Sri Lanka's new President Maithripala Sirisena said some countries are attempting to "rule" the country, through attempts at signing various economic deals, Colombo Gazette reports.

Mr Sirisena noted that Sri Lanka has always played it safe since it gained independence in 1948 and will not allow itself to be ruled by a foreign country again, adding the country should be mindful of such attempts.

Photographs: Tamil Guardian

Protestors gathered for a fourth consecutive day in Trincomalee, rejecting the presidential commission probing disappearances.

The commission is currently sitting in the town on the eastern coast of the island, but has had very few people participate after the Tamil Civil Society Forum, who organised the protest, and the Welfare Organisation for the Forcibly Disappeared Persons said they would boycott the commission.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena claimed to have deliberately avoided talking about the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when the pair met in New Delhi last month.

“I want to assure you that I will not enter any agreement with any country that will be harmful to our businesses,” said Mr Sirisena, addressing local Sri Lankan businesses over the weekend.

Mr Sirisena went on to highlight the cancelling of contracts for 16 foreign mining firms; a move he claimed would strengthen local businesses.

Sri Lankan military officials abducted at least 10 wealthy school children from Trincomalee and Colombo during the armed conflict reports Colombo Mirror.

Sri Lanka’s police spokesperson Ajith Rohana, speaking at a press conference in Colombo, said,

“Naval officials and sailors have been found involved in this nine-member team. Former Navy Spokesman Captain DKP Dassanayake has been questioned recently by the CID in this connection. It is now uncovered that he has functioned as the Officer-in charge of this team named -Special Operations Unit- that abducted these children.”

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), passed a resolution urging the government of Sri Lanka to take actions towards a political solution that would be accepted by the Tamil people.

The resolution further called on the government to release land belonging to Tamils and release all detained and missing persons.

A second resolution passed by ITAK, condemned the burning of effigies of TNA MP MA Sumanthiran and leader R Sampanthan, by Tamil demonstrators protesting against enforced disappearances in the North-East.

All photographs: Tamil Guardian

Over 200 protestors gathered outside the Trincomalee Town Divisional Secretariat, in what was a third continuous day of protests rejecting the Presidential Commission on Missing Persons.

Speaking to the Tamil Guardian, a priest that attended the protest said,

“The people have no trust in any domestic inquiry into our missing loved ones. The Presidential Commission has been taking place for over a year with no results for the Tamil people. We are calling for the international community and the United Nations to get involved.