Sri Lanka’s Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms has recommended international judges be involved in an accountability mechanism, after it released its long-awaited report on Tuesday. 

“The need for independence, capacity, competence and transparency underpins the call for international judges, prosecutors, investigators and other staff of the Judicial Mechanism,” said the executive summary of the report.

Two Sri Lankan soldiers have been arrested in Vavuniya for assaulting an auto driver while intoxicated.

The soldiers attacked the driver on Sunday evening after an argument, following their refusal to pay the agreed auto fare to Vavuniya bus station.

The driver was admitted to hospital following the attack. The soldiers were arrested and are being investigated by police.

The Sri Lankan Security Force Headquarters Kilinochchi (SFHQ-KLN) with the Thevampiddy Roman Catholic Church and Our Lady of the Rosary Church, organized Christmas Carol services on December 27th and 28th in Thevampiddy and Iranamathanagar.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s called for “the cooperation of all Sri Lankans in defeating agendas that are aimed at disrupting Sri Lanka’s success” in his New Year message this week.
“As economic activity increases under Good Governance towards making Sri Lanka a viable destination, the Government is focused on empowering the people while encouraging co-existence and harmony between all communities,” the message stated.

Professor R Sivachandran, a Central Committee member of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), told the Daily Mirror that only a system of devolutionary federalism would allow the fulfilment of Tamil aspirations in an interview this week.

Canada’s Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly praised the Tamil community in a message released to mark the country’s first ever Tamil Heritage Month celebrations.

“The Tamil-Canadian community is a shining example of how Canada is made stronger through its cultural diversity,” said Ms Joly. “The Tamil language is one of the oldest living languages in the world, and we are enriched by Tamil-Canadian contributions to every aspect of our society—arts and culture in particular.”

A former LTTE cadre and political party activist was found dead yesterday in Jaffna.

The body of 34-year-old Tharmasena Rishikaran, known as Iniyavan, was found hanging in the Chavakachcheri office of Crusaders for Democracy, the party for which he was the Thenmaradchi co-ordinator.

The death is being investigated as suspicious.

Sri Lanka's draft new constitution will be finalised this week when steering committee members meet on January 5th and 6th, said a member of the committee, Dr Jayampathy Wickramaratne. 

"If consensus is reached during the two-day meeting, the report is expected to be presented to the Constitutional Assembly, made up of all MPs, which will meet on January 9, 10 and 11, to debate the draft," he was quoted by the SundayTimes.lk as saying. 

The Northern Provincial Council last week moved to prohibit the sale of toddy produced in the South, the Daily Mirror reported. 

The motion, tabled by the Agriculture Minister, P Ainkaranesan who explained that toddy made and imported from other parts of the island was a threat to the North's toddy industry, was passed unanimously. 

On this day 11 years ago, five Tamil students were summarily executed by Sri Lanka's Special Task Force, whilst they spent an afternoon on the beach in Trincomalee.

Tamil churches across the North-East saw in the new year with special services.

Photo above: Yaazh Punitha Mariyaal (Our Lady of the Refuge)

Relatives of the disappeared held a protest  in Vavuniya on Friday, demanding justice for the thousands of missing and disappeared Tamils.

Sri Lanka and India are set to hold the third round of talks on the proposed Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) on January 4th and 5th in Colombo. 

Discussions have become increasingly difficult as both parties failed to agree on a good deal, reported the Colombo Page. 

Sinhala nationalists have also raised objections regarding any economic agreement with the Indian government, which they see as in breach of their sovereignty. 

Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has hit back at criticism from a parliamentarian, calling it an attempt to “erode the Sinhala Buddhist vote base of the United National Party (UNP)”.

Sri Lankan MP Atshu Marasinghe labelled Mr Rajapakshe a “NGO write-off” and spoke out at his meeting with “men in robes”.

Mr Rajapakshe responded by calling the comments disrespectful and an attempt to dig away at the UNP’s Sinhala Buddhist vote base.