E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.3
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X. RECOMMENDATIONS
Persecution of religious minorities
125. With respect to the persecution of religious minorities, the Spe cial Rapporteur is of
the opinion that the primary obligation of the Government of Sri Lanka is to ensure that
justice is done promptly and properly. This obligation extends to guaranteeing the full
investigation of all acts of violence or other acts of re ligious intolerance committed against
religious minorities, including the identification and prosecution of the alleged
perpetrators, allowing victims the possibility of filing claims for the damage they have
suffered and the awarding of appropriate compensation.
126. The Government should also abide by its obligation to ensure the protection and
security of all religious groups that may be targeted and that should be entitled to practise
their religions freely and without any obstacles, including those erected by non-State
actors. This obligation includes the protection of religious groups within wider religious
communities and ensuring that the right to freedom of religion of members of these groups
is not limited. In this regard, the Government should pay pa rticular attention to the
protection of Muslim minorities and take the appropriate measures to ensure for the
members of the Ahmadiyyas community the full enjoyment of their rights.
Religious tensions
127. For the reasons explained in section V and in the above conclusions, the
Government should reconsider whether to adopt legislation that would criminalize so
called unethical conversions, and instead take suitable measures to implement existing
criminal provisions that could appropriately address the behaviour of certain religious
groups and organizations.
128. The Government should urgently take steps to consider the different mechanisms
proposed to deal with religious tensions, including those aiming at creating an interreligious body, and start the relevant procedures for their implementation. In this context,
the Government should hold consultations with members of the civil society and
representatives of religious communities, both at the national and at the local level, and
make a detailed assessment of the needs to be addressed by these mechanisms.
129. In addition, the Government should seek assistance from United Nations agencies
and civil society to explore possible models for the creation of an inter-religious body that
would help to diffuse tensions and take appropriate measures to maintain a constant
dialogue between religious communities at all levels of the society and encourage all
initiatives that seek to promote religious tolerance in the educational system.
130. The Special Rapporteur also calls on all religious actors and groups as well as
religiously affiliated NGOs present in Sri Lanka to abide strictly by the recognized
principle of humanitarian ethics as well to demonstrate sensitivity and respect for the
religious symbols and sentiments of the Sri Lankan society in all their activities.
131. Finally, the Special Rapporteur urges the leaders of the LTTE to further implement
a culture of religious tolerance in the territories they control, to increase their efforts to