The Sri Lankan government has continued to build Buddhist statues in non-Buddhist areas in the North-East, despite objections from locals and leaving civil society with the perception of “Buddhist Sinhalese religious and cultural imperialism,” said the US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report for 2016.

“Non-Buddhist religious groups reported an increase in discriminatory restrictions imposed by local government officials on religious minorities,” stated the report which was released earlier today.

The Sri Lankan navy has arrested nine locals off the coast of Point Pedro accusing them of illegal fishing practices which destroy the fishing grounds. 

The men were arrested on Tuesday. Four fibre glass dinghies were also confiscated. 

"The unscrupulous method causes enormous destruction to fish breeding grounds and leads to the depletion of fish stocks substantially," the navy said. 

A video has emerged of Sri Lanka's police chief, Pujith Jayasundara assaulting two junior members of staff at the police headquarters. 

The footage, which was published Lanka-E-News, was captured on CCTV and shows Mr Jayasundara manhandling and making threatening gestures to the two men. The incident is believed to have taken place in April this year. 

Responding to the video, the police spokesperson, Ruwan Gunasekara said the police chief had been reprimanding the men for not obeying the police department's rules on morning meditation for Buddhists. 

Sri Lanka's army commander, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake has dismissed claims by the Inspector General Police that former LTTE cadres are responsible for the recent violent incidents in the North-East and asserted national security was not at risk.

Asked by The Sunday Island about the reports of 'LTTE re-emergence', he said, "You mentioned the word ‘LTTE’, I didn’t. I don’t like people saying ‘LTTE’ for every incident. My point is that it’s very easy to connect the LTTE whenever something happens, though it is far from the truth".

A woman at the forefront of the Mullaitivu families of the disappeared protest was assaulted by two men who also threatened her with death if she did not stop protesting, reports JDSLanka.

Mariyasuresh Easwary, one of the key figures of the Mullaitivu protest which passed 150 days recently, was approached near Theerthakarai cemetery in Mullaitivu, by two men on motorbikes while walking alone on Monday night.

A Tamil youth was arrested by Special Task Force troops in Jaffna for alleged links with the "Aava" criminal gang.

STF troops surrounded the home of the 21-year-old in Kokkuvil, arresting him in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The youth has been handed over to Jaffna police for further investigation.

Sri Lanka's Minister for Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen on Monday reassured local industries they would not be affected by the proposed Free Trade Agreement with china. 

"The FTA with China will be designed keeping the local industry concerns in mind," Mr Bathiudeen was quoted as saying by Colombo Gazette as saying. 

“We will not allow local industries and employment to be hit by any Free Trade Agreements,” he said, added that discussions would be held with local industry leaders before any FTA was signed. 

The Sri Lankan military has released 38 acres of private land in Kilinochchi back to the GA on Tuesday. 

The land in Karaichchi and Kandaavalai was illegally acquired by the military many years ago. 

Local officials are attempting to identify the rightful owners of the land, the Uthayan reports. 

Sri Lanka re-opened its customs office in the Northern Province this month, after 34 years of closure. 

The office was closed in 1983 due to the ethnic conflict. 

The opening ceremony at Kankasanthurai was attended by the Northern Province governor, Reginald Cooray, and the Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, reported the Daily Mirror. 

The chief Buddhist monk of the Asgiriya Chapter said Sri Lanka’s president had agreed there was no need for the island to have a new constitution, according to a report in the Daily Mirror.

Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana met with former Sri Lankan Minister and National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa and told him that Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena shared his views on a new constitution.