Tamil National Alliance MPs took part in a ceremony commencing the construction of a memorial shrine commemorating 21 school children that where killed in a Sri Lankan Air Force attack on a school in Jaffna 20 years ago.

TNA MPs including Mavai Senathirajah and M A Sumanthiran were present at the ceremony and took party in laying the foundation stone for the shrine on Tuesday.

A committee is reviewing the ban on some diaspora groups said Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry last week.

Speaking to the Colombo Gazette the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mahishini Colonne said, the review of individuals and entities on the ban occurs annually and is currently underway.

The diaspora ban was widely condemned by people in the North-East and foreign governments.

India's External Affairs ministry said Sri Lanka has been making “provocative statements” on the issue of Tamil Nadu fishermen being arrested and attacked by Sri Lankan security forces, amid more arrests this week.

Addressing a press conference last week, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj spoke on Sri Lanka saying “sometimes, provocative statements are made from their side”.

Buddha statue on private Tamil land appropriated by the military in Kokkilaay

Sri Lankan police arrested the owners of land which was grabbed by the army to build a Buddhist vihara after they held a protest at the location in Kokkilaay, Mullaitivu.

The owners, Thirugnanasambanthar Mannivannathas, Katharkamu Sivayogeswaran and Loganathan Jude Nimalan, held a symbolic fast outside the vihara, which is being constructed by the military, earlier today.

Police arrested the men and pressured them to abandon their protest, before releasing them a few hours later.

Sinhala nationalist organisation Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) slammed the chief prelate Buddhist monks in Asgiriya and Malwatte, claiming they are “asleep” whilst “extremist” elements have entered their chapters.

BBS General Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara accused the monks of ignoring issues faced by Sinhala Buddhists on the island.

"Extremist elements have even invaded the most sacred Buddhist venues, but the chief prelates are asleep,” said the BBS chief. “The senior monks are turning a blind eye to the issues faced by the Buddhists."

The first Tamil to die in the liberation struggle was remembered in Jaffna today, on the 41st anniversary of his death.

Locals gathered at a statue of Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran in his hometown Urumpirai in Jaffna earlier today, and commemorated his life. TNA NPC Councillors Ananthy Sasitharan, AM Shivajilingam and Pradeshiya Sabha member Sajeevan also attended the event.

The getaway vehicle used in the murder of Tamil National Alliance MP Nadarajah Raviraj has been found said Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID), amid reports that the weapon used in his killing belonged to the Sri Lankan army.

The CID informed Colombo Additional Magistrate Nirosha Fernando that the trishaw used in the murder of the Tamil parliamentarian had been found and the magistrate approved further investigations into the vehicle.

The court was also reportedly informed that the murder weapon used belonged to the Sri Lankan army.

It follows the arrest of three members of the navy, including two officers, for the November 2006 murder.

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena, speaking to the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon on Thursday, expressed his intention to attend the 30^th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in September.

A statement by the president’s office on Friday, said,

A protest march demanding swift justice for the rape and murder of schoolgirl Vithiya took place in Point Pedro on Wednesday.

Photographs: Tamil Guardian

Police had reportedly filed for the protest to be barred by the Point Pedro court, but the presiding judge refused to issue a ban on the grounds that it would be undemocratic.