The Sri Lankan army's 57 division distributed school uniforms at a school in Kilinochchi on November 23.
Northern Provincial Council members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) called on Sri Lnaka to appoint a Tamil speaking Government Agent (GA) in Vavuniya. The Health Minister of the Northern Province, Dr P Sathiyalaingam said that the TNA had raised the issue with Prime Minister Ranil WIckremesinghe reports Colombo Gazette. Criticising the new government’s failure to appoint a Tamil GA Mr Sathiyalaingam said the Tamils expected reforms from the government and have failed to see progress on even simple issues.
The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka James Dauris said the UK would continue to promote the rule of law, good governance and democracy, calling them the “golden thread of conditions that drive prosperity all across the world”. Speaking at the National Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Awards Ceremony 2015, Mr Dauris said emerging countries such as Sri Lanka will be increasing important in driving global growth and that “putting in place the right policies and reforms will be essential to unlock their full potential for growth”.
Sri Lanka's plan to send 217 Tamil political detainees to rehabilitation prior to release has run into legal difficulties. The New Indian Express reported. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson M.A.Sumanthiran, said on the 17th of this month that the government would send the first batch of detainees for rehabilitation in ten days. But according to the Minister of National Dialogue Mano Ganeshan, there may be a delay on as some detainees have multiple cases against them and they would only be eligible for rehabilitation for one case, he explained. “We are discussing this issue with the Attorney General to find a way out. In a week or so, it may be sorted out,” Mr Ganeshan told Express on Tuesday. Spokesperson of the Tamil Civil Society Forum Kumaravadivel Guruparan said in a Facebook post that it may not be possible to send the detainees for rehabilitation as they are not “surrendees”. They were captured or arrested against their will, and as such, do not come under the law governing rehabilitation and release of LTTE cadres, which says that rehabilitation is open only to “surrendees”.
The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will be replaced with an act which would be appropriate to deal with contemporary global challenges, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said on Tuesday. The PTA was a law which specifically addressed local issues, he said. "In the current global context, we need to have a broader outlook. Hence the need for new laws that could combat terrorism both from a local and international perspective," the foreign minister further said. Responding to former foreign minister GL. Peiris’ warning against releasing Tamil political prisoners, Mr Samaraweera asked whether Mr Peiris wanted the suspects to be kept in prison permanently even if there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prosecute them.
Ambassador Samantha Power told Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena that the US looks forward to closer relations with Sri Lanka, as reforms progress and urged Sri Lanka to fulfil the terms of the UNHRC resolution swiftly. The ambassador "underscored that the United States looks forward, as reforms progress, to an ever-deepening bilateral relationship, to include stronger trade and investment linkages and enhanced military relations", a State Department press release said. She also commended Sirisena for Sri Lanka’s co-sponsorship of the Geneva resolution on justice and reconciliation, and urged the swift and credible fulfilment of its terms. She expressed her strong support for expanding efforts to restore normalcy to former conflict areas, account for missing persons, release political prisoners, and return families to their lands. "Ambassador Power encouraged President Sirisena to reform Sri Lanka’s security architecture to serve its national security needs without undermining human rights and the rule of law,
Several members of Sri Lanka's opposition have expressed their "serious" concern at the government move to partially lift a ban on Tamil diaspora organisations, claiming that the security of the island was now at risk. National Freedom Front leader and Colombo MP Wimal Weerawansa told Ceylon Today that "this is a very serious situation... which will pose a serious security threat to the country, which would also pave the way for separatism as well". The move "has compromised the security interests of the country," he added.
Marine police in the Indian district of Tamil Nadu registered a case against the Sri Lankan navy for allegedly attacking fishermen on November 21 with bottles, iron balls and stones. Mandapam marine police of the Coastal Security Group (CSG) registered the case under Section 427 - causing damage and Section 324 - voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons, The Hindu reported. The case was filed by a fisherman from Rameswaran, A Varghis who reportedly sustained head injuries during the attack on Saturday.
The former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday urged the Sri Lankan police to ensure the Tamil Eelam flag was not hoisted in the North ahead of Tamil national remembrance day (Maaveerar Naal) on November 27. “Some people in the South have forgotten the importance of this week. In the past Prabakaran marked heroes’ week by attacking the south or some village. If the people are allowed to raise the LTTE [Tamil Eelam] flag it will be a case where we are falling on our knees before the LTTE,” Mr Rajapaksa was quoted by Colombo Gazette as saying.
A Sri Lankan government minister stated that the government would be granted the European Union’s GSP+ trade concessions in June 2016. Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrema told parliament today that with the expected reinstatement of the concessions, the country would go on to gain many benefits.