The Sri Lankan military have begun rebuilding a Buddhist vihara in Kankesanthurai this week at an event headed by Buddhist monks. 

Officials at the Divisional Secretariat (Pradesiya Sabai) have said that the rebuilding work is taking place without proper authorisation. 

Sri Lanka's ambassador to China, Karunasena Kodituwakku on Wednesday denied reports that the country was forced to accept loans from China.

"What I want to highlight here is that Sri Lanka asked for this project loan on our own. We were not forced to get this loan," Mr Kodituwakku said in an interview to the Global Times in Beijing. "In the case of Chinese finance for Hambantota, that came to Sri Lanka at the request of Sri Lanka."

Moody's Investor Service said Sri Lanka was among countries that would be most vulnerable to rising interest rates given its large debt burden and imminent debt repayments. 

China wants to rebuild house roads and houses in the North-East, Luo Chong from the embassy in Colombo was quoted by Reuters as saying. 

“Since the situation is different now, we are willing to have more projects in remote areas in the north and east with the support of the Sri Lankan government and from the Tamil communities,” he told Reuters.

China's project to build 40,000 houses in Jaffna district was halted earlier this year after locals protested, demanding brick houses instead of concrete structures. 

Sri Lanka's Joint Opposition this week called for the former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa to be allowed to contest for president once again despite the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which imposes a two term limit. 

"If the people wished to elect Mr Rajapaksa as the president again, the opportunity should be given, irrespective of the number of presidential terms," the JO MP Indika Anuruddha was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

Sri Lanka's Office of Missing Persons (OMP) claimed this week that about 20,000 are missing since 1983. 

The OMP, which has been deeply criticised by Tamil families of the disappeared for lacking independence and failing to take their views into consideration, is yet to formally finalise figures of missing persons. 

A court in Sri Lanka stated that two Buddhists monks lied and supressed evidence during the defence of BBS chief and fellow monk Galagodaaththe Gnanasara, who was sentenced for contempt of court earlier this year.

Whilst Gnanasara himself had admitted to using disparaging language at a Magistrate’s court hearing in January 2016, his colleagues Kirama Devinda and Pitigala Dhamma Veneetha insisted that he had not.

A ceremony to inaugurate the reconstruction of the Myliddy harbour was held on Wednesday with the Sri Lankan President attending as Chief Guest. Tamil politicians pointed out that the Tamil fishing communities and other residents of Myliddy remain displaced after 30 years.

A navy ship with over 900 US marines and navy sailors on board has docked in Trincomalee today, as the United States continues to expand military relations with Sri Lanka, despite ongoing concerns of human rights abuses.

The amphibious transport dock ‘USS Anchorage’ (LPD 23), with the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), is visiting as “part of a growing U.S.-Sri Lanka naval partnership,” said a US Embassy press release.

Alongside exercises with the Sri Lankan military, approximately 300 Sri Lankan naval academy midshipmen will tour USS Anchorage, the press release added.

Sri Lanka's Office of National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) has denied reports that three radio dramas it produced have been banned from being broadcast over allegations that they "insult Buddhism”.

According to reports in the Daily Mirror and The Island, the dramas, which were scheduled to be broadcast on Independent Television Network (ITN) Radio, had been censored. Media and Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera had earlier tweeted an article from the Daily Mirror entitled "Rethink ban on ONUR radio dramas: Mangala"

The ONUR has since stated on social  media that no such ban is in place and said there were "false allegations of insulting Buddhism".