Almost 100 civil society leaders have signed a memo to the Tamil National Alliance urging them to reject the provincial council system and the demerging of the North and East, as they prepare to contest in the upcoming Eastern Provincial Council Elections.

The statement, signed by student activists, academics, religious leaders, trade union leaders and professionals amongst many more from across the North-East, noted that,

Sri Lanka’s Attorney General has dismissed claims that sexual abuse of children in Sri Lanka was on the rise, suggesting that the majority of cases were consensual relationships between teenagers.

Attorney General Palitha Fernando, who is Sri Lankan government's chief legal advisor and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court, told Lakbima News,

Ten Indian boats fishing near Katchatheevu were attacked by Sri Lankan navy with stones and logs early this morning.

Fishing officials said the Lankan navy cut the fishing nets in the boats and threw them into the sea. No fishermen were reported injured in the assault.

These ten boats were part of a fleet of 696 boats which set off into sea from Dhanushkodi last night.

Speaking at the International Cuban Solidarity Day held in Colombo, the minister for housing and construction, Wimal Weerawansa said, 

“The country which is the most insecure in this world is US. They live with an insecure mentality. That is why the American police have imprisoned five Cuban patriots while labelling them as terrorists when those people have done nothing wrong.”

TNA MP and TELO political coordinator, Sivajalingam, was arrested and detained by the Sri Lankan Army on Thursday for remembering the massacre of political prisoners at Welikade prison during the 1983 pogrom, reported TamilNet. 

Posters had been put up remembering the 54 Tamil prisoners that were killed by their Sinhala inmates, including TELO leaders, Kuddimani and Thangathurai. 

The Sri Lankan Navy has called on Australia to deport asylum seekers back to the island, following the deportation of Dayan Anthony, the first Tamil asylum seeker to be sent back to Sri Lanka since the end of 2009 massacre.

Speaking to The Australian, head of Sri Lankan Naval intelligence Nishantha Ulugetenne said,

"When you start deporting, then this problem will ease for us,"

Erik Solheim has discussed planned assassinations and attacks on him during his visit to Sri Lanka in May 2000, with Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.

He confirmed with Aftenposten that intelligence police had briefed him about assassination plans, with the tip coming from Norwegians with access to information on radical groups in Sri Lanka.

Solheim told the newspaper,

“We assumed that the threat came from Sinhalese extremists.”

Paramilitary operatives are reportedly intimidating and threatening voters in the district of Batticaloa, TamilNet reported.

Voters have been threatened that they will be driven out of the area if they are found to be voting for the TNA (Tamil National Alliance) party at the forthcoming election to the eastern provincial council.

The first Tamil asylum seeker to be deported from Australia since the end of the 2009 massacre, Dayan Anthony, has withdrawn all claims of torture and mistreatment by Sri Lankan authorities , immediately after being released from 16 hours of interrogation in Sri Lankan police custody.

Mr Anthony was released from Sri Lankan police custody and was presented at a media conference, warning of the ‘dangers’ of getting involved with people smugglers.

Follow TamilGuardian on twitter for live updates. Published 17:57 (BST)