India's prime minister Narendra Modi called for increased economic and developmental connectivity with Sri Lanka whilst on a two day visit to the island. 

"I believe we are at a moment of great opportunity in our ties with Sri Lanka. An opportunity to achieve a quantum jump in our partnership across different fields. And, for us, the most relevant benchmark for the success of our friendship is your progress and success," said Mr Modi speaking as the chief guest for Vesak Day celebrations in Colombo. 

A demonstration took place in Pungudutivu on Thursday, with dozens of Tamils protesting against a move to transfer the case of the rape and murder of a Tamil schoolgirl to a court in Colombo, in front of three Sinhala speaking judges.

Mullivaikkaal remembrance week commenced on Friday with a vigil held at Chemmani, Jaffna.

Militarisation is the primary cause of Mullaitivu’s deprivation, Northern Provincial Councillor T. Ravikaran has said.

Identified as the poorest district on the island, Ravikaran said ongoing occupation of Mullaitivu’s land and sea by the tri-forces is the main reason poverty persists.

The councillor said that without demilitarisation and returning lands and coastal areas to civilians, any poverty eradication schemes would be pointless.

Mr Ravikaran referred to a proposed poverty eradication programme for which the Sri Lankan president is planning to visit Mullaitivu on May 18th.

The Northern Provincial Council has called for the reconstruction of the Palaly airport into a regional airport.

Passing a resolution at its 92nd sitting, the council voted unanimously in favour of developing the airport into one with regional international flights.

The resolution however stipulated that the airport development should be carried out without any land grabs of Tamil civilian properties.

Calls for redevelopment of the Kankesanthurai port were also included in the resolution.

The council called for Indian government involvement in the development activities.

Jaffna-based think-tank, the Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research, today released a brief examining whether there was a path forward for addressing the issue of disappearances and the Office of Missing Persons (OMP). 

The brief notes that families of the disappeared having been roadside in protest for over two months now are completely disillusioned with the current government, and are demanding urgent and immediate action. ACPR finds that before a discussion about the OMP can be had, the government must address pressing demands of the families, including releasing a list of surrendees/detainees from the end of the war. 

The people of Marichukatty suspended their protest against a gazette notification, which declared their lands as nature reserve, after 44 days of protest on Monday evening.

The residents of the Muslim village in Mannar agreed to suspend the protest after their political representatives, including ministers Rishad Bathiudeen and Faiszer Musthapha, stated an understanding had been reached in talks with President Sirisena to find ways to fairly amend the gazette notification.

The villagers were told they would receive a permanent solution after talks with the President’s Secretary on Saturday.

Families of the disappeared in Kilinochchi continued their protest for the 80th day, to a backdrop of Wesak celebrations by Sri Lankan soldiers in the area.

Civil society groups slammed the Sri Lankan cabinet’s approval of the new Counter Terrorism Act (CTA) last week, stating that it has failed to meet full compliance with international standards and “leaves the door open for future abuse”.

The newly passed act builds on the “draconian” Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1978, which "has been used by successive Sri Lankan governments to quash dissent and penalize resistance", said the Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research, the International Truth and Justice Project , People for Equality and Relief in Lanka, Sri Lanka Campaign and the Tamil Civil Society Forum in a statement last week.

Sri Lankan military forces based in Jaffna held ‘war heroes day’ in Palaly today.