The Sri Lankan navy took part in a Buddhist ceremony in Nainativu this week, where the Commander of the Navy laid the foundation stone for a new statue of the Buddha to be built.

The navy participated in the ceremony held at the Nagadeepa Purana Rajamaha Viharaya, a Buddhist temple situated in the Jaffna peninsula islet, with the military stating the “Northern Naval Command of the Sri Lanka Navy extended all the supportive measures to make the event a successful one”.

Following an all-night chanting ceremony, the Chief Incumbent of the temple “invoked blessings on the Sri Lanka Navy for their meritorious act and for all the assistances provided,” stated the Ministry of Defence.

Former army commander General Jagath Jayasuriya, who is widely thought to be responsible for mass atrocities during the last phase of the armed conflict, has taken up his new post as Sri Lanka's ambassador to Brazil.

The general presented his credentials to President Dilma Rousseff earlier this week and briefed her on the political progress seen on the island since the change in government.

The Foreign Ministry announced in June that former army commander Jagath Jayasuriya and former army chief Daya Ratnayake have been nominated as envoys to Brazil and Pakistan respectively. Both held senior positions during the last phase of the armed conflict, which saw grave violations of international humanitarian law. Mr Jayasuriya was denied a US visa earlier this year over the allegations.

The NPC passed a resolution on Thursday demanding the revocation of the change in name of the island Nainathivu to the Sinhala name, Nagapattina.

The resolution, which was unanimously approved, said the government gazette mandating the change of the name was an attempt to distort history.

The chairman of the NPC, CVK Sivagnanam, who tabled the motion, stressed that the name must be changed back to its original name in Tamil.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released seven “fact sheets” for the report of the OHCHR’s Investigation on Sri Lanka. The documents briefly summarize key parts of the many chapters of the report and highlight important findings.

Sri Lanka’s University Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella said a united national government with the two major parties was needed in order to withstand pressure from foreign governments.

The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances will visit Sri Lanka next week, at the invitation of the Sri Lankan government.

A statement by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights announced that the group will be on an official visit from the 9th til the 18th of November.

32 Tamil political prisoners will be released on November 9th, leader of the opposition and TNA leader, R. Sampanthan has said.

Mr Sampanthan said that the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, had reassured him that the 32 would be released on the 9th, with a further 30 to be released before the 20th and another 48 to be released pending investigation.

Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Wijeyasadasa Rajapakshe told Sir Lanka’s parliament that he had prevented former Defence Secretary Gotabaya from being arrested.

Speaking on the adjournment on a debate of an illegal floating armoury that was linked to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Justice Minister, said,

The Northern Provincial Council has called for the Sri Lankan government to open immediate investigations into the murder and assaulting of journalists across the North-East.

In a resolution passed on Thursday, the Council called upon Sri Lanka's Minister of Justice, Minister of Law and Order and the Attorney General to launch immediate inquiries into the murders of Tamil journalists in the North-East, as well as violent attacks against others.