Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic Church said on Sunday it had forgiven the suicide bombers behind the attacks that killed at least 279 people last Easter.
"We offered love to the enemies who tried to destroy us," Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith told an Easter mass, broadcast from a TV studio because of the coronavirus pandemic. "We forgave them."
Mr Ranjith said that instead of retaliating, the nation's Catholic minority had contemplated Jesus's message of hope.
The April 21 Easter Sunday bombers hit three churches and three luxury hotels, killing at least 279 people and wounding 593.
Last year, Mr Ranjith called for the government at the time to step down over its alleged failure to investigate an "international conspiracy" behind the attacks.
That government, of president Maithripala Sirisena, lost November's elections, with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger brother Gotabaya taking the reins.
Mr Sirisena initially blamed extremists for the bombings, but later accused international drug dealers, supposedly to destabilise his anti-narcotics drive.
The country's then-police chief and secretary to the ministry of defence have been charged with murder for allegedly not acting on intelligence about the attacks.
Police have arrested 135 people in connection with the bombings, blamed on the National Thowheeth Jama'ath extremist group.
They have yet to be charged.
Sri Lanka has been under curfew for most of the past three weeks. The Church is planning a private ceremony on April 21. the anniversary of the 2019 attacks, to commemorate the dead.
Dushyanthan Niroshan, a travel co-ordinator, said he took part in Mass at home but looked at it positively.
"It was more deep and meaningful," Mr Niroshan said. "This virus is a God-given opportunity to stop and think about our past lives."
Sri Lanka has confirmed 199 cases of the coronavirus, including seven deaths.
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Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
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The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
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Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
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