Melani Manel Perera

The organization stops its activities in the Mannar district, one of the areas worst affected by the war ended in May 2009. It announces the closure of two offices in the country. But the commitment of the Red Cross to provide assistance to populations affected by conflict will not stop.

As soon as he landed home, the prelate went to Our Lady of Lanka Basilica. After a brief prayer to remember the work of Card Cooray, he blessed the 3,000 or so faithful present.

"Establishing a sustainable peace, building a national economy and ensuring the livelihoods of farmers, fishermen and labourers" was the theme of the meeting. Fishermen and families from 11 districts of the country, reiterate their desire to be able to produce foods to meet their needs, abolishing the importation of fish”.

After ten hours of protest, fishermen and their families successfully get the authorities to halt temporarily the government’s new Seaplane project. Priests and nuns, as well as other religious leaders and human rights activists, joined them in the protest action. For the local fishing community, the lagoon is their only source of livelihood.

The Alliance for the Protection of the lagoon appeals for the Archbishop of Colombo’s "mediation" with the executive, which wants to build a seaplane base. The Deputy civil aviation Minister had promised a halt to plans, but the promises were unfulfilled. For the Government of the project will bring tourism and money. For the fishermen it "will destroy our lives."

Fr. George Sigamony, director of Caritas Sri Lanka, calls on all Catholics to pray after the verdict that decrees the death sentence for Rizana, just 17 years old, in prison on false charges of murder. The Asian Human Rights Commission: "Do not let Rizana Nafeek become a victim of the infamous practice of Saudi Arabia to sentence juvenile offenders to death."

A Catholic delegation appears before a presidential commission to offer ideas about the state of emergency still in place in the country’s northern and eastern regions. It reiterates the Church’s support for a settlement and offers solutions to protect human rights.

The need for a concrete commitment from the community for the citizens of Sri Lankan Tamils: this is the theme during the press conference called by Nafs to discuss the resettlement of war refugees. The intervention of many personalities.

During Mass celebrated for the annual feast of St. Jude, thousands of fishermen protested against the government SeaPlane plan, which provides for the landing of flying boats in the lagoon. The project, which is part of a program for the development of tourism in Sri Lanka, puts at risk the livelihood of the families of the villages around the Negombo lagoon, not taking into account the severe environmental impact that it would cause.

"To Serve and not to be served" the motto of the cardinal, who concentrated his efforts in the religious education of children and missionary formation of young seminarians. He also founded the National Basilica of Our Lady of Lanka in Tewatta.

Since the '80s tens of thousands of disappearances related to the long civil war that " have never been clarified", amid government inaction. The commemoration was held at the monument site at the junction of Raddoluwa in the city of Seeduwa. The 20th year the celebration has been held.

The archbishop of Colombo is the only Asian among the 24 new cardinals the Pope will officially nominate on 20 November. AsiaNews speaks to a number of people—Catholics and Buddhists, Sinhalese and Tamils, religious and lay—to hear their comments.