Another Catholic church was attacked near Colombo on the weekend despite armed police protection amid escalating assaults against minority Christians.
The news agency of Sri Lanka says, Fr Hishantha Perera said the attackers failed to enter the church building, but a cross outside had been vandalised.
“The attackers had come in despite the armed police guard,” he said.
The attempt was made barely two days after President Chandrika Kumaratunga ordered tough action to stop attacks against Christian worship sites.
Kumaratunga had asked police chief Indra de Silva to investigate the attacks and show no leniency in arresting those responsible.
She made the order a day after another Catholic church in the same area was set ablaze.
The Roman Catholic church has condemned the attacks.
Some Buddhist monks have been demanding a law to ban what they call “unethical conversions”.
They argue that Christian sects offer cash to poor people to persuade them to convert, a charge Christian groups deny.
The attacks against churches escalated last month following the funeral of a controversial Buddhist monk, Gangodavila Soma, who led a campaign against religious conversions.
