Melani Manel Perera

President Rajapaksa inaugurated the new port on Sunday, the start of an ambitious development plan to turn Sri Lanka into an East-West trade hub. Funding for the project came from Beijing, which is very active in the island nation.

This year, the family as a small church where Christian values are taught is the main theme of the celebrations surrounding Mary’s Assumption. The feast day also marks the end of National Family Week, launched by the Church’s Laity Commission.

It is the most widespread disease among travelers and is transmitted by mosquitoes. In Sri Lanka there are over 25 000 patients, 186 died in the year. Pilot project in Kandy, Gampola and Akurana.

A well know journalist and cartoonist has been missing for the past 200 days. Nothing has emerged about his fate since 24 January, and police is not saying what it knows. Prior to his disappearance, he had backed the opposition against outgoing President Rajapaksa.

An importance conference is held in Colombo, bringing together bishops, priests and religious to discuss the difficulty situation in Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern regions. Participants call for dialogue to continue, urging the Church to avoid causing problems. They also remind the government that it is time to lift martial law, rein in the troops and restore civilian rule.

On 17 July, masked men wielding weapons destroyed the homes of residents in Panama and Ragamvila, two coastal villages in northeastern Sri Lanka. Police and troops who now occupy the area have prevented residents from coming back. Locals accuse the government of taking their land to promote tourist development.

In a letter sent to all parishes, Mgr. Malcolm Ranjith announced that on August 29 a special Year of the Eucharist will begin in the Archdiocese of Colombo. The Archbishop invites everyone to visit the parishes of the north and east of the country, "to help them rebuild their churches and restore their original communities”.

Chandraguptha Thenuwara exhibited 15 works of a "political" nature. The exhibition was open 24 to 29 July. The artist: "The war is over, but there is no peace yet. We must not forget about the past, we must participate in the peace process. There are several obstacles to overcome. "

In July 1983, up to 3,000 Tamil civilians died in Sinhalese-initiated riots that set off the country’s civil war. Today, there are 81,000 widows in Sri Lanka and the military occupies two thirds of the country, CSM member says. Christians are in favour of a multi-ethnic state.

More than 8 thousand children are without parents due to civil war between government and LTTE. In one school alone in a village, more than 200 students have lost their parents. Members of the People's Freedom party visit villages in the area of Gaudarimunai in the north to understand the situation, and charge "the government is trying to undermine our work."

In July 1983, Sinhalese killed up to 3,000 Tamil civilians and destroyed 18,000 houses. Today Catholic communities and NGOs remember the 27th anniversary of the tragic event. The head of a law association said that Black July should be “an opportunity for genuine national reconciliation”, but for a Catholic priest, all Sinhalese fanatics want “is to control Tamil areas”.

It is the 270th anniversary of the death of Fr Jacome Gonsalves, who wrote 21 religious texts in Tamil and Sinhalese, favouring the spread of the Catholic faith in the island nation. It is also the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Blessed Joseph Vaz, who promoted the Catholic faith despite the persecution of Dutch colonists.