The newly appointed Permanent Representatives for the United Nations in Sri Lanka, Hanaa Singer, met with Sri Lanka’s president, Maithripala Sirisena this week.

Singer, who was previously the UNICEF Syria Representative, will lead the United Nations Country Team of 22 Resident and Non-Resident UN Agencies, as well as act as the representative of the UN Secretary-General in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's Attorney General advised the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to file a case at the Court of Appeal against the UNP MP, Vijayakala Maheswaran, Adaderana reports.

Maheswaran was forced to resign her ministerial post after Sinhalese politicians objected to her call in July for a resurgence of the LTTE to control the violent crime in the North-East.

Last month the Attorney General told Sri Lanka's parliament that action would be taken and advised Speaker Karu Jayasuirya to examine whether action could be pursued against Maheswaran under current Standing Orders or if not, to let the House decide the procedure to take action against her.

Sri Lanka's leader of the House, Lakshman Kiriella told parliament that a draft of the new constitution would be presented soon, the Daily Mirror reported. 

“We will present a draft for the new Constitution soon and everyone will see the status which will be given to Buddhism,” Kiriella said in a response to a question by the Joint Opposition MP Udaya Gammanpila about the status given to Buddhism in the new constitution. 

The US senate confirmed Alaina Teplitz to be the next ambassador to Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Teplitz, the current US ambassador to Nepal, is reported to be a career diplomat and has been with the US State Department since 1991.

Earlier this year, she acknowledged that “the Tamil community is very concerned about progress made towards reconciliation, accountability, justice,” in her testimony to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

In the face of continued calls for demilitarisation of the North-East, the Sri Lankan army continued to intrude on civilian life in the region, by holding a course for schoolchildren in Trincomalee last week.

Sri Lankan naval troops stationed in Trincomalee are receiving more training from the United States, despite the military’s record of atrocities and continued human rights concerns.

Members from the US Pacific Command’s Counterdrug Task Force, Joint Interagency Task Force West (JIATF West), are currently holding a two-week course for Sri Lankan troops in Trincomalee where they will be taught on “interview techniques, drug recognition, use of force, drug testing, mission planning and search techniques,” according to a military website.

The Sri Lankan government continued to deny it has ever deployed cluster munitions, as it took over the presidency of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CMC) in Geneva this week.

Addressing the closing session of the Eighth Meeting of States Parties (8MSP) Ambassador A.L.A Azeez said Colombo had never used cluster munitions, despite evidence to the contrary.

Tamil farmers have requested the Karaiththuraipattu Divisional Secretariat to recover cattle that have become trapped during the acquistion of 617 acres by Vadduvakal navy.

The farmers, who rely on milk produce for their livelihood, have been campaigning for the release of their land for the past two years. However the navy has refused them entry, leaving the farmers in financial hardship. 

"While the navy holds our cattle, we are forced to buy milk for our children," one of the farmers told Tamil Guardian. 

Sri Lanka's Archaeology Department has blocked the development of the Aathy Iyanar temple in Vedukkunaari Malai, Nedunkeni-Olumadu in Vavuniya district. 

Residents had sought to worship and carry out building works on the temple on Vedukkunaari Malai ahead of the temple's annual festival from September 7 to 9. 

However, Department officials have informed Nedunkeni police that it would be prohibited and that residents could build a temple 400m away from the original site. 

Sri Lanka’s Office on Missing Persons (OMP) has released its interim report today.

In its interim relief proposals, the OMP called on the Sri Lankan government to “expedite and give highest priority to prosecutions and other ongoing cases involving enforced disappearances”.

The government should “ensure that state officials including members of the armed forces and police who are named as suspects or accused in criminal actions relating to abductions and enforced disappearances are suspended pending the final determination of such cases,” it added.