Melani Manel Perera

The Catholic charity built 10,713 permanent housing units and 12,616 temporary shelters, investing US$ 85 million raised in 46 different countries. But much remains to be done to help those families still homeless and children orphaned by the tsunami.

An eight-year-old child is the first patient. He came with his family to attend a wedding. Health authorities call for calm, reassure the public that the epidemic will be contained.

For three months they have been held in prison on the Archipelagos in the Bay of Bengal. They were arrested for having violated Indian territorial waters. Families appeal to Colombo to put pressure on New Delhi for their release.

In Dalupoth parish in Negomobo, near Colombo, the faithful use the patron saint’s feast day to collect aid for refuges.

About 300,000 refugees are still living in dismal conditions. The United Nations, the Red Cross and Caritas are the only humanitarian organisations allowed inside the camps, all other NGOs are off-limits. For the Venerable Thero, a Buddhist monk and head of the Vipassana Meditation Centre, “Sri Lanka does not need foreign plans or advice. We won the war and we did it by following our own plans.”

The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association leads march against the prevailing climate of intimidation; it accuses paramilitary groups of being responsible for violence against journalists. On 1 June journalist Poddala Jayantha, who works for Sinhalese-language news paper ‘Silumina’, was briefly seized and beaten.

Christian priests and religious promote activities to rediscover the importance of religion and the Buddhist doctrine of non-violence on the occasion of Poson, a festivity that celebrates the spread of Buddhism on the island. Christians and Buddhists have share “responsibility towards life in Sri Lanka’s society,” says Fr Sarath Iddamalgoda.

The population reflects on the destiny of the nation after 30 years of civil war. Sarath Nanda Silva, president of the Supreme Court: “the refugees cannot wait the normal course of justice”. Sarath Fernando, human rights activist:” Are we celebrating the victory of peace or the victory of one people over another?”.

Sri Lanka celebrates victory over Tamil Tigers in a military parade in Colombo. The president announces a great and bright future for the country. Speaking to Tamils in their language, he guarantees protection and a life “without fear and mistrust”.

Army, navy and air force units will move down the capital’s seaside road tomorrow. Captured Tamil Tiger military equipment will be paraded. Ordinary people both approve and criticise the National Victory Parade. For some it is correct to celebrate the victory; for others it is an insult to the Tamil minority and a waste of money at a time when thousands of refugees are still languishing in camps.

Sri Lankan foreign minister calls on Asian countries to help Sri Lanka prevent the reorganisation of the LTTE, dismisses accusations of genocide against Tamils as “propaganda”. The plight of refugee remains a sore point with overcrowded camps and sanitary facilities at a breaking point.

In cooperation with UNICEF four centres are set up to psychologically rehabilitate boys and girls forced to fight for the Tamil Tigers. Sri Lanka’s military identifies some 200 children and teenagers among the refugees who fled the war zone in the last few weeks of the war.