Civil officials in the Amparai district have stated that over 3,500 families have been driven from their land, with over 12000 acres of land being seized from the Tamil population, reported TamilNet on Sunday.

Since 2007, over 20 Saiva temples have been destroyed, with suspected backing by Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) commandos.

The Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa instructed the army to remain alert of groups working to "destabilise" the country reported Xinhua.

Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said,

The secretary of the Patriotic National Movement of Sri Lanka (PNM), condemned the resumption of India-Sri Lanka talks on CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) and stressed it should not be signed.

Warning that the CEPA agreement would pave the way for "mighty India" to exploit the Sri Lankan market, PNM stressed that 'businessmen and intellectuals' should be "vigilant".

The UNP councillor for the Southern Province, Krishantha Pushpakumara was arrested for obstructing police officers in the Akmeemana region.

Sri Lankan police have arrested a total of five local government politicians within 24 hours - two on charges of assault, including a health minister that assaulted a doctor.

A provincial health minister, Sunil Kithisiri Amaratunga, was arrested on charges of assaulting a community health specialist - Dr Sapumal Danapala, reported the spokesperson of Kandy police force.

Doctors in the area have also accused him of verbally threatening the Health Services Director, Dr Shanthi Samarasinghe.

“I do not know when the study would be completed, but I don’t think the SLAF would utilize the entire facility and purchase 14 helicopters.”

The Sri Lankan navy has established two further naval bases in the northern part of Vanni, reports the Jaffna newspaper Uthayan.

The two bases have been built on the site of former LTTE naval bases.

The Sri Lankan Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Somathilaka Thisanayaka opened the sites on Wednesday.

Visiting the island of Sri Lanka, India's Commerce minister, Anand Sharma, said that India hoped to invest in ports, and the exploration of oil and gas.

Following India's pledge to establish an economic zone in Trincomalee district, Sharma said,

Sri Lanka’s failure to seek justice for the slaying of 17 aid workers in Trincomalee indicates the government’s intrinsic unwillingness to prosecute its security forces for atrocities, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said in a report marking the 6th anniversary of the killings.