Sri Lanka has lost the right to host the Asian Youth Games in 2017 due to government interference.

The Olympic Council of Asia withdrew the games from Sri Lanka citing problems with the autonomy of the National Olympic Committee from the government.

Protesters in Jaffna were pursued and assaulted by Sri Lankan police on Wednesday after dispersing from a demonstration outside the Jaffna court complex.

A video obtained by IBC Tamil shows Sri Lankan police calling out an individual from a property and beating him on the street.

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa urged police to act against the protestors in Jaffna, as the LTTE also "began in a similar fashion."

“Stones were pelted at police stations and the courts in Jaffna. The LTTE too began in a similar fashion. This is a dangerous situation. Therefore the police should act immediately. The law should take its course in a similar manner whether it is the North or the South of the country,” he said speaking after attending religious observances at the Samadhi Buddha statue in the Mahiyangana town, the Daily Mirror reported.

“Everyone should be equal before the law, whether it is in the north or the south. Law and order should be maintained. The prevailing situation must change soon. It is obvious that the ongoing incidents are well organised,” he said.

The Tamil Civil Society Forum, in a statement said a post-war environment of heavy militarisation, lenience towards drugs and alcohol abuse and damaged social networks were contributing factors to rape within the society.

Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena on Wednesday denied the state was holding any political prisoners, Ceylon Today reported.

Speaking to journalists during a press brief, the president said the government had no list of political prisoners to release as there were no such prisoners.

"We don't have political prisoners or a list of names", he said to a question posed by Ceylon Today.

Tamil politicians have long complained that the government is not addressing the issue of political prisoners. The TNA leadership raised this with US Secretary of State John Kerry during his visit earlier this month.

Sri Lanka’s former president, addressing a 'Victory Day' event,  said the new government should be ashamed of ‘sabotaging’ Sri Lanka’s Victory Day celebration reports, DailyFT.lk.

Photographs: DailyFT.lk

Speaking at a ‘War Heroes Memorial’ ceremony in Colombo, Mahinda Rajapaksa, said,

“The day we defeated terrorism is the day of victory. However, this day should be celebrated as the Victory Day no as Remembrance Day.”