Four members of the Sri Lankan military’s intelligence unit have been released on bail, after being arrested over the disappearance of cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda.

The suspects were released on a cash bail by the Avissawella Provincial High Court and will have to report weekly to Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department.

The commander of the Sri Lankan Army’s 53 Division said secrets from the war “will go with him to his grave,” as he battled off claims that he revealed military secrets in his newly published book.

Major General Kamal Gunaratne was speaking to reporters outside the Seethawakapura Urban Council when he made his comments, according to Colombo Gazette. 

A 30 year old Tamil man was found dead whilst under police custody in a Sri Lankan prison in Kandy. 

The man, Kaviraj Ravichandran, who was arrested on Saturday, was reportedly found hanging in his cell. 

The subinspector and police constable on duty that night have been suspended pending investigation, the Daily Mirror reported.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister has proposed the hiring of a US-based management consultancy firm to set up a “Central Programme Management Unit,” on a US$2.3 million contract, reports the Sunday Times.

The aim of the unit will be to create “integrated and accelerated economic development across the country and restructuring and transformation of the economy to a vibrant and sustainable social market economy,” said Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lanka’s Minister for Defence Ruwan Wijewardene told an international peacekeeping summit in London that his government would not bow down to international pressure and would protect Sri Lankan troops.

Mr Wijewardene met with members of the British Sri Lanka Forum on the sidelines of the United Nations Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Meeting in London last week.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister told Tamils in Jaffna that his government would enact a political solution to the island’s ethnic conflict which would solve porlbems faced by the Tamil people.

Speaking at the opening of a new administrative building of the Jaffna District Secretariat, Ranil Wickremesinghe said that many had expected the implementation of the 13th amendment and a further devolution of powers to the North-East following the end of the armed conflict in 2009. Though the previous government did not implement the amendment, the prime minister pledged that this government would address Tamil grievances and end racism on the island.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Geneva said his government looks to obtain “expertise and technical assistance” from  the United Nations after a report by the Working Group of Enforced Disappearances called for international judges to be involved in an accountability mechanism.

Responding to the report, which reiterated the importance of including international actors in any accountability mechanism, Ravinatha Aryasinha told the UN Human Rights Council that Sri Lanka would “work closely and in consultation with the United Nations system and the OHCHR as well as other international experts”.

Members of the Global Tamil Forum met with US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal in Washington this week to discuss justice and accountability on the island.

Joined by Assistant Secretary for Human Rights Tom Malinowski, Ms Biswal tweeted that she had a good discussion on “diaspora efforts to support reconciliation and accountability”.

The Sri Lankan government announced on Tuesday that it had decided not to proceed with plans to build an Indian funded coal power plant in Sampur. 

The construction of the power plant was opposed by locals and environmental activists. 

The ministry of power and renewable energy had decided "not to go ahead with constructing the [Indian coal power] plant", deputy the solicitor general, Sanjaya Rajaratnam was quoted by Ceylon News as saying. 

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