A former Tamil political prisoner was arrested at Colombo’s international airport on Friday, for the second time since his release in 2016.

Murugaiah Komakan, a former member of the Jaffna Municipal Council who was detained for six years under the Prevention of Terrorism Act was arrested while on his way out to India. He was detained for several hours and released after being told to appear at the Terrorism Investigation Department’s notorious ‘4th floor’ headquarters tomorrow (Sunday).

Sri Lanka's state minister, Harsha De Silva on Friday urged the government to investigate what he described as 'communal clashes', calling for 'Muslim extremism' to be investigated too. 

"We need to expose the extremist groups behind these series of communal clashes. Muslim extremism should also be investigated," Mr Silva told parliament, calling for a presidential commission to be set up. 

Speaking after a meeting with the visiting UN Under Secretary General, Jeffrey Feltman, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson, M A Sumanthiran said that he had highlighted the UN's continued support for Sri Lankan implementing the UNHRC 2015 resolution, and had urged the government to fulfil its election mandate. 

Muslims in Mannar held a hartal on Friday, closing businesses and shops to demonstrate their support for Muslims in Kandy facing attacks by Sinhala Buddhist mobs. 

Muslim shops, homes and mosques in villages by Kandy were attacked earlier this week, leading to the government calling a state of emergency and imposing restrictions on social media use and internet access. 

Reports of attacks against Muslims continue despite the state of emergency however. 

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) on Thursday called on the Sri Lankan government to act switfly to ensure those responsible for anti-Muslim violence in Kandy are prosecuted. 

"The Sri Lankan government must act swiftly and in line with human rights to prosecute those responsible for recent communal violence."

"Particularly for attacks against the minority Muslim community in Kandy district, while avoiding the abusive practices of the past," said the ICJ in a statement. 

Evidence has emerged of members of Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force, who were deployed to quell anti-Muslim violence, collaborating with rioters, reports Colombo Telegraph.

A video obtained by Colombo Telegraph, shows a rioter humiliating a Muslim victim, whilst the Special Task Force personnel look and laugh.

Confessing to his involvement in the riots, he is heard to say,

“It is because of what I did that you now find yourself on the streets.”

Families of the disappeared marked one year since they started protesting in Mullaitivu today.

Commenting on recent anti-Muslim violence by Sinhala mobs in Sri Lanka, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Sri Lanka could handle the situation internally, however added that Beijing hoped the government would ensure the security of Chinese citizens on the island. 

“We have noted relevant reports. This belongs to Sri Lanka's internal affairs. China believes that the Sri Lankan government and its people are capable of handling the current situation, and upholding Sri Lanka's social stability and ethnic solidarity," the spokesperson, Geng Shuang said at a press conference. 

The UK on Thursday urged the Sri Lanka government to take action to hold those responsible for anti-Muslim violence in Sri Lanka to account. 

"We share concerns about recent inter-communal violence in Sri Lanka. We support the government's determination to end it swiftly, using measures that are proportionate and respect human rights, and urge it to hold the perpetrators to account," the UK's representative to the UN Human Rights Council said in a statement to the Council at an Item 2 debate during the 37th session. 

Sinhala mobs attacked Muslim shops, homes and mosques in villages by Kandy this week. 

The UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman arrived in Sri Lanka on Thursday. 

Mr Feltman is undertaking a three day visit of the island where he is expected to meet with the president and prime minister, as well as civil society groups. 

He arrives as Sri Lanka continues to be in a state of emergency following anti-Muslim violence by Sinhala mobs in Kandy this week.