The Special Advisor on Prevention of Genocide to the Secretary General of the United Nations, has told a UN panel that it was not only the UN which failed the people of Sri Lanka, but also all its member states.

Adama Dieng was talking during a discussion chaired by Stanford Research Fellow Tunku Varadarajan, and was responding to a question about Article 99, which stipulates that the Secretary General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.

Also on the panel was Amady Ba, the Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, who said that the ICC was powerless as Sri Lanka was not a member.

The Sri Lankan Navy arrested over 300 Tamil Nadu fishermen on Wednesday reports Deccan Chronicle. Whilst over 200 were later released, reports suggest 100 remain in custody and have been taken to Trincomalee.

Issuing a statement on its website, the Sri Lankan Navy said it had arrested 110 fishermen and 15 trawlers, which it claimed were found fishing illegal in the East.

The Northern Province’s governor, Major General Chandrasiri, has warned the TNA to abide by the constitution and national policy of Sri Lanka, according to state-owned Daily News.

"Acting against the Constitution, the Tamil National Alliance has prepared budget proposals to initiate departments in the Northern Province at their inaugural budget. I made a note that they can only establish Authorities in the Province according to the Constitution,” he said.

"I had to tell them that they are expected to uphold the Constitution and the National Policy as the councillors. They have attempted to set up a department of housing and a department of transport. There are some administrative units and structures which require the approval of the President, the governor and the Chief Minister of the Province,

The Sri Lankan Army has stated that military training received from India has been ongoing for more than four decades and the continuation of the program was “nothing new”. 

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya told the Sunday Leader,

“India providing training opportunities for Army, Navy and Air Force personnel is nothing new”.

The European Union has called on Sri Lanka to allow visits to the island from UN special mandate holders, in a statement released to mark World Human Rights Day.

Welcoming visits to the island by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Envoy on Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, the statement urged to government of Sri Lanka to further grant outstanding requests for UN access, highlighting in particular the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.

The statement also noted that,

The Guardian, today, interviewed the private public relations and marketing known for working with the Sri Lankan government and many other regimes, Bell Pottinger.

When asked if Bell Pottinger was still working for the Sri Lankan government, the chairman, Tim Bell, said,