Melani Manel Perera

J.S. Tissainayagam was arrested in March 2008 on charges that he published articles that incited violence against the government, that he collected funds for the Tamil Tigers and that he supported terrorism by publishing and distributing his journal. For many civil society leaders the sentence violates freedom of the press and is an attack on democracy.

Thousands of pilgrims visit the Our Lady of Lanka shrine, including about a thousand sick people. The tradition goes back 68 years, attracting worshippers from around the country, Sinhala and Tamil, as well as some Buddhists.

Twenty nuns working in centers and hospitals around Vavuniya. Sister Fatima Nayaki, head of the group, says: "The only desire of every refugee is to begin a new life with dignity and freedom."

The Archbishop of Colombo addressed the issue directly with President Rajapaksa. There are 5 Catholic priests. The Hindu Religious and their families will be resettled in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Jaffna, thanks to help of the local Church.

A leading figure of the island’s episcopate, he became bishop at only 34 years. The faithful and people of his diocese remember him for the battles in defence of small fishermen, the poor, the environment and for his support for media as an instrument for evangelization. In 2004 he led the opposition to anti-conversion law proposed by the party of Buddhist monks.

The priest of the diocese of Jaffna disappeared three years ago during clashes between army and Tamil Tigers near his parish in Allaipiddy. From 2006 until the end of the conflict the number of religious and humanitarian workers killed or missing during the war are over 70. Authorities’ silence shrouds their fate.

The government in Colombo blames the slow pace on NGOs tasked with de-mining in areas formerly controlled by the Tamil Tigers. Re-settlement plans should be completed by the end of the year, but many fear that further delays are still possible. In the meantime the monsoon season is making the humanitarian situation in refugee camps even worse.

The first rains have damaged or destroyed 2 thousand shelters: 10 thousand people without shelter or sanitation. The most affected centre is Manik Farm in which around 280 thousand refugees are housed. Five deaths and latrines out of use with the risk of pollution of drinking water and the spread of diseases.

The appeal of Msgr. Ranjith, the new Archbishop of Colombo: "It's time to put justice into practise". Sinhalese and Tamils together at Sri Lanka’s most famous shrine. The thoughts of the pilgrims turn to the refugees who still live in the area and whose conditions are worsening as monsoon rains crash down on the refugee camps.

Catholics slam the “commercial and propaganda” use of the event by the government. The authorities have organised transportation to facilitate the pilgrimage by southerners, but have prevented displaced people from leaving their ‘welcome centres’. The Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu must be a symbol of unity for the country.

"Selfishness" and a style rooted in "western influences" has characterized the services offered by Government Offices. Public administrators call for "selflessness" and a shared system for the good of the country. Guidelines for effective administration.

Mgr Malcolm Ranjith who replaces Mgr Oswald Gomis at the helm of the Church is welcomed in a ceremony in the capital. Political leaders and representatives of the Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist communities greet the new archbishop. “Our sole desire is to be able to practice our faith freely, living in harmony with all of our fellow citizens, further contributing to the wellbeing of this country,” the new bishop said.