The Tamil National Alliance leader R Sampanthan said the no confidence motion tabled against Prime Minister Wickremesinghe lacked evidence and was in pursuit of a political agenda.

Speaking during the parliamentary debate on the motion on Wednesday, Mr Sampanthan said,

Sri Lanka's army commander warned Tamils that the army was able to take back what it 'granted' to the Tamil people, whilst addressing an event launching the second phase of a housing scheme in Nallinakkapuram. 

"Like we grant you these houses and lands, we able to take them back again," Lt Gen Mahesh Senanayake told the crowd via a hesitant Tamil interpreter, prompting her to relay the ominous message. 

The Sri Lankan navy declared open several newly constructed buildings at its base inside the Kankesanthurai High Security Zone in Jaffna earlier this year.

Sri Lanka’s former defence secretary has lodged an official complaint with the National Police Commission, over a statement delivered at the UN Human Rights Council which implicated him in the disappearances of Tamils, reports The Island.

Mr Rajapaksa and former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda each lodged complaints after a Tamil woman spoke at the UNHRC, stating that a senior Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department (CID) identified as “Nishantha” informed her that the pair were behind several disappearances.

The woman’s brother had been abducted and made to disappear.

Sri Lanka's parliament began debating the no-confidence motion against the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe today, after it is presented to parliament by MP Dinesh Gunawardane. 

The SLFP has decided to abstain from voting on the motion, whilst the JVP has opted to vote in favour of it. 

The TNA, SLMC and ACMC said they would be voting against it. 

The Tamil National Alliance should capitalise on the leverage they hold in potentially defeating a no-confidence motion being brought against Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, and set Tamil political demands as condition for their support, Tamil civil society members have said.

In a press conference at the Jaffna Press Club on Tuesday, representatives of nine civil society organisations put forward the following demands as suggestions for conditions of the TNA’s support for the Prime Minister:

• Immediate repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act

The Sri Lankan Army is attempting to seize around 25 acres of land belonging to Muslims in Eravur, Batticaloa.

The army is planning to use the land in Punnaikuda to establish an artillery division.

The TNA has won control of the Karaveddy divisional council (prathesa sabai) with the support of the UNP, keeping out an SLFP-EPDP alliance.

The United National Party’s two members supported the Tamil National Alliance’s candidate for council chair, adding to the nine votes held by the TNA.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party was the joint-second largest party in the council with seven members, who were hoping to wrest control of the council with the backing of the EPDP’s three members.

The TNPF who have seven members abstained, as well as the TULF with three members.

A Buddhist ceremony was held at the Sri Lankan army’s headquarters in Batticaloa earlier this year, to “invoke blessings” on Sri Lankan soldiers.

Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) informed a court in Colombo that it was seeking the advice of the Attorney General in proceedings against an astrologer who predicted that Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirsena would die.

The CID had informed the court that investigation had been completed against the astrologer over his prediction, and that they were now consulting with the Attorney General for “for further action on the suspect”, according to ColomboPage.