The head of the Sri Lankan navy has reassured India over concern it recently expressed over China’s influence in the country.

Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Jayantha Perera told ANI that there is no Chinese military presence on the island, and that Beijing’s interest in Sri Lanka was commercial.

“We have very good co-operation with India. We will never compromise on national security of India. India's security is our security. Not only Chinese, even the Russians and other countries also we have very good relationship, we are non-aligned country," he said.

"They are coming normally for operational goodwill visit... For your information there is no Chinese military presence.... the interest is very commercial."

A man has been arrested by Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) officers in Kilinochchi for distributing UN evidence collection forms for the OHCHR Investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL).

The man was handing out forms to local residents on Friday*, when officers detained him, reports the Jaffna based newspaper, Uthayan.

He has been taken to Vavuniya where he will undergo "further investigations", the TID officers said.

Up to seven Tamil Nadu students are reported to have been arrested over protests against the newly released film, 'Kaththi'.

The film, which is accused of having been funded by a company with links to the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, has seen protests and boycott calls.

According to the student group, Tamil Youth and Students Federation, the group's head coordinator, Pirabhakaran was arrested alongside Piratheep from the Matram Student and Youth Forum on October 23rd.

Sembiyan, one of the 8 Loyola College students who fasted in March 2013 calling for an international independent investigation into the genocide of Eelam Tamils sparking mass protests across the state, was also amongst those arrested.

The TYSF said the arrested students have been accused of burning down Sathyam theatre. The students deny being responsible for this.

The Indian President Pranab Mukherjee has released a stamp commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Sinhala nationalist leader Anagarika Dharmapala, who was a Buddhist revivalist and independence activist during colonial rule.

“The release of the commemorative postage stamp on Anagarika Dharmapala will contribute towards further strengthening the bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka and bring the two nations closer,” President Mukherjee said, according to The Sunday Times.

“This stamp release on one of the apostles of Buddhism, once again reminds us to work relentlessly and collectively to ensure an era of peace, stability and friendly bilateral and multilateral ties in order to create an enabling environment for the rapid socio-economic development of the people,” Mukherjee said.

“The relations between the two countries have withstood the test of time and socio-cultural exchanges for centuries have fostered further close cooperation in various fields. Both countries have much to learn and imbibe from each other in order to resolve various issues which are the legacies of a protracted period of colonial rule”, he added.

The president highlighted Dharmapala's key role in the history of Sinhala Buddhist nationalism.

The British High Commission in Colombo said the government is studying the recent EU judgement which annulled measures taken against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

According to The Sunday Leader, a high commission spokesperson said that the EU ruling does not affect the ban on the LTTE in the UK, under the Terrorism Act.

“This is separate from the EU provisions. But it is also important to note that the EU Court judgment is a legal decision on procedural grounds and not a political decision by the EU member states. The judgment did not involve any substantive assessment of the classification of the LTTE as a terrorist group,

"We, like others, are studying the judgment and appropriate next steps; and for the time being, the freeze on LTTE funds imposed by the EU has been maintained for another three months. In the UK, it is illegal to supply funds to the LTTE under our Terrorism Act 2000,” " the spokesperson said.

The leader of the MDMK, Vaiko, criticised the BJP led Indian government's policy on Sri Lanka, stating that it was affecting the Tamils adversely.

"Though the previous UPA discreetly helped Sri Lanka against Tamils, it later backtracked but the BJP government is openly aiding Colombo," Vaiko was quoted as saying by PTI.

Highlighting comments made by the BJP leader, Subramaniam Swamy, Vaiko condemned Swamy's call for Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa to be awarded India's highest civilian honour - Bharat Ratna.

The Sri Lankan government has asked Chinda for a "massive" loan from China to fund another project in Hambantota, reports the Sunday Times.

According to the paper, government officials were seeking a loan for an extension on the Southern Expressway, and China's EXIM bank has agreed.

See more here.

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