E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.3 page 9 37. Many Buddhists, including those who support the draft legislation intending to criminalize (see sect. V) “unethical” conversions, maintain that while Buddhism has been established in the country for 2,300 years, there has never been a real difficulty with traditional Christian denominations which have arrived since the beginning of the sixteenth century. Religions lived side by side in mutual respect and conversions, when they occurred, were genuine. However, as confirmed by the conclusions of the Presidential Commission on Buddha Sasana, new Christian groups have started to arrive in recent decades and have, it is claimed, damaged the existing harmony with aggressive proselytism. These groups or communities have allegedly taken advantage of Buddhist tolerance to try to convert Sri Lankans to their faith. 38. There is also a strong feeling among people motivated by religion but also among politicians that the programme carried out by these “new “ Christian communities constitutes outside interference, in particular from the United States. Whether representing a genuine feeling or one that is induced by outside discourse, some have claimed that it is tantamount to a new form of colonialism. In this regard, many refer to the significant financial means that these communities enjoy, with funds coming mostly from abroad, and to the very professional way their missionary activities are conducted. 39. Religious sensitivity is thus very often coupled with nationalism, and the words “Sinhalese” and “Buddhist” are increasingly becoming interchangeable. 40. At the same time, there does not seem to be a very high level of knowledge among the population, but also among religious leaders or authorities, about the differences between Christian denominations or groups, or between different religious minorities. A distinction is, for example, often made between Catholics and Christians, the Church of Scientology is sometimes considered a Christian movement, and there is rarely agreement on which groups or Christian communities should qualify as “fundamentalist”. This confusion has had the general effect of stigmatizing Christian minorities among the population. 41. Many interlocutors have claimed that the Government’s reactions to these tensions have been very weak. Even Buddhists said that the present situation could have been avoided if there had been appropriate action on the part of the authorities in due time. 42. Finally, there were numerous reports of destruction of religious symbols such as crosses and statues of Buddha and other religious personalities. For instance, a dispute over the erection of a Buddhist statue in Trincomalee was the cause of considerable tension in the weeks following the Special Rapporteur’s visit. It was often claimed that these symbols or revered statues had been deliberately put in a place populated by followers of another religion. Sometimes it appeared that the level of intolerance had fallen so low that even the sight of religious symbols of other communities was seen as offensive. B. Complaints of “unethical conversions” 43. The description of the behaviour complained of is not clear, but has mainly to do with a feeling that the religious groups that are the objects of complaint deceive people because they are not totally transparent about their motivations. It is claimed, in particular, that some groups promise material benefits such as food and medicine, bicycles or even housing. In some cases, assistance was promised with getting a job or an authorization to build a house.