Lecturers at the University of Jaffna protested yesterday, condemning the order to close the university during the time of May 18th and posters that accused students and staff of reviving terrorism, Uthayan reported.

Photographs Uthayan

The lecturers, part of the University of Jaffna Teachers' Association, demonstrated outside the university grounds holding banners reading: "Aren't death threats and harassment, terrorism?", "Ensure the independence of the university", "Is university an educational institution or a killing field?", "Jaffna university's greatest weapon is the tip of pen not a gun point", "Is closing the university whenever you wish the student centric education?", and "Asia's wonder - killing university teachers?".

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya, yesterday rejected reports of the Ministry's involvement in the closure of the university.

"This claim is false. We did not produce such orders, we do not get involved in education affairs," the Uthayan quoting him as saying.

"The education ministry may have decided after discussing with the University administration," he added.

The Ministry of External Affairs played down comments made by Prime Minister Dm Jayaratne that Sri Lanka supports Vietnam in the ongoing dispute with China regarding maritime claims in the South China Sea.

Jayaratne, who was in Vietnam to celebrate the Buddhist Vesak festival, said that Sri Lanka supports Vietnam’s demand that China adhere to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and withdraw its drilling rig out of Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone.

Tamil child awaits turn for a haircut by a Sri Lankan soldier (Pictures: SFHQ-E)

The Sri Lankan Army has held a “barber service” for Tamil students at a school in Kanchanakuda, Amparai, earlier this month, according to Security Forces Headquarters (East) website.

Members of the 12th Sri Lanka National Guard, who are under the command of the 23rd Division of the security forces, organised the service “for the development of child health care”, the website said.

The Sri Lankan Army is organising the celebration of Buddha’s enlightenment on a grand scale in Jaffna, according to the Civil Military Coordination website.

A ‘Vesak Zone’, with ‘huge Vesak lanterns’ and a large decorative construction is currently being built and will be at the venue near Jaffna library from the 14th-20th of May.

An open invitation on the website carries the Singhalese name of the festival, Yapa Patunai Daham Amavai, written using the Tamil script.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Minister Hugo Swire said that the British government will continue to support and work with the UN Human Rights Council, to ensure the “proper implementation” of the resolution which established an independent investigation.

Mr Swire, speaking in parliament on Wednesday, said that the OHCHR will lead the independent investigation into alleged violations and that the British government continues to urge Sri Lanka to cooperate with the resolution.

A senior Japanese official has told media that the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka was unhelpful, reported the Colombo Gazette.

Speaking after meeting President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo, Japan’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Seiji Kihara said that Japan will not accept “biased reports” by international organisations.

Sri Lanka’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN denied reports of rape committed by the Sri Lankan Army during the armed conflict at a closed door meeting about rape during the conflict at the Canadian Mission to the UN on Tuesday, reported Inner City Press.

Sources told the Inner City Press that Silva claimed that "certain organisations are propagating false allegations, they are repeated by different organisations and form an opinion."

Canadian Permanent Representative Guillermo Rishchynski is reported to have spoken of a risk of further violence in Sri Lanka, as none of underlying causes of conflict have been dealt with. He also expressed regret for the harassment of civil society in wake of Navi Pillay's visit.

A Tamil refugee was found dead in India earlier this week, reported the Uthayan.

Punithavathi, 44, fled Sri Lanka with her famliy 30 years ago and lived in Bharathy Nagar, Kanchipuram.

The mother of three is reported to have been beaten to death and Kanchipuram police are investigating further.