Sri Lanka’s delegation to the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) deflected questions from UN experts regarding a member of the delegation’s knowledge of well-documented cases of torture by Sri Lanka’s armed forces and Terrorism Investigation Department (TID).

The Head of the Buddhist organisation Bodu Bala Sena has issued a one day ultimatum for the arrest of a Muslim leader, claiming that a blood bath will begin otherwise.

Speaking after the arrest of a Sinhalese man who threatened to bomb Muslims in Sri Lanka, Galagoda Gnanaara, said,

“The Sinhalese is getting attacked in the North, East and Colombo while some are being safeguarded. This is not fair.. We will sort this issue out with stones, poles and blood, because if this is what they want, then this is what they will get.”

The International Truth and Justice Project has submitted a memo to the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) implicating Sri Lanka’s former Deputy in Charge (DIG) of the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID)  Sisira Mendis, with responsibility in failing to prevent torture and hold perpetrators accountable.  

The report submitted whilst Sisira Mendis was present with Sri Lanka's delegation at the UNCAT review of Sri Lanka in Geneva on Tuesday, concluded,

The British Tamils Forum (BTF) and US Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) expressed their dismay at the presence of the former head of Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division, Sisira Mendis at the UN Committee Against Torture meeting in Geneva on Tuesday as a representative of Sri Lanka, and called for his arrest on the basis of universal jurisdiction. 

“His attendance in Geneva deeply disrespects Sri Lanka’s torture victims and mocks the esteemed work of the Committee Against Torture," the groups said in a joint statement. 

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS)  expressed their dismay at the presence of Sri Lanka's former head of the Terrorism Investigation Division at the UN Committee Against Torture meeting in Geneva on Tuesday.  

Sisira Mendis, who was in charge of the TID and the Criminal Investigation Department from March 2008 till June 2009, is accused of overseeing the routine use of torture and sexual violence against detainees. 

The Sri Lankan government reiterated that reconciliation was one of its priorities. 

“Reconciliation is not a box that can be ticked or a journey that can end as per a timeline. There are no magic portions to achieve what we set out to achieve,” the deputy foreign minister Harsha de Silva was quoted by LBO as saying at an event on transitional justice on November 9. 

“It requires hard work and constant striving, and a commitment towards which our nation should be bound across generations.”

A demonstration took place in Batticaloa on Tuesday calling for the arrest of a Buddhist monk who was captured on video shouting racist verbal abuse to a Tamil local government official. 

"You are a bloody tiger. My blood boils when I see you. You are a bloody dog. You are a Tamil Grama Sevaka," the monk, from Batticaloa Mangalaram, identified as Ampitiye Sumana said. 

(Photograph - @aroarun) 

Sri Lanka’s police arrested a Sinhalese man who threatened to bomb Muslims in Sri Lanka, following intervention from Parliamentarians who called for the arrest of the individual.

Inspector General Pujith Jayasundara, ordered for the police to take action against Dan Priyasad after receiving calls from parliamentarians over the lack of police action to address complaints by members of the public, reports Colombo Telegraph.  

The Sri Lankan government last week announced it would allow foreign citizens to buy property, lifting a ban imposed by the previous government in 2014. 

Arguing that foreign investment was much needed in the construction sector, the finance minister Ravi Karunanayake was quoted by AFP as saying, "to further incentivise such investment, we will remove freehold right restrictions from the ground floor." 

"I wish to lay emphasis on the fact that the government is committed to eliminate existing socio-economic gap between North and East with the rest of the country by 2020," he added. 

Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division has arrested 38 people over alleged links to 'Ava group' in Jaffna, the minister of law and order, Sagala Ratnayake was quoted by Adaderana as saying. 

Mr Ratnayake said a further 8 individuals are currently under investigation and the officers are seeking their arrest. 

The arrests have been severely criticised by families who argue they took place illegally.