The leader of the Bodu Bala Sena, a Buddhist organisation, has said that a crusade would be launched in Sri Lanka, blaming the government for letting the TNA engage in politics.

Galagodaaththe Gnanasare, a Buddhist monk, said that the TNA was the political front of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the government must be held responsible for the TNA winning the Northern Provincial Council elections.

India and Sri Lanka confirmed today that the two governments will sign up to a joint venture that will see a 500 MW thermal power project established in Trincomalee.

Sri Lankan army commander Lt Gen Daya Ratnayake has said that the army had exceeded their legal remit during the shooting of protesters in Weliweriye and said that a "summary of evidence" is being prepared in order for charges to be brought at a court martial.

Ratnayake was appointed by the court of inquiry to investigate the shooting, which left 3 civilians dead.

The Vice-Chairman of the British-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Group, Baron Dennis Rogan, has declared that the militarisation of the north was not as bad as often portrayed and that he had no issues talking to ordinary citizens in all regions, after a seven-day visit to the island.

"During my visit to all parts of the country, North, East, South, and West I was able to speak freely and openly with ministers, government officials, religious leaders, and most importantly ordinary citizens from all sections and walks of life. What struck me particularly was that the military presence in the North was substantially less than what has been often portrayed," the Ulster Unionist Party peer told the president, Mahinda Rajapakse, during a meeting with him and Chris Nonis, the Sri Lankan ambassador to the UK.

Days before the military decided to destroy the bunker of the LTTE Leader, Vellupillai Prabhakaran, security forces personnel repeatedly chased away Tamil residents that came to visit the site as a reprimand for voting in the TNA, reports Colombo Telegraph.

Swiss authorities have defended the deportation of two men to Sri Lanka, despite numerous human rights concerns regarding their treatment in the country.

After calling for the removal of the Governor of the Northern Province last week, a beaming C.V. Wigneswaran went to receive his letter of appointment as Chief Minister, from none other than the Governor himself.

Speaking to Ceylon Today last week, Wigneswaran reportedly said,

The Sri Lankan government has pressured Nepali authorities to block the screening of three documentaries about the island at the Film Southasia festival this month.

The films are ‘Broken’ and ‘The Story of One’, directed by Kannan Arunasalam, and No Fire Zone’ directed by Callum Macrae.

In a statement released on their website, Kanak Mani Dixit, Chair of Film Southasia, said,

“FSA protests this unwarranted intrusion into the cultural sphere, an action that goes against the freedom of expression and the right of documentary filmmakers to exhibit their work.”

The three films will now be screened outside the festival venue at ‘private screenings’.

Commenting on Sri Lanka’s actions, Macrae said in a statement,

“The government has constantly assured the international community – and in particular the members of the Commonwealth – that they will investigate the serious allegations war crimes and crimes against humanity which we exposed in No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka,” 

“In practice though, they seem more concerned with travelling the world attempting to suppress our film – and prevent anyone from seeing the evidence of these crimes... I am glad to say that so far they have not succeeded.”

"Once again the Sri Lankan government has shown its true colours. While telling the world that it is investigating the allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity  – it is in practice mounting an international campaign to deny the truth and silence the witnesses. Film South Asia deserves every credit for refusing to stop the screenings, instead moving them to another venue." 

“ it is at CHOGM where many of the landmark decisions and statements by this association have been made. In Lusaka, Zambia, in 1979, the Commonwealth united in the aim "to rid the world of the evils of racism", and condemned apartheid as an "affront to humanity". The 1991 CHOGM saw the realisation of the Harare Declaration, with human rights and democracy expressed as core principles of the Commonwealth. In the wake of the adoption of the new Charter earlier this year, the 2013 CHOGM should have been a time to celebrate the association’s renewal and to safeguard the Commonwealth’s future effectiveness.”

“However, this will not happen. Instead, we will be faced by the appalling prospect of a Government in clear violation of so many of the association’s values becoming the Chair of the Commonwealth for the next two years. Rather than focussing on its theme of “Growth with Equity; Inclusive Development”, the event will be eclipsed by the on-going human rights concerns on the island. An acrimonious and divided CHOGM is likely to unfold with the Canadian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, and I hope others, staying away, due to the human rights abuses and the lack of post armed conflict accountability and reconciliation.”

An Indian Minister of state, V Narayanasamy, suggested that India was still undecided with regards to its level of attendance at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan Navy has towed a vessel carrying 70 asylum seekers from Sri Lanka to the southern port of Galle, after the boat on which they were attempting to flee on developed engine trouble and sent out a distress signal.