Two former LTTE cadres are being held in police custody over the killings of two Sri Lankan police officers in Batticaloa, while around twenty people, including former cadres and local organisers have been questioned and released.

Sri Lankan police media division announced earlier in the week that three former cadres from Batticaloa and one from Kilinochchi had been arrested.

Rumours that a former cadre from Kilinochchi had surrendered to the police admitting to the killings were refuted.

The grave of an LTTE fighter, Lt. Bosan, was discovered in Thanjavur last week.

A local of the area stumbled upon the neglected gravestone during his daily morning walk in the area.

After alerting local activists, the gravestone was cleared and tributes laid on Maaveerar Naal.

<p>An estimated $1.7 billion loan from Japan to Sri Lanka has been put on hold as political turmoil on the island continues, claimed the leader of the Sinhala extremist Jathika Hela Urumaya party.</p> <p>Champika Ranawaka, who was the Cabinet Minister of Megapolis and Western Development until Sri Lanka was plunged into crisis in October, was quoted by&nbsp;<a href="https://economynext.com/Sri_Lanka_political_crisis_derails_US$1.7bn_LRT…">Economy Next</a>&nbsp;as saying&nbsp;the loan has now been “derailed”. The payment was reported to have funded the construction of a light rail transit system in Colombo.</p> <p>"The loan was to have been signed in November 22," he told parliament, stating that other loans to Colombo &nbsp;have also been put on hold.</p>

The United National Party (UNP) has declared that Ranil Wickremesinghe will continue to be the party’s official candidate for prime minister, in a letter to the Tamil National Alliance on Friday.

In a letter addressed to TNA Leader R Sampanthan , UNP Chairman MP Kabir Hashim stated, "Ranil Wickremesinghe, MP, is the nominee of the United National Party for the position of Prime Minister".

Soldiers stationed in Jaffna received a set of new motorbikes last week, as militarisation of the Tamil homeland continues despite opposition from locals.

The Sri Lankan armed held a military demonstration for the visit of a senior commander to its Mullaitivu base last week, in signs that militarisation of the region looks set to continue.

Supporters of Mahinda Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party held a rally in Jaffna on Friday. 

Asking Tamils to support Rajapaksa, the rally organisers called for a general election to take place.

The massacre of 32 Tamils in Othiyamalai, Mullaitivu by the Sri Lankan army in 1984 was remembered today with a new memorial unveiled at the site. 

On December 2,1984, men in the village were rounded up by the Sri Lankan army, dragged to the village community centre where they were stripped naked and tied up by their clothes. 

Twenty-seven of the men were shot and killed on the spot. A further five were detained and are believed to have been murdered at a later date.

A Tamil detainee was tortured by Koppay police officers for several days after being arrested for failing to attend a court hearing. 

The victim reported being hung upside down and beaten for three days before he was brought to court. 

"The police arrested me last Sunday and severely beat me," the youth, told reporters, speaking anonymously for fear of repurcussions. 

"I was beaten up severely from the day of arrest. I was hung upside down and beaten up. I was burnt by fire on my hand."

Sri Lanka's army commander stationed in Jaffna today warned Tamils gathered that if the 'peaceful life' was disturbed there would be a return to check points and roadside stop and interrogations. 

Speaking just a few days after thousands of Tamils across the North-East marked Maaveerar Naal, a day of remembrance for fallen LTTE fighters, and two police officers were killed in Batticaloa, Major General Hettiarachchi told Tamils to "our expectation is that Tamils living in Jaffna live with love."

"I ask the Tamil people, let us continue to live this peaceful life. If this peaceful life changes once again, the time will again come when the police and the army set up checkpoints along the roadside and stop and interrogate those passing by on the streets."