The Sri Lankan Minister of External Affairs, Friday, met his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj in Hydrabad today, to discuss progress by his government on the issues of accountability and reconciliation, reports The Hindu.

“There was a fairly detailed presentation by Pro. Peiris about the initiatives they are taking for reconciliation and accountability, “ said the Indian ministry for external affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.

The former commander of the Sri Lankan security forces in Jaffna has been reappointed as the governor of the Northern Province, a civilian position, by President Mahinda Rajapkasa.

Major General GA Chandrasiri was sworn in for another 5 years by the president at Temple Trees on Friday, reported Ceylon Today.

A MP of the ruling coalition Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) said today that fruitful discussions with the opposition party took place today.

The Buddhist monk Pathuraliye Rathana Thero, who leads the Buddhist Pivithuru Hetak National Movement of Sri Lanka whilst being a JHU MP, said that discussions were aimed at bringing the country into the right path, reports Colombo Page.

The monk met with the leader of the opposition Ranil Wickremasinghe and other UNP MPs.

A new report has revealed the extent of British support for Sri Lanka and training of the Sri Lankan military over three decades.

The report, authored by Phil Miller, a researcher with Corporate Watch, details the closeness of the British government’s relationship with the Sri Lankan state, including the deployment of mercenaries, training by British officers of Sri Lankan forces and the supply of weapons throughout the conflict with the Tamils.

Miller’s report shows how “British collusion with Sri Lankan security forces throughout the thirty years of genocidal counter-insurgency warfare” resulted in “Sri Lanka’s brazen mass killings of Tamils on the beaches of Mullivaikal in 2009.”

Prime Minister DM Jayaratna told Sri Lanka’s parliament on Friday that some non-governmental organisations armed and assisted the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Jayaratna was commenting on the controversy over the Ministry of Defence letter, restricting NGO activities, and insisted that the government was not violating human rights by imposing the restrictions.

The prime minister claimed that the country’s intelligence services had uncovered evidence that NGOs were threatening national security through their actions.

“During the 30 year war some NGOs even armed the terrorists,” he said.

The surveying of lands owned by Tamils in the North-East to be handed over to the Sri Lankan navy, was stopped on Friday after several land owners and activists confronted the surveyors reports the Uthayan.

A case disputing the impending Sri Lankan Navy appropriation of over 183 acres of land in Vali North remains unsettled in court.

The Australian immigration minister Scott Morrison snubbed Tamil politicians and civil society during a visit to Jaffna last night, meeting instead with the retired Sri Lankan army general and Colombo appointed governor, G.A. Chandrasiri.

According to The Australian, the Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran said he "knew nothing of the Immigration Minister's visit".

The Sri Lankan government has announced that it will enact new laws, requiring all non-profit organisations to register as a non-governmental organisation with the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, with plans to impose sanctions on those that fail to comply.

The director of the National Secretariat for NGOs Saman Dissanayake said to Ceylon Today that according to the new legislation, organisations that do not register with the defence ministry will not be allowed to receive foreign funds and will have their bank accounts closed.

The ministry said that non-profit organisations, currently registered under the Sri Lanka Companies Act No. 7 of 2007, are acting like NGOs.