Melani Manel Perera

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.

Defence Ministry accuses NGOs of lack of transparency, claiming that more than half of all aid goes into paying organisational costs.

Highway A-9 runs across the entire island, from north to south, through the Vanni area, scene of clashes between rebels and the army. Next Monday 20 lorries will leave Colombo carrying food supplies to Jaffna. Now aid for people displaced by the war can be brought up the road.

Sri Lankan Sports minister says Pakistan had assured him that all security measures would be taken and that there were no signs of possible attacks. On the island nation various political parties accuse the government of ignoring Australia’s decision to stay away from Lahore. Now there are fears that the attack might be used to deny a South Asian nation the chance to organise the 2011 World Cricket Cup.

They are being built in the areas of Mannar and Vavunya, and are being equipped with schools, banks, post offices, and health clinics. According to government sources, the refugees will remain there for at least three years. The temporary measures are being taken to allow the army to restore the areas involved in the conflict.

The government is confirming its hard line, but the National Peace Council is reissuing the request for a ceasefire to help civilians. The Defense Ministry says that the area under the control of the rebels has been reduced to 58 square kilometers. But the communications minster warns: more attacks by the Tamil Tigers in the south of the country are possible.