under the right to freedom of religion. The best way to prevent escalating religious intolerance is prompt action by Governments, who are obliged to address the situation in a timely and appropriate manner.