Melani Manel Perera

Parliament begins debate on constitutional reforms that would increase presidential powers and allow the president to be re-elected for more than two mandates. Religious leaders, rights activists and opposition parties fear changes might spell the end to Sri Lankan democracy.

Under current rules, a president can be elected consecutively only twice. Rajapaksa wants to abolish term limits in order to run again.

The start of the special year takes place at Our Lady of Lanka shrine in Tewatta. Focus is on the liturgy. Initiatives include mediation and action.

In front of the Saudi Embassy in Colombo hundreds accuse their governments of failing to defend migrant rights. Protests triggered by the brutal story of a domestic worker tortured by her employers in Saudi Arabia who returned home with nails hammered throughout her body.

The fishing industry is vital for both countries, but Indian vessels exploit their greater technological weight to beat the Sinhalese to catches. To avoid further clashes at sea, a peace encounter is organised.

Mgr Vianny Fernando presents this way the movie on the life of the Blessed Joseph Vaz, considered the second founder of the Church in Sri Lanka. His apostolate occurred during the persecution of Catholics by Dutch Protestants. The Jubilee Year celebrates the 300th anniversary of his death.

A delegation from the Bishops’ Conference want people locked up in re-education camps to be allowed to go back to their homes. They want fishing and farming to be developed, villages demilitarised and troops off the land owned by civilians.

Mass in the capital led by Joseph Spiteri, Apostolic Nuncio in Sri Lanka. Buddhist faithful also attend: "With love of the Sisters of Mother Teresa, I have a somewhere to live, even though I am Buddhist."

In areas where there are plantations, the dropout rate after the primary level is 8.4%. Only 7% of those who pass the examination, continue to second level. Schools lacking in everything: desks, chairs, blackboards and textbooks.

Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslims together to remember his disappearance. Fr. Brown was last seen August 20, 2006.

The local media interview of the champion of the war against the Tamil Tigers. "The court martial was set up illegally ... They want to erase everything I've done in 40 years of service to the country ... Until this despotic regime is not over, I will not give up my battle ... If they treat me this way, with so much cruelty and injustice, how will they treat others? ".

A court martial convicts the general for engaging in politics whilst in active duty and indicts him on mutiny. He loses rank, medals and pension. Instead of showing clemency, President Rajapaksa accepts the court’s ruling, breaking with Buddhist tradition. Some prominent figures underscore the judges’ lack of objectivity and the personal revenge aspect of the case. The net result is that democracy has suffered a major blow. Without Fonseka, Rajapaksa would not have had his “victory” and become “king”.