Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered the release of all Indian fishermen in a message on his Twitter account.

The tweet said that the president ordered the release of the fishermen in Sri Lankan custody “on the occasion of India’s Independence Day", coming up later this week.

93 fishermen, arrested for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters, are currently in prisons on the island, according to Colombo Page.

Meanwhile the Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka expressed his gratitude to the government for enabling the smooth implementation of Indian projects on the island and said India remained committed to assist Sri Lanka in its endeavours of rehabilitation, reconstruction and reconciliation.

The Bodu Bala Sena attempted to disrupt a pro-Palestinian protest, organised by Thowheed Jamath, in a Muslim-majority area of Colombo, reported Colombo Page.

"Fundamentally, this is a breach of the principle of no forced returns. That's a clear violation of international law."

“As Sri Lanka strives towards a peaceful future, the Government and the people of India remain committed to assist Sri Lanka in its endeavours of rehabilitation, reconstruction and reconciliation.”

Sri Lanka’s police have claimed that the injuries a Tamil student received in an attack at Sabaragamuwa University were self inflicted and said they would take action against him for making a false complaint, reported the Daily Mirror.

Santhirakumar Sutharshan, who originally hails from Muhamalai in the northeast of the island, was attacked earlier this month by masked men, leaving him with injuries requiring hospital treatment.

He was arrested on his return from hospital last week by Sri Lanka’s Terrorist Investigation Division. According to the police the student admitted that the injuries were self-inflicted.

An Indian human rights activist is to be included in the Sri Lankan government's disappearances commission, the NDTV reports.

Avdash Kaushal, leads an NGO names Rural litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), which focuses on the indigenous tribe of the Northern Himalayas.

Last month the government appointed three international experts to advise the commissions, just as the UN inquiry, OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL), into mass atrocities committed against the Tamil people was to begin.

This latest appointment comes days after the UN inquiry launched its call for witness submissions. See more here.

However, despite the appointments, President Rajapaksa has stressed that the international experts will not have any investigative power.

"There is a wealth of information outside of Sri Lanka which can be tapped into."

"The credibility of the report will depend on it reflecting proper standards of corroboration of evidence, whether the team is allowed into the country or not."

"Hardly anyone, apart from the Syrian and Democratic People's Republic of Korea governments, are questioning the credibility of these two inquiries, so I don't see why it should be any different in the case of Sri Lanka”.

"There have been no instances of violent protests targeting the US Embassy, its diplomats, officials or citizens, though claimed by the US State Department’s Security Message, that such incidents could occur."