Melani Manel Perera

Statement comes after an informal meeting by the UN Security Council where US accuses Sri Lanka government of bombing no-fire-zone and Tamil Tigers of using civilians as human shields.

LTTE rebels are holding the population hostage, using people as a buffer against army push. The government is making matters worse for refugees by preventing international humanitarian relief from getting in.

The bishops are asking the government and Tamil rebels to "take immediate steps to alleviate the suffering" of the civilians, and not to hide behind the "endless debates" over the real number of refugees. The requests include that of permitting religious representatives to enter Vanni with the UN and the Red Cross.

A meeting with Tamil National Alliance lawmakers is scheduled for tomorrow. President is “interested in knowing the views of all political parties”. National Integration minister says Tamil Tigers lost more than 90 per cent of their forces.

200 fishermen have obtained recognition of their right to remain in the area, where fishing has been practiced for more than 200 years. For the World Forum of Fisher People, it is an historic victory "against the displacement of coastal communities in the name of tourism development and foreign income earnings."

The episcopal conference proclaims next April 3 a day of prayer and fasting against the anti-conversion bill. The bishops are calling for "reconciliation" and "to spare the beloved country of another conflict among adherents of different faiths and religions." The alms gathered during the day will be sent to the people in the north who are victims of the war.

An initiative promoted by the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement. For three days, 25 young people from the south of the island lived together with 120 young people from the north. They worked together in the hospital of Mannar, among the victims of the conflict. The young people from the south discovered the brutality of the war, while those from the north found out that not all of the Sinhalese are soldiers, and that "they are nice people."

A delegation from the Conference of Major Religious Superiors visits refugees in Vavuniya. They describe a dramatic situation in the account sent to the bishops, and call for an action of solidarity from the Church on the national level. It is not enough to collect food and money, missions must be conducted among the population in the north.

Women and children are the hardest hit. The endless war between the army and Tamil rebels is making matters worse; so are decades of waste and corruption which have crippled the country. Here is an interview with sociologist Sunil Ranasinghe.

Fr Alexis Benedict travels around southern Sri Lanka to help men of any age and creed kick their bad habits. His three-day treatment combines community therapy and yoga mediation and is free. All he demands from his patients are determination to get rid of their dependency.

They are trapped in the no-fire zone on the coastline in the district of Mullaitivu. During the first 10 days of March, the hospital of Puthumaththalan admitted 964 wounded, and 119 have died, 40 of them children. The bishop is calling for a plan of emergency. And to the Tamil rebels he says: "This is the last chance."

They have presented a memorandum to the governor of Eastern province, presenting their needs and complaining of the many unkept promises from institutions. Many are still living in the emergency camps set up four years ago. Among the most urgent problems: lack of jobs, inefficient health services, gaps in the education system.