Sri Lanka marked its 69th Independence Day on Saturday with a military parade in the capital as well as military-run events across the North-East. Tamils across the homeland held protests, despite Sri Lankan police seeking court orders to prevent demonstrations, rejecting celebrations of the day.

The Northern Provincial Council unanimously rejected the central government’s proposal to centralize decision-making regarding national economic policy through the Sustainable Development Strategies Bill.

The NPC believes that the bill infringes on the provinces’ rights – as it limits the powers under the 13^th Amendment of the constitution.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has said that the involvement of courts into the probe on Sri Lankan war crimes is not needed.

The UN Human Rights Chief expressed his concern at Sri Lanka’s slow progress on accountability when meeting the country’s prime minister.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, commented on his meeting with Prime Minister Wickremesinghe regarding human rights issues in Sri Lanka.

A lavish military parade was held in Colombo on Saturday morning, to mark Sri Lanka’s 69th Independence Day.

Thousands of Sri Lankan soldiers marched in the ceremony, which was watched over by senior government and military officials.

Tamils in the North-East have protested on Sri Lanka's 69th Independence Day, as a large security forces parade was held in Jaffna.

A Mannar court has ordered an injunction against demonstrations boycotting Sri Lanka’s Independence Day.

The injunction against protests was ordered by the court in order to prevent disruptions to the Mannar District Secretariat’s Independence Day celebrations.

Civil organisations in Mannar had planned a black flag vigil in Mannar town and urged all Tamils to boycott Sri Lankan Independence Day celebrations, calling instead for protests against ongoing issues faced by the Tamil people, including militarisation; the failure to account for the missing and disappeared; failure to return Tamil lands and ongoing land-grabs; and delays in negotiating a political settlement.

Mullaitivu villagers continued their sit-in protest for a fourth day, staying three nights outside an Sri Lankan air force camp.

A Sri Lankan government body has threatened that Tamils will not be given housing if they continue to protest against Sinhalisation. 

Last week Jaffna citizens and politicians condemned plans to build a permanent Sinhalese settlement in Naavatkuli.

The foundation stones for the scheme, which would see houses built for 50 Sinhalese families, was laid on Monday, alongside foundation stones for a Tamil settlement housing 200 families.

The British Tamils Forum (BTF), Swedish Tamils Forum (STF) and United States Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) called on the European Union to seek a briefing from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights before deciding on whether to reinstate trade concessions for Sri Lanka.

In a statement released on Wednesday the diaspora organisations said the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament must take the full four months provided to thoroughly evaluate Sri Lanka’s GSP+ application, after it was withdrawn in 2010 in response to persistent human rights abuses.