Melani Manel Perera

Clashes occurred on Monday when workers were protesting against a draft law that would not guarantee a lifetime retirement pension. Three people are said to have died in the incident. Police used tear gas and prevented wounded from being evacuated to hospitals.

The plan by the Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms entails courses in Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Religious and spiritual leaders warn that however praiseworthy the initiative may be, it entails a great deal responsibility, and teachers must be well trained.

A three-day seminar organised by the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace celebrates Pope John XXIII’s encyclical. “Christian business people and politicians” should “play an active role in bearing Christian witness in their daily life,” Fr Reid Shelton Fernando says.

Despite their resettlement in 2005, Villankulam residents complain about the lack of basic necessities. Their houses have no power, roofs and windows, and their bathrooms have no doors. For the authorities, they are “illegal residents” and their calls for help go unheeded. Despite the difficulties, Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslim and Christian families live in peace and harmony.

Organised by the military and the government, the seminar will be held from 31 May to 2 June. Global terrorism, reconciliation, resettlement of internal and external displaced people, future trends and nation-building are among the topics discussed. The three-day event will cost 45 million rupees.

Two years since the end of the civil war, the South is now enjoying the fruits of peace. The North, instead, is still faced with unsolved problems: jobless refugees, invasive military presence and abandoned war widows. Some Tamils bear witness to the situation.

Rev Dhiloraj Ranjit Canagasabey is the capital’s new bishop. An ethnic Tamil, he is married to a Sinhalese. More than 5,000 people welcome the new bishop, hopeful that he will be a courageous witness for peace in Sri Lanka.

New pension scheme set for approval, breaking down the existing fund contributions into three deposits: for employees, migrant workers and the self-employed. In case of death of the worker, only partial survivor's pension for family members.

Barbed wire now surrounds beaches and military patrol hotel and resort building sites. A new mega project designed to boost the national economy could damage the local ecosystem and harm the life of local communities.

Many Buddhist and Christian values are similar. Christian human rights activist Jehan Perera explains why Christians, Muslims and Hindus must take part in the celebrations marking the enlightenment of the Buddha.

The charges are a national issue, and a lesson for all. Christian leaders, human rights activists and ordinary people criticise the government’s opposition to the report, and for failing to translate it into Sinhalese and Tamil, which leaves many Sri Lankans in the dark.

Pollution, climate change, territorial disputes, environmental and resource protection, women’s rights and child labour are issues that affect the world of small scale fisher people who are trying to find their voice and ensure a dignified future for millions of workers. Here is an exclusive interview.