The Tamil National Alliance MP MA Sumanthiran says the party has no allegiance to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and is not committed to their ideology, adding the TNA is not in favour of "terrorism".

Speaking to the Sunday Leader, Mr Sumanthiran said:

"[W]e do not have any allegiance to the LTTE nor are we committed to their ideology. We stand up for the rights of the Tamil people but we are not in favour of terrorism nor do we encourage it and everyone knows this."

Mr Sumanthiran also said there is no truth in rumours that the LTTE may return, saying the people are steadfast in not allowing "terrorism" to return.

"This is just an attempt by certain parties to create fear among the people. There is absolutely no truth in the claims that the LTTE is attempting to regroup. But even if there is such a move the people will not allow it or support it as it is they who have suffered the most during the war. Therefore the people are quite steadfast in not allowing such terrorism to begin again as they know that they will be the ones that are worst affected," he said.

The TNA, formed in 2001, officially backed the LTTE until 2009. Since the end of the armed conflict, the party leadership has offered contradicting views on its support for the organisation.

The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence has issued over 3,000 licenses to individuals to bear firearms in the country and training on the use of weaponry, reports the Sunday Leader.

“Politicians, security force personnel and leading businessmen” were amongst those who received the licenses, with around 200 of those people reportedly receiving training at the Special Task Force (STF) camp in Katukurunda.

A group of fishermen from Tamil Nadu were injured after attackers on board a fast craft vessel coming from the island of Sri Lanka, boarded their boats and assaulted them.

The Deccan Chronicle says that 5 attackers, alleged to be sea pirates from Sri Lanka, boarded the fishing vessels as they were fishing off the coast of Point Calimere on Friday night.

The fishermen were attacked with wooden logs, with two of them sustaining serious head injuries. The attackers then made off with the fishing catch and nets, as well as GPS equipment from the fishing boats.

Sri Lanka and Japan plan to formulate and sign a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries to enhance bilateral trade, reports Colombo Page.

Sri Lanka Japan Business Co-operation Committee said that it is preparing for a future Free Trade Agreement, during a meeting between in Colombo with the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Nabuhitho Hobo.

In a press release after the meeting, the committee said,

A report by the World Bank on South East Asia, noting structural barriers to competitiveness in Sri Lanka, predicted a decline in Sri Lanka's growth to 6.9 percent due to several factors including slowing down in the construction industry.

The report added that part of the decline in growth would  be due to previous growth being artificially propped up by consumption due to increased public sector wages.

China’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka met with the Commander of the Sri Lankan army to discuss increasing military ties between the two countries, reported the Sri Lankan army.

The Sri Lankan government has assured its commitment to implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), after Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka met with the head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) last week.

Sri Lankan minister Ajith Perera met with OPCW Director-General Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü at the organisation’s headquarters at The Hague, where they “discussed ways of further enhancing cooperation, ” said a press release.

The deputy foreign minister “assured the Director-General of Sri Lanka’s serious commitment and meaningful contributions to achieve the goals of the CWC,” whilst Mr Üzümcü “further expressed OPCW’s support and assistance towards the full and effective implementation of the CWC in the country”.

The State Finance Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution was unrealistic and India could not compel the government to implement it.

Speaking on Rupavahini TV, Mr Samarasinghe, who used to be former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s special envoy on human rights, said land and police powers should not be devolved to the provinces as stipulated in the amendment, highlighting that JR Jayawardene, the president at the time of the amendment, was strongly opposed to the devolution of those powers.

The minister accused India of pressuring the government in 1987 to accept the amendment, despite opposition by Sri Lanka, and said no Sri Lankan leader would give in to Indian pressure to accept its position which was “unfair and unacceptable”.