A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against a number of political parties that use the word “Tamil” in their names, claiming that it violates the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

Referring to parties such as the Tamil National Alliance and the Tamil United Liberation Front, the petition states that naming these parties using the word “Tamil”, means that establishing a separate state is within their aims.

Following a UN demining expert’s discovery this week of unexploded cluster munitions used by Sri Lankan forces during the island’s war, a medical worker has told Associated Press of seeing civilians' wounds caused by the outlawed weapons.

British High Commissioner John Rankin, speaking at the recently held Sri Lanka Apparel Sourcing Association AGM, said:

Minority Rights Groups International said in a statement it was very concerned about the recent attack on a mosque in Sri Lanka by a Singhalese mob.

The UK based human rights organisation pointed out that the latest incident has not occurred in isolation and highlighted several recent attacks non-Buddhist places-of-worship.

"In addressing all these issues, the human rights and humanitarian concerns, human lives should be given the first and foremost priority,"

“internationally condemned as one of the most atrocious acts perpetrated against humanitarian aid workers”.

Cluster bombs found in Mullaiththeevu, January 2009. Courtesy of TamilNet

The confirmation comes after a young boy was killed and his sister injured after trying to prise apart explosive device for scrap metal to sell.

Cluster munitions are packed with small “bomblets” that break up upon release, spreading over a large area. They often indiscriminately harm civilians, lying unexploded long after their initial deployment, leading to them coming under intense international scrutiny.

In an email on Tuesday written by Allan Poston, the technical adviser for the U.N. Development Program's mine action group in Sri Lanka, he states,

“After reviewing additional photographs from the investigation teams, I have determined that there are cluster sub-munitions in the area where the children were collecting scrap metal and in the house where the accident occurred. This is the first time that there has been confirmed unexploded sub-munitions found in Sri Lanka,"

"Cluster sub-munitions are extremely dangerous items of (unexploded ordnance) and can explode with the slightest movement or touch,"

Sri Lankan government spokesman Lakshman Hulugalla immiediately said the military had not used cluster munitions.

"We are denying that information," he said.

Two children were killed by a landmine blast in Pazhai, Jaffna on Wednesday.

Thamilkumaran Mukunthan, 4, and his 2 year old brother Thanujan were killed after playing with a unexploded ordnance found near their house.

One child died on the spot and the other died on the way to hospital.

The children and their family recently resettled in Pazhai after it was declared free of mines by the government.

A Sri Lankan army soldier attacked and attempted to rape a 16 year old Tamil girl in the Nedungeeni area of Mullaitheevu district on Monday, reports Tamilwin.

The incident took place at around 10:30am, when the girl's parents were at work and her younger sister, at school. The soldier, who has been deployed to that locality to conduct government registration, entered the house.