Tamil National Alliance MP M A Sumanthiran warned that the Sri Lankan government’s decision to postpone the Enforced Disappearances bill demonstrate that Tamils are “fourth class citizens” on the island.

“We condemn the reported move to postpone the debate on the Disappearances Bill and the Prime Minister’s interpretation of the Bill’s applicability,” said Mr Sumanithran in the Daily Mirror today.

“If the disappearance of the Tamils during the conflict and war can’t be inquired into, it means that the Tamils are not just second class citizens, but are fourth class citizens,” he added.   

Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s former army chief, has said he was denied a visa to attend the UN general assembly because of unresolved war crimes allegations against the military.

The war-time commander and now minister of regional development claimed he was due to travel to New York with President Sirisena this week, but was the only member of the Sri Lankan delegation to be denied a visa.

"I was not given a visa because of the war crimes allegations against the military," Fonseka told reporters, according to AFP. "That is why I say they must be investigated."

The Sri Lankan government has again decided to postpone a parliamentary debate on the Enforced Disappearances bill, which was set to take place on September 21st.

The decision not to take up the debate on the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances was made during the UNP parliamentary group meeting on Monday evening, chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The September date was itself a postponement from an initial date in July, which the government did not take up.

Three Tamil youths were arrested by police in Thunnalai on Monday.

The arrests came just days after three were arrested in a sudden early-morning round up in Thunnalai last week.

Around 45 are now estimated to have been arrested from Thunnalai and surrounding villages as a result of several police operations and deployment of Special Task Force troops.

Relations between locals and security forces remain tense since police shot and killed a Thunnalai man in July, with some anti-police protests in the Vadamaradchi region having turned violent.

Tamil National Alliance MPs have assured Muslims attempting to resettle in Jaffna that their grievances would be addressed.

Parliamentarians, Mavai Senathirajah and E. Saravanapavan, attended a surgery with Muslims affected by issues with resettlement housing schemes, at the invitation of former Jaffna Municipal Council member P. S. N. Subiyan Mawlawi.

Sri Lanka’s army hosted a three-member delegation from Sudan’s army for bilateral talks on training and future collaboration.

The delegation discussions focused on training modules that are underway in both organisations, with the potential for future joint training exercises to Sundanese delegations visiting Sri Lanka.

The Sudanese delegation comprised of the Director General of Joint Training of Sudan’s Armed Forces Isam Mohamed Hassan Karor and two other high ranking generals.

LTTE cemeteries in the Jaffna district and the Nallur monument to Thileepan will be restored and maintained by local authorities, the Jaffna coordinating committee has decided.

The Sri Lankan military constructed a Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant within its base in Vanni last week, reportedly after troops suffered illnesses from the local water supply.

There would be no significant change in trade policy with Sri Lanka, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asian Affairs, Mark Linscott said on Monday whilst visiting the island. 

Meeting wtih Sri Lankan officials including the Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Chinthaka Lokuhetti, Mr Linscott said, “it is tough to predict the future.”

“The new US administration has a significant shift in change towards several of its trade agreements - mainly the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal; and there is a big focus on re-negotiating NAFTA as well as correcting our current trade deficits too.”

The Sri Lankan navy arrested 8 people for alleged illegal fishing activities in Mannar, Colombo Page reported. 

The people were arrested on September 13 and 16 in the Erukkulampiddi and Palakuda lagoon area of Mannar, for allegedly using unauthorised fishing nets. 
 
They have been handed over to the Assistant Director of Fisheries of Mannar and Puttalam. Their three dinghies and three fishing nets have been seized.