Twelve years have passed since 7 TRO workers were abducted by Sri Lankan government-backed paramilitaries in Batticaloa. The kidnappings, which took place on the January 29 - 30, 2006, are yet to lead to a prosecution. 

The paramilitary Karuna group was accused of abducting the aid workers before torturing and murdering them. 

Parents of Tamil political prisoners urged the Chief Minister of the Northern Province to push for their release and outlined their concerns about the treatment of the prisoners.

86 Tamils killed in the Kokkaddicholai massacre 31 years ago were remembered in Batticaloa on Sunday.

Sri Lanka's Human Rights Commission undertook a 10 hour investigation on Thursday over the chief minister of Uva province forcing the principal of Badulla Tamil Girl's School to kneel and apologise for not following through an order. 

The probe comes after widespread outrage at the incident with parents of students at the school and teachers' trade unions calling for the Uva chief minister, Chamara Sampath Dassanayake to be arrested. 

Executive Director of Human Rights Centre, Keerthi Tennakoon accused police and state officials of attempted to cover up the incident. 

Another retired Sri Lankan navy officer was arrested this month in relation to the enforced disappearance of 11 Tamil youths during 2008 - 2009. 

Luthuwahandige Thushara Mendis was arrested January 23 and remanded by Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court the following day. 

The CID alleged Mr Mendis was involved in the abduction of 8 Tamil youths who were transported to the Trincomalee naval base. He was also involved in the abduction of an individual named Ali Anver, whilst he served as the senior Master Chief Petty Officer in the Special Intelligence Unit lead by Lieutenant Commander Sumith Ranasinghe, the Daily News reports. 

Sri Lanka's election monitor, Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) warned that hate speech is only a prelude to physical violence, after increased hate speech campaigns against female candidates, especially female Muslim candidates. 

“The CaFFE has been calling for a mandatory quota for female candidates since its inception, and we were extremely jubilant of the new laws enforcing this mandate. If immediate action is not taken against these reactionary elements, these laws will have no impact and efforts by numerous groups, for decades, will be for naught,” CaFFE Executive Director Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said.

Human Rights Watch today criticised the Sri Lankan government's failure to enact pledges to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act, releasing a 46 page report on ongoing and past abuses of detainees under the legislation. 

“The Sri Lankan government has been all talk and no action on repealing the reviled PTA,” HRW's Asia director, Brad Adams said.  “Replacing this draconian counterterrorism law with one that meets international standards should be an urgent priority if the government is serious about protecting human rights.”

Chavakachcheri police are investigating an attack against TULF candidates and supporters in Jaffna on Friday.

Three people, including two candidates, out campaigning for the TULF were injured during the attack by unidentified individuals on a motorcycle and a pick-up truck.

A TNA local government candidate was arrested by Jaffna police on Friday in relation to an altercation at Pannai.

Mr Uthayasri, a candidate standing for election to the Jaffna Municipal Council was arrested with five others for his part in an altercation.

Mr Uthayasri had initially complained of being attacked at Pannai, following which four people were arrested.

After investigating the four arrested, Mr Uthayasri and one other individual was also arrested.

A former UN staffer described the crimes committed by the Sri Lankan army against the Tamil population as a genocide in an interview with PTI at the Jaipur Literature Festival in India this week. 

"It is very fair to say that the Army committed genocide. The atrocities in Sri Lanka were definitely towards ethnic cleansing," Benjamin Dix, who worked as a United Nations communication manager in the Vanni during 2004 - 2008, said. 

"The Sri Lankan Army does not believe that they committed atrocities. It is a propaganda that they liberated Tamils from the Tamil leadership. It was not a liberation, but destruction of the Tamil community,"