Leading international rights lawyers Yasmin Sooka of ITJP and Rupert Skilbeck of REDRESS spoke about the failure of the transitional process and the need for accountability in Sri Lanka, at a panel discussion entitled “Legal tools in the fight against impunity: the case of Sri Lanka” held by SOAS university's Centre on Conflict, Rights and Justice last week. 

<p>The Chinese government is to grant Rs 2600 million to Sri Lanka's security forces following the Easter Sunday bombings, at the request of the president, Maithripala Sirisena, who is currently visiting the country.&nbsp;</p> <p>Beijing has also agreed to release 100 jeeps to the police alongside other equipment, the state owned Daily News reported.&nbsp;</p> <p>During a meeting between the two leaders yesterday, China's president, Xi Jingping said they would do everything they could to assist Sri Lanka to strengthen national security.&nbsp;</p>

India's central government this week extended the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by another five years, citing continued concerns from the group and the Eelam Tamil diaspora. 

"Even after its military defeat in May, 2009 in Sri Lanka, LTTE has not abandoned the concept of ‘Eelam’ and has been clandestinely working towards this cause by undertaking fund-raising and propaganda activities, and the remnant LTTE leaders or cadres have also initiated efforts to regroup the scattered activists and resurrect the outfit locally and internationally."

Locals in Mullaitivu came together on Tuesday to clear up the Mullivaikkal memorial grounds in preparation for May 18.

Commencing with cross-faith prayers at the memorial stand in the grounds, the works were overseen by Hindu and Christian religious leaders.

Tamil genocide remembrance week continued across the North-East with vigils today in Chemmani and Chavakachcheri in the Jaffna district.

The United Nations Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and Responsibility to Protect, Adama Dieng and Karen Smith, released a statement of concern in response to widespread anti-Muslim violence in Sri Lanka last weekend.

The experts warned that the recent violence was pushing Sri Lanka back towards a  period of armed inter-ethnic conflict.

People that fail to accept Sri Lanka as a Sinhala Buddhist country should not remain in the country, claimed the Mahanayaka (Chief Prelate) of the Kotte Chapter, one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent Buddhist chapters.

In a discussion with MP Dinesh Gunawardena about the upcoming Buddhist celebrations of Vesakh, the senior monk, Dhammalankara, said, “according to the history that I know of, no Buddhist or non- Buddhist has ever said Sri Lanka is not a Sinhala Buddhist country. Even Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith who is not a Buddhist has said this is a Sinhala Buddhist country and that he is fortunate to live here."

Sri Lanka's army commander, Mahesh Senanayake made clear the army would not hesitate to use any level of force, including opening fire in response to the Easter Sunday bombings by Islamist extremists and the recent days of anti-Muslim violence. 

Condemning the anti-Muslim violence taking place over recent days in Sri Lanka, the United Nations called on the government to ensure the situation did not escalate. 

A former LTTE cadre, known as Ajanthan, who was detained for six months under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in connection with the murder of two police officers in Batticaloa was formally cleared of his charges by Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court.