The European Union, Switzerland and Norway on Wednesday expressed concern about the recent restrictions placed on non-governmental organisations by Sri Lanka, a day after the government published a notice, banning NGOs from receiving foreign funds without prior approval from the finance ministry.

The notice, published in most national newspapers, was addressed to “All government agencies, local institutions, civil society organizations, and the general public” and demanded that “due diligence be observed on the utilisation of funds received from foreign funding agencies, INGOs and any other source”.

The joint statement by the Heads of Missions of the EU and the ambassadors of Switzerland and Norway, said that they “are very concerned about the recent efforts to restrict legitimate public activities of civil society and non-governmental organisations in Sri Lanka.”

The National Freedom Front, a key partner in the Rajapaksa-led UPFA coalition, has called the expansion of the Commission to Inquire into Disappearances to include foreign experts as a ‘mistake’, which could potentially put the president into ‘serious danger’.

NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa, in a letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, demanded that he immediately amend the gazette, which allowed for the international experts to be appointed, as it allowed “external forces to interfere with domestic issues”, Ceylon Today reported.

The minister charged that the entire International Criminal Court system is "biased" and that the three advisors appointed to the commission were 'puppets' of western imperialism, according to Asian Mirror.

The JHU, a partner in the ruling UPFA coalition has claimed the charge that Muslims were persecuted in Sri Lanka is a lie, reported Ceylon Today.

JHU leader Omalpe Sobitha was responding to the call by the Dalai Lama for Sri Lanka to stop persecuting Muslims, while speaking at an event commemorating a monk, organised by the Hela Bodhu Saviya (Sinhala Buddhist Strength).

Sobitha also lamented the fact that there was no Buddha Sasana Ministry to propagate Buddhism on the island.

The leader of the NDP, Canada’s main opposition party released a statement commemorating Black July.

Tom Mulcair said his party renewed its commitment “to defend the human rights of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka and press for accountability.”

See full statement below:

“Today, New Democrats’ thoughts are with the Tamil community in Canada and around the world as we commemorate Black July.

"We remember the hundreds of Tamils who were killed and the thousands who were displaced when their homes and businesses were destroyed in Sri Lanka from the violence that ensued from the pogroms targeting Tamils that began on July 23, 1983. The perpetrators and organizers of the violence have never been held accountable for their actions.

The surveying of 800 acres of land, for acquisition by the army, was stopped after protesters disrupted the process.

The land in Vetrilakeni, Jaffna, was going to be surveyed for the 533 Brigade of the Sri Lankan army, but the owners of the land, carrying their deeds, protested against it, together with elected representatives. 

TNA MP Sritharan, Northern Provincial Council minister Ayngaranesan and councillors Pasupathipillai and Paranjothi were present at the protest, alongside local residents and journalists.

The UNP accused the Sri Lankan government of pandering to the international community in performing an u-turn in regards to the domestic commission investigate missing people, and the recent appointment of international experts to provide advice to it.

The opposition party charged that the government previously maintained that the Sri Lankan Army did not commit war crimes and that now the UPFA government seemed to be concurring with the view of the international community that war crimes should be investigated, reported the Colombo Gazette.

The Sri Lankan navy arrested 38 fishermen from Tamil Nadu on Monday evening, according to the government news portal.

The navy said that the fishermen, on 8 fishing trawlers, were poaching “well within Sri Lankan waters”, when they were arrested in the seas off Delft and Thalaimannar.

The 11-year old girl, who was raped by navy personnel, said that the men kidnapped her during the day, raped her and released her in the afternoons for 11 days, TNA MP Saravanabhavan told media, after visiting the victim’s parents in Karainagar.

The MP said that the victim revealed that another 9 year old girl was also raped by the sailors, Ceylon Today reported.

Seven members of the navy were brought back to court on Monday, after being released on bail last week. The girl could not identify the attackers during the ID parade on Friday, as the police had brought in the wrong men to be identified in court, the MP charged.

Since the then the victim has identified the location of where the rapes took place to the police, the Uthayan reported.

Navy media spokesperson, Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya however rejected all allegations of navy personnel being involved in the rape and said it was a ploy, brought about by the TNA, to dislodge naval presence in the area.