Speaking at the opening of yet another triumphalist war memorial in the Tamil homeland, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa asked critics abroad to come and visit Sri Lanka and see for themselves the progress the country has made.

Reporters Without Borders and Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka have denounced an attack on a Tamil newspaper in Jaffna, just 10 days after the same paper’s office were attacked in Kilinochchi.

Both RSF and JDS said,

The Bodu Bala Sena has condemned the recent human rights report released by the FCO, for “baseless” allegations.

Objecting of the organisation name’s translation as ‘Buddhist Army’ in the report, the BBS said its name meant 'Forces of Buddhist Power' and “it is not an Army as specified by the UK.”

Three Commonwealth institutions of the legal profession made joint calls upon the Members of the Common wealth, through the upcoming Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to place Sri Lanka on the agenda of its next meeting on 26 April 2013, and suspend it from the Councils of Commonwealth for serious and persistent violations of the Commonwealth fundamental values.

Spokesperson for the Sri Lankan Army, Ruwan Wanigasooriya, has said that it would be impossible for the LTTE to spark another resistance, reports Uthayan.

According to Wanigasooriya, a revival of the liberation movement is unfeasible, although an armed movement could be formed with foreign assistance.

British Tamils Forum condemned the attack on the Tamil newspaper office, the Uthayan, in a statement released on Wednesday.

See here, reproduced in full below:

British Tamils Forum (BTF) condemns the recent attack on the Tamil news paper 'Uthayan' in Jaffna

Despite the heavy presence of security forces, a group of armed men have fired and then torched the printing machinery of the “Uthayan” newspaper.

The Sri Lankan police force has announced plans to track all foreign tourists in the country, as an apparent move to “ensure their safety”, according to officials on Monday.

The police force, under the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence headed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has instructed all hotels and guest houses to submit weekly reports of all foreigners staying with them.

Passports and visa details are to be handed over to the police, with spokesperson Buddhika Siriwardena saying,

Speaking to a visiting Indian parliamentary delegation, the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said that a separate system of governance for the North-East will never be a reality, reports the Island.

He reportedly added, 'the government wouldn’t discriminate against any community'.

Responding to a proposal by the US Secretary of State John Kerry for a 20% cut in US aid to Sri Lanka, a senior government official has asserted that the proposed cut will have no impact on the Sri Lankan economy, according to the government's official news portal - News.lk.

According to the news source, the official, who wished to remain anonymous also remarked: “Yes US is having its own problems to solve as it has to tackle the terrorism in its own soil”.