Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka’s Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) announced they will launch a party to “protect Buddhist culture” as there was a “threat” from minorities in the country.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Chief Executive Dilantha Withanage said his organisation’s activities in Sri Lanka are “inspired by what the RSS and BJP do in India” and that the BBS would launch “a party modelled on these Indian ventures to protect Buddhist culture in Sri Lanka”.

The monk warned that minorities were reproducing at a much higher rate than Sinhalese families and that this was supported by money from abroad.

The Sri Lankan government is intending to start discussions with the International Monetary Fund, seeking its assistance in reducing the debt burden it has amassed under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunayake. who met with IMF officials earlier today, told Bloomberg before the meeting, the new president, Maithripala Sirisena, wanted to reduce the amount spent on interest on Sri Lanka’s $55bn (Rs7.2tn) debt.

“We are initiating discussions on a new program,” Mr Karunanayake, said yesterday, but declined to give further details, only adding that “we will not be dictated to by any of these multilateral agencies.”

Mr Karunayake said the new president sought to increase taxes on the “super-rich” to benefit poorer citizens, adding he would maintain fiscal discipline and eliminate corruption.

"China and Sri Lanka are friendly neighbors. Our relationship has withstood the test of time, and is founded on a solid footing. Cooperation between China and Sri Lanka in various fields serves the aspirations and interests of the two peoples."

(Photograph: IBNS)

Sri Lanka’s external affairs minister, Mangala Samaraweera, has been urged by his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj to ensure the “political reconciliation” of the country’s Tamil population, during the first talks between the two governments since Sri Lanka’s presidential elections.

Mr Samaraweera also met with Prime Minister Modi, who congratulated the new Sri Lankan government on its election victory and expressed hope that President Sirisena’s victory will advance peace, reconciliation and development in Sri Lanka, and peace and progress in the region.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has denied agreeing to giving "full autonomy" to the Tamil regions of the island.

An Indian news channel, NDTV, on Sunday tweeted that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe had told them “in principle, we have agreed to full autonomy to Tamil areas".

Sri Lanka's The Nation newspaper contacted Mr Wickremesinghe after the tweet which it termed as 'controversial', was posted, to verify whether he had made such statement.