The United State’s State Department highlighted militarisation and impunity as significant human rights issues in Sri Lanka in its annual human rights report.

“The most significant human rights issues [in Sri Lanka in 2017] included unlawful killings; torture; sexual abuse; arbitrary arrest; lengthy detention; lack of property restitution by the military; and surveillance and harassment of civil society activists and journalists,” the report’s executive summary said.

British Tamils protested against Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena outside the Commonwealth Secretariat in Pall Mall London.

Sri Lanka’s president and a high level ministerial delegation are currently in London for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CHOGM 2018.

CHOGM 2013, saw mass protests in London as the British Prime Minister at the time David Cameron went to attend the meeting in Sri Lanka. A trip that saw him, leave the meetings in Colombo to visit the Tamil North-East. 

The 30th death anniversary of Annai Poopathy, who fasted unto death in protest against the atrocities committed by Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF), was commemorated in Batticaloa.

The final of a football tournament held in memory of Anna Poopathy took place at Batticaloa’s Weber stadium on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena reportedly attacked foreign diplomats who are based in Colombo for allegedly “interfering” whilst his government blocked internet access and social media, in the wake of anti-Muslim violence by Sinhala Buddhist mobs last month.

Speaking to an audience of Sri Lankans in London, Mr Sirisena accused foreign diplomats of “going beyond their mandate” according to The Island.

"We were able to avert a major calamity by swift intervention," he was quoted as saying.

The Sri Lankan president went on to claim that “all international agencies had praised the manner in which his government had handled the Kandy situation”.

Students at Jaffna University held a remembrance ceremony to mark 30 years since the death of Annai Poopathy.

Britain’s Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox, who has a controversial relationship with Sri Lanka, met with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena in London yesterday, where they discussed trade and investment opportunities between the two governments.

At least 1600 million rupees would be required to restore the 683 acres in Myliddy, recently released from Sri Lankan Army occupation, back to habitable conditions, the Jaffna District Secretariat has said.

The owners of the released land returned last weekend to find their homes and infrastructure including wells and outbuildings had been demolished by the troops.

The DS requested the amount from the Sri Lankan resettlement ministry and said that the 1600 million rupee figure would go towards constructing 1000 new houses and repairing 250, restoring 300 toilets and 300 wells, repairing roads, reconstructing schools and community spaces and clearing overgrown forests.

Sri Lanka’s Finance  Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who is in London with Sri Lanka’s delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the trip would be a platform to expand trade ties beyond the GSP+ concession of the European Union.

Speaking at the side-lines of the summit, Mr Samaraweera said,

“The summit which is being held at the heart of CHOGM London, will bring us many benefits. On Monday, we had discussion to strengthen financial and trade relation at Guildhall, London where the Commonwealth Business Forum’s first session was commenced.”

Sri Lanka’s former ambassador to the United States claimed that he was prevented from leaving the country by the Department of Homeland Security, who stopped him boarding a flight and questioned him on war crimes committed by Sri Lankan troops during the island’s armed conflict.

In an interview to The Island, Jaliya Wickramasuriya claimed that he had attempted to board a flight from Atlanata to Chile late last year, when he was stopped by Homeland Security officials.