A Tamil journalist who was summoned to Colombo by the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department was today interrogated for three hours in Jaffna and made to sign a statement written in Sinhalese, despite not being able to understand the contents.

Jaffna-based broadcast and print journalist T. Pratheepan faced investigation at Achuveli police station this morning over the broadcast of a politician’s press conference.

The Sri Lankan Army partnered with Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) of Canada to hand out “gifts” to schoolchildren in Batticaloa and Amparai last week, declared an official military website.

Freedom From Torture said members of the international community, particularly the United Kingdom and European Union, must do more to dismantle the structures that allow torture to continue in Sri Lanka.

Responding to a report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism Ben Emmerson, FFT said his findings corroborated many of their own reports.

The Sri Lankan navy declared open a new ‘Tactical Room’ at its Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee last week.

Three Muslim men were arrested last week following an attack on a Catholic shrine in Mannar.

A roadside shrine to Saint Michael Sammanasu (Angel) in Tharavan Kottai, Ezhuthoor was found with its protective glass shattered and the icon of the saint smashed last Sunday morning.

The attack took place in the context of a dispute over a plot of land belonging to the Catholic Church in Thoddaveli, an area which has seen demographic change from predominantly Catholic to majority Muslim through purchases and settlements.

Sri Lankan Airlines launched new services from Colombo to Tamil Nadu’s second largest city on Sunday.

The airline will operate four flights per week, from Colombo to Coimbatore.

The state supported airline has been under a reform process seeking to expand its network of flights, after it suffered heavy losses whilst previously being a fully nationalised airline.

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The Sri Lankan government has requested the assistance of Interpol in arresting a Sri Lankan army officer who has gone into hiding after absconding from the Sri Lankan embassy in Washington, reports ColomboPage.

The officer, who served as a security advisor at the embassy, reportedly “disappeared” after his tenure ended last year. He was due back in Sri Lanka to report back to the army.

His whereabouts are currently unknown and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has reportedly called on Interpol to assist in arresting the officer.

Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will meet the Chief Minister of the Northern Province CV Wigneswaran during his 3 day visit to Sri Lanka.

After meeting Mr Wigneswaran in Jaffna, Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister will participate in a donation ceremony at Jaffna Library and launch the Lee Foundation-Singhealth Orthopedic Development Programme at the Jaffna University Medical Facility.

Singapore’s Foreign Minister is also set to meet  Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake on Tuesday for bilateral talks, followed by official statements to the media in Colombo.

Talks on establishing a Free Trade Agreement between Sri Lanka and China are to reach their seventh round said Sri Lanka’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen.

Speaking at the launch of the China Guangxi Products Expo in Colombo on Friday, Mr Bathiudeen highlighted that 42% of Sri Lanka’s imports where from China, adding,

“Our talks with China are progressing smoothly, the sixth round of talks were successfully concluded in March in Beijing. We are working for the seventh FTA round next.”

Photographs: Tamil Guardian

Hundreds of Tamils protested in Mullaitivu against Sri Lankan state-organised resettlement schemes for Muslims that that locals say are intended to alter the ethno-demography of the area and destroy hundreds of acres of forest planted and preserved by the LTTE.