Speaking at a meeting with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce’s Council for Business with Britain (CBB), James Dauris, said,

“With the opening of business opportunities in Sri Lanka, several UK companies have shown keenness to invest here in the country in future.”

Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry on Thursday confirmed it met with representatives of the Global Tamil Forum and the TNA in London last weekend, Ceylon Today.

Speaking to reporters, ministry spokesperson Mahishini Colonne said the government was following recommendations made by the LLRC in engaging with anyone, including the Tamil diaspora.

The government under President Maithripala Sirisena is pro-separatist and is too lenient on Northern Province Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran, according to the leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaiya, Udaya Gammanpila.

Mr Gammanpila, who is also a councillor in the Western Provincial Council, said the removal of the security forces form the North would be "a green light" for the return of the LTTE.

He said "the government's continuing silence has encouraged Wigneswaran to make such a demand in the North. In 1990 the Sri Lankan troops were withdrawn from the North, and the LTTE immediately occupied the area."

"Wigneswaran's demand to remove the military from the North was anticipated. There are some who are urging the international community to ensure the successive genocide of the Tamils. When Tamil National Alliance's Sivajilingam brought the resolution calling for an international probe into alleged human rights violations, it was Wigneswaran who cautioned him. Yet, Wigneswaran has the guts to make such a statement now. Our pro-separatist government cannot do anything about it. There is a secret agenda to tolerate them," he said.

The UNP said on Tuesday that Buddhists will vote for the party, contrary to claims by the Mahinda Rajapaksa faction of the SLFP.

Speaking to media, Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said the SLFP faction was campaigning around the country, saying they will win the popular Buddhist vote.

A Buddha statue is being erected on Thalladi Main Street in Mannar.

Construction work is being carried out to build the Buddha statue in front of Thalladi army camp. The soldiers were previously reported to have decorated the Main Street to celebrate the Buddhist festival of Poson.

Selvam Adaikalanathan, an MP for Vanni district, said that the sudden commencement of the construction was a means of inciting racial tensions.

Tamil asylum seekers on the boat (Photos SMH)

The Australian government is alleged to have paid thousands of dollars to people smugglers on a boat carrying asylum seekers, who were then returned to Indonesia, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Wendesday.

The boat carried 65 people, including Tamils and people from Burma fleeing persecution.

Indonesian police chief Mr Hidayat, said six crew members, who were arrested when they arrived at Rote, said they had been given $US5000 each by Australian officials.

Australia’s Immigration Minister Peter Dutton denied the allegations and refused to comment further, citing the government's policy of not commenting on "on-water matters".

A letter to the New Zealand government signed by the asylum seekers says Australian officials paid the six crew members at least $A7000 each.

Anti-apartheid activist and former South African judge, Albie Sachs, attended a special discussion on truth, reconciliation and justice in Jaffna on Tuesday.

Meeting with civil society activists, Mr Sachs said that the end of the war had not given rise to humanity, self-esteem or dignity and that the crucial need for freedom in the war-affected areas had not been fulfilled.

Sharing experiences from his own country, Mr Sachs said that for reconciliation to come about in South Africa, the perpetrators themselves came forward and admitted their crimes, but no such thing had happened in Sri Lanka.

Tamil civil society activists maintained that despite a change in regime, victims were no closer to justice.

Member of Parliament Paul Murphy hosted the event with the attendance of Irish MPs, the film’s director Callum Macrae, exiled journalist Bashana Abeywardena and investigative reporter on Sri Lanka Phil Miller.

TNA MP S Sritharan said the increase in the pedalling of drugs to youths in the North was part of a "genocidal agenda", while speaking at the launch of an anti-narcotic campaign in Kilinochchi, Ceylon Today reported.