2nd lead

A 17* year old boy has been reported missing in Jaffna, reports Uthayan.

The boy, Rasaratnam Jeevan from Kurunagar in Jaffna, has not been seen since October 24 when he left his home to go the play area.

His parents filed a complaint with Jaffna police on Monday, however, the police accused the boy of theft and said the boy had ran away during an arrest

Mahinda Rajapaksa is the “genuine” common candidate for Sri Lanka, said the general secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) reports the Island.lk.

Confirming that the BBS would not field a candidate for the presidential elections at a press conference held in Colombo, Gnanasera Thero, said,

“By any mean, it is not our duty to contest for the elections. Even in the history, it was monks who guided their successors to the throne. Likewise, we do the same.”

The British Tamil Conservatives (BTC) called for the UK to work towards developing "unhindered access" to the North-East of Sri Lanka, in a meeting with senior officials at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office last week.

The imminent need for a political solution to allow the Tamil diaspora to continue to support the North-East in light of further restrictive measures taken by the Sri Lankan state to isolate the North-East  from the diaspora and international community was brought up by the BTC in discussions.

The man arrested by Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) officers on October 24 in Kilinochchi for distributing evidence collection forms for the OHCHR Investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL), has been identified as a victim of war crimes.

Anonymous posters in Colombo have warned against rights activists seeking to commemorate enforced disappearances, calling such work, the work of "dollar crows".

The posters, with Sinhala writing, have been condemned by Colombo based rights organisations, as well as the Asian Human Rights Commission.

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.