Sri Lanka and the USA on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding worth $2.6 million on Rule of Law Capacity Building Assistance, Sri Lanka’s ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said foreign judges will not be involved in a probe on violations of international humanitarian law committed during the armed conflict as Sri Lanka’s constitution would not allow it.

Mr Wickremesinghe told reporters that Sri Lanka’s judiciary would have to approve any involvement of foreign judges, as has been stated in a resolution presented to the UN Human Rights Council. Foreign judges can be consulted but not actually involved in proceedings, said the prime minister.

The New Indian Express reported the prime minister as stating that “he and his government had saved both the Rajapaksas from facing an international war crimes inquiry by "properly handling" the issue since January”.

“It was Rajapaksa's blunder that forced Sri Lanka to subject it to an international inquiry,” he was further reported to have said.

Sri Lankan army officers in Kilinochchi distributed toys to Tamil schoolchildren last week, despite ongoing criticism regarding the intrusion of the military into civilian life in the North-East.

Officers from Sri Lanka’s 11 (V) Gajaba Regiment, dressed in full military attire, handed out the toys and stationery to schoolchildren in Mulankavil on 24 September 2015.

DMK leader M Karunanidhi called on the Indian government to back a fully international mechanism to investigate and prosecute for mass atrocities committed during the final stages of Sri Lanka’s armed conflict.

“A domestic investigation will not be impartial and a probe by the accused into the crimes will turn justice into a mockery,” said the DMK chief. “The Indian government should voice its support for an independent, credible and international investigation and introduce a resolution for it in the United Nations Human Rights Council”.

His comments come after India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it hoped for justice in Sri Lanka and remained hopeful that a resolution would pass with the consent of the Sri Lankan government at the UN Human Rights Council later this week.

The Sri Lankan police have announced the construction of a new checkpoint in Jaffna town.

The new checkpoint will be constructed by the main bust station and will function 24 hours a day, manned by officers from the crime branch, road traffic and the sub inspector.

It will be functioning from Tuesday September 29th, with Fredrick Woodler Headquarters Inspector (HQI) of Jaffna saying crime, including theft and robbery, had increased in the town.

Children of Tamil political prisoners held a protest on Monday in Cheddikulam demanding the release of their parents.

A 20 year old woman has been reported missing in Mannar. Kalaivani, from the Uyilankulam region of Mannar has not been seen for eleven days, her mother, Pusparani Jayakumar said.

Speaking to media on Monday, Ms Jayakumar wept as she spoke about her daughter’s disappearance.

Kalaivani went to Mannar by bus on the morning of July 17th at 7.45 am, to go to work at a private telecom company in Mannar town. She never returned home.

Urging UN member states to remain vigilant to ensure the consensus resolution on Sri Lanka is implemented, the NGO, Pasumai Thaayagam said they awaited “meaningful and credible implementation to gauge progress by Sri Lanka”.

Addressing the UN Human Rights Council’s 30th session on Monday, Pasumai Thaayagam called on all states to “actively assist Sri Lanka in setting up an accountability process”.

“The resolution is founded on the new government's said commitments to pursue justice. Tamil victims on the ground and in diaspora await meaningful and credible implementation to gauge progress by Sri Lanka. We expect to see significant international involvement in the justice process. As the High Commissioner said, "for accountability to be achieved in Sri Lanka, it will require more than a domestic mechanism.”