The US embassy in Colombo has expressed concern at the attack on a mosque by a Buddhist mob on Saturday and called for the prosecution of the perpetrators.

See full statement below:

A Sri Lankan minister, Wimal Weerawansa, accused the US Embassy of issuing statements that would even condemn a 'common cold'.

Speaking at a meeting in Matale, he reiterated that infrastructure development would continue unabated, stating,

The Sri Lankan army has banned Saiva devotional songs produced by a well- known poet Puthuvai Ratnathurai from being played at Temples in Batticaloa, reported Tamilnet.

The whereabouts of the poet remain unknown after he was taken into military custody during the final stages of the 2009 onslaught.

The Sri Lankan government is considering offering defence training to foreign countries at its Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) at Sapugaskanda. The college provides facilities to mid-level officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force and police in “basic command and staff techniques”, reported ColomboPage.

The government proposed to offer training to countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Nepal, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Rwanda, Senegal and Sudan.

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Chris Nonis, held a launch event at the Sri Lanka High Commission, in London this week, to promote the Commonwealth Business Forum that will precede the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in November this year, reported Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence.

“It’s undisputed that security forces killed three protesters, but the Sri Lankan government’s kneejerk reaction is to deny possible wrongdoing,”

“Instead of promoting the military’s version of events, the government should order an independent investigation and prosecute anyone who violated the law.”