Excavation continued at a construction site in Mannar yesterday after human bones were discovered earlier this month. 

The chief minister of the Northern province, C V Wigneswaran urged the Sri Lankan prime minister to ensure all land occupied by the military in the region is released. 

In a letter to Mr Wickremesinghe, who is currently visiting the province, Mr Wigneswaran said that land belonging to the people should be released to them and government land should be released to the Northern Provincial Council. 

Mr Wigneswaran also urged the prime minister to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and release all Tamil political prisoners. 

Sri Lanka’s former ambassador to the United States is due to be indicted over  money laundering charges, reports the Sunday Times.

Jaliya Wickramasuriya, who served as Sri Lanka’s ambassador in Washington from July 2008 to May 2014, is wanted by Sri Lanka’s Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) over the alleged misuse of government spending. It is alleged that there were irregularities in the purchase of a building to house the Sri Lankan in Washington DC.

He is also accused of accepting a US$ 332,000 “commission” during his tenure as ambassador, a transaction that US officials also spoke to him about.

The head of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) has been found guilty of threatening disappearances activist Sandhya Eknaligoda, by a Sri Lankan court last week.

Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera was guilty Ms Eknaligoda, the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, inside the Homagama court premises in January 2016.

The monk is now due to be sentenced on June 14.

The Sri Lankan army held a ‘Counter Insurgency Jungle Warfare Course’ for military officers from across Asia earlier this year, touring them across Jaffna.

The Sri Lankan military continued with its militarisation of the East, by opening a children’s park in Trincomalee earlier this year, despite calls from locals for the region to be demilitarised.
 

The Sri Lankan military stationed in Jaffna held a series of events on May18, where it commemorated what it termed “the capitulation of ruthless terrorism”, whilst Tamils across the world mourned the deaths of tens of thousands killed by security forces.

The Sri Lankan prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived in Jaffna yesterday and visited Rio's ice cream parlour surrounded by armed personnel. 

Students at the University of Jaffna held a demonstration in fron of the university today condemning the shooting of Tamil Nadu protesters in Thoothukudi last week. 

A regional journalist with the newspaper, Kaalai Kathir was attacked in Kolumputhurai by masked men on motorbikes carrying swords.

The attack took place around 4am this morning. 

Selvarajah Rajendram, a 56 year old father of three children, also works as the ciruclation manager for the paper, 

He has been taken to Jaffna Teaching Hospital for treatment of his injuries. 

The police are reportedly investigating the matter.