Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence (MoD), on Wednesday, announced a new scheme that looks to benefit retired soldiers.

The MoD spokesperson, Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya, addressing a weekly media brief, said that the extra benefits had been given to the retired soldiers after “considering the immense contribution and sacrifice they have made during the Humanitarian operation.”
 

The body of a 39 year-old man has been found near Kalladi Bridge in Batticaloa earlier today, reports Batti News.

The body was recovered by Batticaloa police and the man has been identified as father-of-one Kantharasa Beeminthan from Batticaloa Pillaiyaradi.

Beeminthan's wife has been admitted into Batticaloa Teaching Hospital after she fell unconscious when she saw his body. His relatives expressed concern that he may have committed suicide, noting that he had been missing from last night.

Sri Lanka hopes that the new UN High Commissioner for human rights, Prince Zeid of Jordan, would be "more balanced" than Navi Pillay, the government spokesperson, Keheliya Rambukwella, said.

"The government hopes the new Human Rights Chief will take note of the concerns Sri Lanka had with the outgoing Commissioner and carry out his duties in an unbiased manner," Rambukwella reportedly told journalists at Kandy on Monday.

Detention facilities in Thailand for refugees are "no place for children", said the New York based rights organisation, Human Rights Watch, in a report - 'Two Years with No Moon' - published Monday.

Condemning Thailand's arbitrary detention of thousands of children in overcrowded and dangerous conditions as "brutal", HRW called on Thailand to "immediately cease detention of children for reasons of their immigration status".

The facilities, which predominantly house Rohingya asylum seekers, also include over 2000 refugees who have fled non-neighbouring countries, including Sri Lanka.

"Thailand’s use of immigration detention violates children’s rights, immediately risks their health and wellbeing, and imperils their development. Wretched conditions place children in filthy, overcrowded cells without adequate nutrition, education, or exercise space. Prolonged detention deprives children of the capacity to mentally and physically grow and thrive," HRW said.

The Sri Lankan President on Tuesday said only the Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP) could free the country as it was created to establish national freedom and protect national heritage, reports Colombo Page.

Addressing crowds gathered to celebrate the 63rd anniversary of the SLFP, Mahinda Rajapaksa said the party had “historic heritage” from the Uva province where battles were fought for “freedom of the country” and deemed the party as the only way to “consolidate freedom for the whole nation.”

Photograph Uthayan

A family in Mullaitivu were threatened by Sri Lankan military intelligence officers following a visit to their home by the British High Commissioner John Rankin.

Rankin travelled to the Puthukkudiyiruppu region of Mullaitivu on Tuesday, to speak directly to Tamil families about the problems they faced.

Following his visit intelligence officers arrived at the house and "threatened" the family, the Jaffna based newspaper, Uthayan, reports.

The family was one of three households visited by the High Commissioner during his trip.

Three principals from schools in Kilinochchi were called in for questioning by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) this weekend over a book allegedly distributed in schools, the Uthayan reports.

The three were released following a lengthy interrogation at the TID office by the Kanthasamy temple. Principals from other schools in the region have also been summoned for questioning by the TID.

A lecturer at the London School of Economics, Dr Rajesh Venugopal, was detained by Sri Lankan immigration officers and questioned by police, who allege he violated his visa regulations.

Dr Venugopal, a British Indian lecturer in South Asian affairs, had travelled to Sri Lanka to attend the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) 13th annual symposium, on post-war development in Asia and Africa, taking place 1-3 September in Colombo.

Ahead of the conference he is understood to have visited Batticaloa, where police allege he enquired about the military presence and military reprisals.