The militarisation of the Jaffna peninsula looks set to continue, as the Sri Lankan army announced that it will be taking on a project to renovate 100 Hindu temples this week.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to a list of 10 demands laid out by the Tamil National Alliance in return for support in defeating a No Confidence Motion, claimed parliamentarian Selvam Addaikalanathan.

Sri Lanka’s Attorney General department will appear in court on behalf of an army commander alleged to have been directly responsible for the disappearances of more than two dozen Tamil youths in 1996.

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s comments on the state of the Northern Province’s “fallen” education have been criticised in the North for failing to account for the root causes of poor educational standards across the province.

“If they really want to improve education in the North, the government should be implementing projects to see results in 2-5 years,” said C. V. K. Sivagnanam, the Chair of the Northern Provincial Council.

A no-confidnence motion against the Sri Lankan prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe was defeated today by a majority of 46 votes, allowing him to hold on to his position. 

The vote following a debate in parliament; 76 MPs voted in favour of the motion, 122 voted against and 26 abstained, Ada Derana reported. 

The former president Mahinda Rajapaksa voted in favour of the motion. 
 

The Ceylon Teachers Union this week condemned the government's decision to postpone celebrations of May Day due to pressure from Buddhist lobby groups, who argued that May 1st events should be held after the conclusion of Vesak. 

The Sri Lankan military will be focussing on challenges in “cyber space” according to the commander of the army, as it launched a new initiative last week.

The Sri Lanka Signal Corps (SLSC) will be hosting a symposium, entitled 'Cyber Space; Perpetual Battlefront for Future', announced Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake who was the chief guest at a lavish event at Hotel Hilton last week.

The Jaffna Mayor and members of the Municipal Council surveyed the destroyed monument to Thileepan in Nallur today, with plans to have it restored to its former glory by September this year.

The Tamil National Alliance leader R Sampanthan said the no confidence motion tabled against Prime Minister Wickremesinghe lacked evidence and was in pursuit of a political agenda.

Speaking during the parliamentary debate on the motion on Wednesday, Mr Sampanthan said,

Sri Lanka's army commander warned Tamils that the army was able to take back what it 'granted' to the Tamil people, whilst addressing an event launching the second phase of a housing scheme in Nallinakkapuram. 

"Like we grant you these houses and lands, we able to take them back again," Lt Gen Mahesh Senanayake told the crowd via a hesitant Tamil interpreter, prompting her to relay the ominous message. 

The Sri Lankan navy declared open several newly constructed buildings at its base inside the Kankesanthurai High Security Zone in Jaffna earlier this year.

Sri Lanka’s former defence secretary has lodged an official complaint with the National Police Commission, over a statement delivered at the UN Human Rights Council which implicated him in the disappearances of Tamils, reports The Island.

Sri Lanka's parliament began debating the no-confidence motion against the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe today, after it is presented to parliament by MP Dinesh Gunawardane. 

The SLFP has decided to abstain from voting on the motion, whilst the JVP has opted to vote in favour of it. 

The TNA, SLMC and ACMC said they would be voting against it. 

The Tamil National Alliance should capitalise on the leverage they hold in potentially defeating a no-confidence motion being brought against Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, and set Tamil political demands as condition for their support, Tamil civil society members have said.