A/CONF.189/PC.1/7 page 23 1. Discrimination involving a majority and persons or groups forming an ethnic or religious minority 85. Let us make clear at the outset that the term “discrimination” is used here in a very broad generic sense to include intolerance, abuses, restrictions and acts of violence. The first hypothesis we consider consists of several sub-classifications, each of which is dependent on the status and situation of the persons who are the victims of aggravated discrimination; but in all of the cases the people are ethnically and religiously distinct from the majority of the population (“majority” is understood here in the arithmetical sense of an absolute majority of the population, hence other variations within this classification framework can be conceived: majority/dominant minority; majority/numerically scattered minorities). (a) Discrimination involving a majority and one or more ethnic and religious minorities 86. This is the simplest hypothesis: it concerns a large number of countries and religions. In the paragraphs below, we shall briefly examine some countries by way of example. 87. This hypothesis can be applied to India (see E/CN.4/1997/91/Add.1),95 where the relations between Hindus and Muslims are reportedly tense and where Christians are occasionally discriminated against (E/CN.4/1995/91, paras. 60-61). The actions of certain extremist groups and ultranationalist (especially Hindu) parties against Muslim communities and their places of worship are based on “the exploitation of religion to further a programme which is in fact political” (E/CN.4/1997/91/Add.1, para. 90) in order to “gain political advantage among the population” (ibid., para. 41). The particular situation of the Muslims in Kashmir rightly attracted the attention of the Special Rapporteur, as a community seems to have become a hostage in a political conflict primarily involving two States, India and Pakistan (ibid., paras. 49, 51 and 53). On the other side, owing to anti-Hindu extremism, the conflict appears to have resulted in the expulsion of Hindus and their settlement in refugee camps (ibid., para. 27). 88. Similarly, in Bangladesh, ethnic and religious minorities (mainly Christian, Hindu and Buddhist minorities) are allegedly the victims of acts of intolerance and violence committed by Muslim extremists and of a policy of discrimination with regard to employment in the public sector (see E/CN.4/1995/91, para. 43).96 89. In Sri Lanka, it is alleged that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are committing atrocities against the Muslims in the north of the country. Evangelical Christians are apparently often subjected to manifestations of hostility, discrimination and sometimes to violence by the local Buddhist clergy (see E/CN.4/1995/91, paras. 94-95).97 90. The case of Mongolia is of interest. A law passed on 30 November 1993 is said to contravene freedom of religion and the principle of non-discrimination. Foreign and even national Christians have allegedly been subjected to many instances of discrimination (see E/CN.4/1995/91, paras. 79-80).98 91. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Jewish, Assyro-Chaldean and Armenian minorities who define themselves as specific religious and ethnic minorities - are allegedly the victims of restrictions and discrimination in respect of access to the army and the judiciary and unequal