The Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council boycotted the military parade that was held in Jaffna to mark Sri Lanka’s Independence Day and instead attended a protest held by Tamil villagers.

Tamil businesses in Mullaitivu shut their shopfronts on Saturday, in boycott of Sri Lankan Independence Day celebrations taking place in the town.

Sri Lanka marked its 69th Independence Day on Saturday with a military parade in the capital as well as military-run events across the North-East. Tamils across the homeland held protests, despite Sri Lankan police seeking court orders to prevent demonstrations, rejecting celebrations of the day.

The Northern Provincial Council unanimously rejected the central government’s proposal to centralize decision-making regarding national economic policy through the Sustainable Development Strategies Bill.

The NPC believes that the bill infringes on the provinces’ rights – as it limits the powers under the 13^th Amendment of the constitution.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has said that the involvement of courts into the probe on Sri Lankan war crimes is not needed.

The UN Human Rights Chief expressed his concern at Sri Lanka’s slow progress on accountability when meeting the country’s prime minister.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, commented on his meeting with Prime Minister Wickremesinghe regarding human rights issues in Sri Lanka.

A lavish military parade was held in Colombo on Saturday morning, to mark Sri Lanka’s 69th Independence Day.

Tamils in the North-East have protested on Sri Lanka's 69th Independence Day, as a large security forces parade was held in Jaffna.

A Mannar court has ordered an injunction against demonstrations boycotting Sri Lanka’s Independence Day.

The injunction against protests was ordered by the court in order to prevent disruptions to the Mannar District Secretariat’s Independence Day celebrations.

Mullaitivu villagers continued their sit-in protest for a fourth day, staying three nights outside an Sri Lankan air force camp.

A Sri Lankan government body has threatened that Tamils will not be given housing if they continue to protest against Sinhalisation. 

Last week Jaffna citizens and politicians condemned plans to build a permanent Sinhalese settlement in Naavatkuli.

The foundation stones for the scheme, which would see houses built for 50 Sinhalese families, was laid on Monday, alongside foundation stones for a Tamil settlement housing 200 families.

The British Tamils Forum (BTF), Swedish Tamils Forum (STF) and United States Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) called on the European Union to seek a briefing from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights before deciding on whether to reinstate trade concessions for Sri Lanka.

Residents of a Mullaitivu village continued to protest for a second day, having spent the night outside an air force camp, demanding the return of their lands.

Sri Lanka’s president stated that his government would “extend its highest respect to the security forces,” as he praised troops at a military ceremony on Monday.