A former Sri Lankan soldier, who attempted to self-immolate, outside the US Embassy in Colombo, in protest against the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, died of his injuries on Wednesday.

The former soldier had said that he was Navi Pillay’s actions against Sri Lanka, reports Colombo Gazette.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Police in Aluthgama arrested 4 Muslim students after Buddhist monks visited a police station in Welipitiya to call for action against the students, reports the Uthayan.