“Secretary Defence thanked the Maha Sanga for safeguarding Buddhism and Buddhists and the immense support given by the Maha Sangha to the tri forces personnel and government leaders.”

"These types of religious activities show the rise of the Buddhist people".

Whilst also in Kilinochchi, Rajapaksa declared open a renovated Hindu Kovil, greeted by schoolchildren singing the national anthem, decreed to be sung only in Sinhalese almost 2 years ago.

Rajapaksa at Hindu kovil in Kilinochchi, raising the Sri Lankan flag at the entrance.

Rajapaksa also unveiled a plaque at the entrance of the kovil, above which flies the Sri Lankan flag. It is written entirely in English.

The plaque at the vihara however, was written in Sinhala only.

See both plaques below.

After 2012 had the highest ever allocation for the Defence and Urban Development Ministry, Sri Lanka has once again planned to increase the amount of money allocated to the defence budget.

Last week, the cabinet approved the 2013 Appropriation Bill, estimating government expenditure at Rs 2.52 trillion (£12 billion).

A Sunday Leader journalist, Nirmala Kannangara, and photographer were stopped from entering the Suriyapuram camp in Nanthikadal by army officers last week.

The journalist and photographer were also threatened to not write anything detrimental about the army officers.

The Sunday Leader team was met with hostility, with one of the officers warning the journalist to “mind her business.”

Tamil Nadu fishermen were attacked by Sri Lankan Navy personnel, reports NDTV.

The fishermen who were fishing around the Katchtheevu area on Sunday, were pelted with stones and had their fishing nets broken by the Navy crew.

See related articles:

Madras High Court urges protection of fishermen (25 Sep 2012)

Another attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen by Lankan Navy (07 Sep 2012)

Tamil Nadu fishermen fear reprisal attacks from SL Navy (06 Sep 2012) and our TG Comment here.

8 more fishermen attacked by SL Navy (19 Aug 2012)

"This is especially prudent in the context of the economic crisis that is sweeping Europe at present and is likely to lead to a slowdown in tourism from Europe,"

The residents of Dambulla - a land claimed to be of sacred value to the sinhala Buddhists - have received written notice, asking them to vacate by the end of next month, reports Colombo Page.

According a board member from Dambulla mosque, which has been targeted by Buddhist monks on several occasions, the Urban Development Authority has written to 52 houses and 23 shops, who are apparently living in land that falls under the Sacred Area Development Act.

They have been instructed to move within two weeks, and told they can move to land on Kandalama Road.

"Starting a Dhamma School in Jaffna will create the proper path to reawaken Buddhism in the North."

The Attorney General’s Department has issued no correspondence regarding investigations into an assault on Uthayan’s editor, reported the newspaper. The editor, G Kuganathan was left severely injured when he was attacked in July 2011.

Questions were raised regarding inquiries into the assault at an annual press meet held at Jaffna’s Police Headquarters.

Regional Superintendent Srikuganesan in response to the questions said:

Jaffna’s Military Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe has declared that the Army is in Jaffna to protect citizens and not to seize their lands or money.

Hathurusinghe claims that since the end of the war in 2009, the army has improved its rapport with the people of Jaffna by providing security as well as various developmental services.

Uthayan reports the Commander as saying in a rather puzzling statement: