The pass-system, which requires Tamil fisher folk to obtain permission from the military before setting out to sea, has now been re-introduced in Mannar, after being restarted in Jaffna earlier this month, reported Uthayan.

A protest was held against the Sri Lankan Navy in Oluvil, Amparai on Thursday, reported Virakesari.

The recent attack on Tamil journalist Sivagnanam Selvatheepan has been condemned by Reporters Without Borders in a statement on its website.

“Reporters Without Borders joins its partner organization, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS), in condemning an attack on Sivagnanam Selvatheepan, a journalist who freelances for Tamil media, near the northern city of Jaffna on the night of 14 April.” RSF said.

A spokesperson for the Sri Lankan Army has told media that reconciliation cannot take place overnight, in response to a question by a journalist regarding US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal’s statement earlier this week.

“Reconciliation is a political matter. We have created an environment for reconciliation to take place. Reconciliation cannot take place overnight. Of around 12,000 terrorists who were in rehabilitation only about 60 remain. Most of the rehabilitated persons have been reintegrated to society. We are pleased to say that during operations conducted over the recent past, we only arrested three of the 12,000 who had fallen back into their past ways. That clearly indicates that the rehabilitation process is a success,” Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said at a press conference.

The External Affairs Ministry and the Defence Ministry will hold a briefing for the diplomatic community in Colombo, on what the government claims are recent attempts to revive the LTTE, the Daily Mirror reported.

The Supreme Court in Delhi has rejected a plea for an inquiry into claims that Indian forces took part in the final phase of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, saying the issue is beyond the jurisdiction of the court

The plea, filed by Ram Sankar, secretary of Delhi Tamil Advocates Association, said that Indian military personnel were active in the fighting and some soldiers were injured. A Sikh officer, who was commanding the forces, was seen in the Vanni, said Sankar, who himself was taking part in international humanitarian efforts.

“Asylum seekers have said that a turbaned Indian officer was seen commanding the armed forces that were attacking Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu,

"The authorities, without declaring an open war, deployed the personnel of armed forces in aid and abetment of the armed forces of Sri Lanka. This fact was also not revealed to Parliament, which alone is vested with the power to regulate the military affairs. There is no provision in the Constitution permitting the use of Indian armed forces for any purpose other than for the defence of India," Sankar said.

The US will only resume a more comprehensive military relationship with Sri Lanka once the government has made progress towards reconciliation and accountability, the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said at a talk at Harvard University.

Speaking on "U.S. Foreign Policy in South Asia: A Vision for Prosperity and Security", Assistant Secretary Nisha Biswal said the US continues to call for credible efforts to ensure accountability and justice.

"While the prosperity agenda in South Asia is critically important, so too is enhancing political stability and regional security. In order to enhance that stability and security, our foreign policy is designed around engagement – even on the toughest and most vexing issues,

"Sri Lanka has fortunately ended its civil war, though reconciliation has proved challenging. Following the March UN Human Rights Council resolution in Sri Lanka, we continue to call for credible efforts to ensure accountability and justice. We look forward to a resumption of a more comprehensive military relationship once the Government of Sri Lanka has made better progress toward reconciliation and accountability."