The former Sri Lankan president, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (CBK), has been appointed by prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to lead a special Presidential Task Force on Reconciliation (PTFR) to identify urgent reconciliatory needs of the Tamil community, reports Colombo Page.
 
Speaking from Temple Trees, Mr Wickremesinghe said that a “Secretariat on National Harmony” under the leadership of Kumaratunga had been declared open.
 

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it remains committed to their work in Sri Lanka and to providing assistance to vulnerable individuals, including detainees and families of missing persons.

The ICRC’s director of operations, Dominic Stillhart, who just returned from a visit to the island, said in an interview the organisation discussed a proposal to set up an independent process to clarify the fate of missing persons with the government, who received it “positively”.

“During the meetings in Sri Lanka, a proposal to set up an independent process to clarify the fate of missing persons was discussed and was positively received by government officials. This is a long-term effort that requires sustained political commitment,” Mr Stillhart said.

The Sri Lankan government has contradicted China’s foreign ministry, who quoted President Sirisena as saying the Port City project would resume.

A Chinese foreign ministry official said on Thursday, the visiting president had “promised” the controversial project would resume once problems are “sorted out”.

"He (Sirisena) stressed that what happened around the port city in Colombo is rather temporary, and he said the problem does not lie with the Chinese side and hopes to continue with the project after things are sorted out," said Liu Jianchao, assistant minister of foreign affairs, according to Reuters.

However Sri Lanka’s Deputy External Affairs Minister Ajith P. Perera on Friday dismissed the statement, saying the Port City project was not even a subject of discussion, reported the Daily Mirror.

US President Barack Obama on Friday announced his intent to nominate Atul Keshap to the post of Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Mr Keshap will take over the role previously held by Michelle Sison, who is now the deputy representative of the United States to the UN and the UN Security Council, and the representative of the US at the UN General Assembly.

The president’s nominee currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the Department of State, a position he has held since 2013, according to the White House.

 Sri Lanka’s new president’s recent release of military occupied land in Jaffna had already been signed off by the previous president Mahinda Rajapaksa, suggest reports.

Photograph: Tamil Guardian

The proposed 19th amendment to Sri Lanka’s constitution, aimed at reducing powers of the executive presidency, was met by opposition when table in parliament on Wednesday.

The leader of Sri Lanka’s opposition the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) said that some provisions in the amendment, tabled by prime minister Ranil Wickrememsinghe, needed approval of the people.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Global Tamil Forum (GTF) and Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) met with the Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop and department of foreign affairs and trade officials (DFAT) on Thursday, discussing ongoing Tamil concerns and the ground reality in the North-East.

“Good meeting with Tamil National Alliance MP Mr. Sumanthiran and Tamil Diaspora representatives on recent developments in Sri Lanka and support for reconciliation,” tweeted Ms Bishop following the meeting.