Responding to hostility from the Sinhala Buddhist population to the possible settlement of Rohingya refugees into Sri Lanka, the government on Thursday reiterated once again that it would not be issuing any resident visas or granting citizenship to Rohingya refugees. 

Sri Lanka's senior Buddhist clergy and a leading Buddhist organisation have opposed part of the interim report produced by the Constitutional Steering Committee, the Daily Mirror reported. 

The administration of the historic Thiruketheeswaram Kovil in Mannar have urged the Sri Lankan president not to participate in the opening of an illegally constructed Buddhist vihara in its environs.

The Northern Provincial Council has offered refuge and protection to Rohingya refugees currently being held in Boosa detention centre.

In a proposal brought by NPC member M. K. Sivajilingam on Thursday, the Council condemned the attack on the refugees by Buddhist extremists.

Sri Lanka's acting Inspector General of Police, C D Wickremaratne on Thursday ordered an investigation into the sinhala Buddhist monk led attack on Rohingya refugees in Mount Lavinia earlier this week. 

Sri Lanka's former chief justice, Sarath N Silva on Thursday filed a petition at the Supreme Court questioning the legality of the Provincial council elections bill. 

The bill was recently passed in parliament with a two thirds majority. 

The bill has been criticised by a number of local election monitors who said that there was insufficient consultation prior to the passage of the bill. 

Mullaitivu residents have demanded the removal of an army camp that surround schools in the district, citing concerns about the negative effects of militarisation on the area's young people.

Supporters of the general secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Vaiko lay seige to the Sri Lankan High Commission in Chennai on Wednesday, protesting against their leader being threatened by former Sri Lankan military personnel in Geneva.

Burning the Sri Lankan flag, MDMK supporters condemned New Delhi's silence over the alleged incident.  

Photograph: Daily Mirror

Sinhala Buddhist protestors gathered outside the UN office in Colombo on Wednesday, demanding the expulsion of Rohingya refugees from the island.

Sri Lankan Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera released a statement condemning an attack on Rohingya refugees in Colombo by Sinhala Buddhist monks, stating that the attackers were “a group of thugs in robes”.

His statement comes as Rajitha Senaratne, a Sri Lankan cabinet spokesman, branded the attackers “animals”, adding “this is not what the Buddha taught”.

Tamil schoolchildren from Vavuniya were taken on a tour of Palali airport by the Sri Lankan military last week.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) financed a project carried out by the Sri Lankan military to build health facilities in the Tamil North-East this month.

Sri Lanka has entered talks with two Chinese companies over proposals to invest US $3 billion to build a new refinery at the Chinese controlled Hambantota port, reports Reuters.

The UN Refugee Agency expressed alarm and concern at an attack against 31 Rohingya refugees in Sri Lanka by a Sinhala monk led mob. 

"The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is alarmed and concerned by yesterday's incident at a refugee shelter housing mostly women and children on the outskirts of Colombo," the UNHCR said in a statement on Wednesday.