The Sri Lankan government will pass a new law regarding non-governmental organisations by the end of the year, in response to NGOs rejecting a recent government letter, which restricted their activities, the Daily Mirror reported on Monday.

The new law will require NGOs to register with the National Secretariat for NGOs, which comes under the purview of the defence ministry headed by Gothabaya Rajapaksa.

The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka has announced that it is changing the colour of the burqa, a garment worn by some Muslim women around the world, from black to “simple pleasing pastel shades”, nearly a month after attacks on Muslims by Sinhala Buddhists in the south of the country.

Vice President of the MCSL, Hilmy Ahmed, said that they would hand out free burqas and claimed that this was not a knee-jerk reaction to the recent violence or threats by the Bodu Bala Sena against Muslim clothing, reported Ceylon Today.

"The dark garb has been heavily criticised by various quarters the world over and is even related to Wahhabism, but we too feel it is unnecessary, as the visibility of those who don it is very high on the streets and when interacting with people and when using public transport persons could be intimidated or targeted," he said.

A Sri Lankan government minister has accused the United States and the United Kingdom of attempting to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka and said that the leaders were pandering to the wishes of “LTTE supporters” in their countries.

Power and Energy Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said at an event on Monday that both President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron secured votes from supporters of the LTTE, according to the Colombo Gazette.

“There are some legislators who were elected in those countries through LTTE votes,” she claimed.

A network of Tamil civil society groups from the North-East called on the Pope to ensure his upcoming trip to the island includes a visit to the North-East in a letter on Sunday, urging the Pope to call on the Sri Lankan government to stop colonising Tamil land, account for the war-dead and disappeared, and ensure a political solution for the Tamil people.

Extracts from the letter by representatives of the Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF) are reproduced below.

See full letter here.

“In the post-war context the Government of Sri Lanka, despite invoking the rhetoric of ‘reconciliation’ has been engaged in acts that are designed to weaken the Tamil Nation. The heavy presence of the military in Tamil areas, appropriation of lands belonging to the Tamil people for use by the Sri Lankan Army, the settlement of Sinhalese in what are historically the traditional homeland of the Tamil people (the North & East of the island), the all perverse use of torture and violence in the everyday lives of the Tamil people, the denial of livelihood support for the war affected population are some examples of the real face of ‘reconciliation’ underway.”

“The recent incidents of violence against the Muslim community are an extension of this larger project to consolidate the Sinhala Buddhist nature of the Sri Lankan state. Both the GoSL’s conduct of the war and their handling of the post- war context, the Tamil people believe amounts to a structural genocide of the Tamil Nation.”

Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister GL Peiris has urged the Muslim community in Sri Lanka to desist from internationalising the issue, during a meeting with the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka.

Speaking on behalf of the government, the minister is said that the Aluthgama violence was unfortunate and “vested interests” are attempting to blow it out of proportion, Colombo Gazette reported.

Australia, the UK and the US have updated their travel advisories on Sri Lanka following the violence against Muslims which hit Aluthgama last month.

Australia called on tourists to “exercise a high degree of caution” due to the “unpredictable security environment” and warned that demonstrations and public gatherings may turn violent or become a target for politically-motivated violence.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommended tourists to avoid demonstrations and highlighted Aluthgama’s proximity to tourist resorts.

Two of Northern Provincial Councillor Ananthi Sasitharan’s family members were beaten and taken to Vaddukoddai police station on Sunday, Tamil Guardian has learnt.

Speaking to Tamil Guardian Sasitharan said that the two relatives were waiting outside her office when they were approached by a group of police men in civilian attire.

Following an exchange of words, the two were beaten with iron rods and taken to the police station to be arrested. No reason for the arrest was provided reiterated Sasitharan.