Melani Manel Perera

This was revealed by a study by the Medical Research Institute. In the capital alone, long-term malnutrition is 29% (41% in Sri Lanka), short-term 8% (11% in Sri Lanka). In many cases, women use a good part of the family budget in beauty products, instead of healthy food, rich in protein.

The use of pesticide contaminates food, is dangerous to humans and kills animals, insects and plants. During a sit-in, environmental activists, Catholic movements and Buddhist monks mention the Padaviya case in which about 20,000 people died from arsenic poisoning.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s promise on World Day against Drug Abuse (yesterday). In 2010, 29,796 people arrested for drugs, almost all men over the age of 30 (60%). Of these, 9,520 for heroin, 20,259 cannabis, 12 for hashishand one for cocaine. In Sri Lanka, the use and trafficking of drugs are illegal.

An organisation representing journalists and media hold press conference in which they slam politicians for fearing freedom of information. They note that Sri Lanka is the only nation in South Asia that does not have a law guaranteeing freedom of information.

Over the past six months 7,948 cases of infection and 69 deaths registered in Sri Lanka. Colombo, Kalutara, Gampaha, Hambatota, Galle, Puttalam, Batticaloam, Ratnapura, Kurunegala, Trincomalee and Matara districts most affected.

The government is set to approve the new pension scheme (Private Sector Pension Bill) to obtain loans from the International Monetary Fund. In late May, workers demonstrated against the "misleading" reform. One youth dies in police charge.

In June, vigils, prayers, liturgies and meetings, to promote "unity in diversity". Card. Ranjith: "That the solemn feast of Pentecost may awaken in the participants a true devotion to the Holy Spirit, and a commitment to be faithful witnesses of the Word of God and his Church."

The tourism project involves the construction of a huge resort: 17 hotel for a total of 5 thousand rooms and 10 thousand beds. Local population kept in dark about scale of project and its consequences, access to the sea prohibited and the ecosystem may be destroyed. Ferry service between India and Sri Lanka re-opens.

Women are abused, raped and tortured, according to a report by the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights. Anyone who refuses sexual advances is fired and sent home. The main offender is also from Sri Lanka.

The conference plays an important role in the difficult task of rebuilding the war-torn country. The Conference’s president and secretary speak about it. The organisation brings together all the men and women religious in the country.

The armed forces have organized an international seminar of three days to share experiences with foreign specialists on conflict. Attention to the question of how to conduct humanitarian operations while war is underway, and what measures to take to the rehabilitation and reintegration of war-affected civilians.

More than 5,000 soldiers are deployed funeral inside and outside the church to “enforce security”. Relatives and Catholics slam the priest for not mentioning the young man’s cause of death during the ceremony. Roshen Chanaka, 21, died in hospital on 30 May from the wounds he sustained during protests against a proposed pension plan reform.