(Security Force Headquarters East)

The Sri Lankan military organised an awareness programme on traffic law to students of the Methodist Tamil School in Pothuvil earlier this week.

The lecture was delivered by a police officer from Pothuvil police station, and army officials and teachers of the school were also present.

The military's ongoing involvement in Tamil affairs almost 6 years after the end of the armed conflict has been widely condemned by Tamil politicians and activists, with numerous calls for the new president, Maithripala Sirisena to demilitarise the North-East.

 The Tamil struggle stands on its own and own arguments and does not need justification, said that a former anti-apartheid activist who works in on promoting justice, reconciliation and democracy around the world.

Speaking to Ceylon Today in an interview on Friday, Dr Ivor Jenkins, highlighting that Sri Lanka had a chance to find a solution to bring stability to the island, said,

“The Tamil ethnic question can indeed be resolved through talks and negotiations to everyone’s satisfaction.”

Sri Lanka’s state owned National Savings Bank (NSB) lost millions of rupees through investments in the Colombo Stock Exchange, said the government’s finance minister Ravi Karunanayake.

ColomboPage reported Mr Karunanayake telling reporters that investments by the NSB resulted in losses amounting to Rs.1.1 billion, after Rs.2.6 billion from bank funds were used to make investments.

An investigation is being launched into the matter added the minister.

Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force (STF) provided weapons training to a politician and 10 other businessmen, reports the Sunday Leader.

According to the paper, defence sources stated the training was provided after applications were submitted to obtain firearms.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa said the government will not be reviewing the country’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) until after 19th Amendment has been approved by parliament.

The Sunday Leader reported the minister as saying the government’s “full attention is now being given to passing the 19th Amendment” and matter such as the PTA will be taken up afterwards.

Three Indian nationals were arrested on Saturday for accused of violating their visas and engaging in trade illegally, reported the Daily Mirror.

The men, aged 24, 38 and 52, were arrested by the police in Kandy following a tip off by a member of the public, the paper said.

Sinhala Ravaya announced that it will be filing a petition in Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court against an announcement to allow the Sri Lankan national anthem to be sung in Tamil.

Sinhala Ravaya chairman, a Buddhist monk called Akmeemana Dayarathna, said Sri Lanka’s National Executive Council (NEC) cannot make such a decision as it is illegal under the constitution, and his organisation will file a petition in the Supreme Court next week.

Photograph: The Hindu

Fishermen in Rameswaram staged a demonstration in protest of the continuing arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen and the confiscation of their boats, The Hindu reported.

Members of all mechanised boats fishermen associations, raised slogans against the Sri Lankan navy for intimidating the Indian fishermen when they ventured into sea.

Fishermen leader P. Sesu Raja urged Delhi to press Sri Lanka to secure the release of boats and fishermen arrested after the third round of talks with their Lankan counterparts in Chennai on March 24.

US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Sri Lanka in the first week of May, according to news reports.

The State Department has not confirmed Secretary Kerry's visit yet, but the Ceylon Today, quoting "reliable government sources", says Sri Lanka's parliament will be dissolved for the elections only after Mr Kerry's visit, who was invited by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera during his trip to Washington in February.

If confirmed, John Kerry would be the highest-ranking US official to visit Sri Lanka in years.