A protest march demanding swift justice for the rape and murder of schoolgirl Vithiya took place in Point Pedro on Wednesday.

Photographs: Tamil Guardian

Police had reportedly filed for the protest to be barred by the Point Pedro court, but the presiding judge refused to issue a ban on the grounds that it would be undemocratic.

Jaffna Press Club (JPC) has called on Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena, to ensure impartial inquiries are conducted into the murder and disappearance of Tamil journalists.

In a letter addressed to the President, JPC outlined that many, many Tamil journalists and media workers had been killed or gone missing , particularly in the last two decades.

Welcoming the President’s announcement to conduct an inquiry into the disappearance of Sinhalese cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda, JPC stressed the need for inquiries into the killings and disappearances of all journalists and media workers, particularly in the North-East.

JPC emphasised that any such inquiries should be carried out under the watch of impartial international media organisations.

Mr Sivananthan, who is currently held at the Morton Hall detention centre in Lincolnshire, is thought to have been tortured in Sri Lanka and held captive for 10 days by Sri Lankan police.

Over 100 MPs from the UPFA have signed a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, the general secretary of the SLFP, the party of which President Maithripala Sirisena is chair, also signed the motion, alongside opposition leader Nimal Siripala de Silva, general secretary of the UPFA, Susil Premajayantha and several other senior SLFP members.

The United States plans to “do a lot to support Sri Lanka” said the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary from the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, during an address made to the Washington International Business Council this week.

Richard E. Hoagland said that the Sri Lankan presidential elections which saw the defeat of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa had “brought about a sea-change in our relationship with Sri Lanka.”

“The new president has moved the country away from divisive politics and crony capitalism toward a new path of reconciliation and inclusive development,” said Mr Hoagland.

Sri Lanka’s deputy foreign minister Ajith Perera said that the country would be able to end the restrictions on the GSP+ trade benefits before the end of the year.

Sri Lanka's government has rejected a recent report by the Oakland Institute, which said a "silent war" through the military occupation of Tamil land in Sri Lanka continues to seek “Sinhalese domination in former Tamil homelands".

Deputy foreign affairs minister Ajith Perera said to media the government "strongly rejects" the report published last week.

The Long Shadow of War: Struggle for Justice in Post War Sri Lanka highlighted that at least 160,000 military Sinhalese soldiers remained in the Tamil North-East of Sri Lanka, with the military involved in processes that seized land from local populations and “systematically” suppressed Tamil culture and history.

Noting demographic changes in the eastern provinces, the report found that some areas had seen the Tamil population halve due to state actions.

The SLFP will support former president Mahinda Rajapaksa at the forthcoming parliamentary elections, according to the party's spokesperson Dilan Perera.

Mr Perera, who is also an MP for the UPFA coalition, said the party felt Mr Rajapaksa was popular and should be promoted so the election can be won.

“Today there is huge support for Mahinda Rajapaksa so we must market him at the polls,” he said.

More students have been arrested in Jaffna in connection with a series of protests over the rape and murder of a Tamil schoolgirl last month, as there continues to be a heavy Sri Lankan security presence in the region.

Latest reports suggest that a student from the Manippay Higher Secondary school was arrested on May 31st in connection with a protest outside the Jaffna court complex last month.

The Jaffna Crime Prevention Unit police said surveillance video and other footage was used to identify and apprehend the student. They further stated that he was in possession of illegal drugs at the time of arrest and provided information about other suspects they were searching for.

Meanwhile riot police continue to maintain a heavy presence in Jaffna with travel along a main road near the Jaffna court complex and A9 highway suspended.