Almost ten years since the end of the armed conflict, the Sri Lankan military has approved the permanent appointment of nearly 39,000 Civil Security Department personnel in a ceremony this month, Colombo Page reports. 

The CSD orginates from the National Home Guard Service which was effectively a volunatary paramilitary organisation run by the Sri Lankan government in border villages to the North-East where locals were recruited to provide intelligence on Tamil armed resistance movements. 

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister announced that a major development plan is to be implemented in the Eastern Province, Colombo Page reports.

Speaking at the opening of a newly built divisional secretariat building in the Batticaloa district, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said steps were being taken to develop tourism in the East.

Three houses in Jaffna were attacked by an armed gang on Sunday afternoon.

Eight masked men on 4 motorbikes attacked houses on New Street and Ponnaiah Street in Arukal Madam and on Pirambadi Lane in Kokkuvil.

The men smashed up valuables in the houses and threatened the residents.

A motorbike at one of the houses was set on fire.

The Sri Lankan navy chased aware over 2000 Tamil Nadu fishermen on Sunday for allegedly fishing close to Katchatheevu, the PTI reported. 

The fishermen, travelling in over 300 boats, were chased away by navy personnel at around midnight. 

Fishing nets from fifty boats were snapped by the navy officers, the Tamil Nadu Mechanised Boats Fishermen Association president, P Sesuraja told PTI. 

Read more here. 

The Sri Lankan government has requested the army to jam signals to prevent students from using mobile phones and other devices when sitting A Levels exams in August. 

"The Army had the technology to jam signals in a limited area to prevent the use of mobile phones or other electronic devices during the exams," the examinations commissioner, General Sanath Pujitha told the Sunday Times. 

The army's spokesperson confirmed stating, "the Signals Corps had the technical capability to jam electronic devices and would provide whatever help necessary to conduct the examination."

Journalists and civil society activists were questioned by army officers on Sunday over news reports published on Saturday that army officers were seen to be collecting information from households and businesses in Mullaitivu district. 

Army officers demanded to know how news of their activities had reached the press. 

The latest army inquiries come as residents remain in fear over the collection of personal details from households and shops in Udayarkaddu, Suthanthirapuram, Kaiveli, Redbaana and Maanikkapuram. 

Soldiers also visited shops and businesses in the area seeking details of owners and employees. 

Sri Lanka’s president announced that five senior Brigadiers of the Army have been promoted to the rank of Major General, as part of a series of promotions issued last month.

The five senior Brigadiers are reported to have been active during the Sri Lankan military offensive which culminated in May 2009 and saw tens of thousands of Tamils massacred.

The Sri Lankan military announced that it had held a “Judo workshop” for Tamil students in Kilinochchi earlier this year, as it continues to expand its much criticised role in civilian activities in the North-East.

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is setting up a committee to investigate sexual harassment allegations within the ministry, Sri Lanka Guardian reports.

The website said the prevalence of sexual harassment especially against junior female staff was widely known but reporting abuses did not lead to accountability.

A Chavakachcheri trader was attacked with a sword on Friday.

A gang of men on 8 motorbikes forcefully entered a business in Kaithadi North and attacked the owner, while vandalising the shop and assaulting customers as well.

Although emergency services were called the attackers escaped before police came to the scene.

Chavakachcheri Police said they were investigating the incident.