Galagoda Gnanasara, an extremist Sinhala Buddhist monk, has made the unfounded claim that “Wahhabi groups are infiltrating society on the issue of cremation or burial of Muslims who die due to coronavirus”.

The monk stated the allowing for proper burial was allowing “Muslim extremism” to grow and the government should not allow it.

Gnanasara serves as the general secretary for Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), An organisation accused of racially charged hate campaigns and is currently an MP.

Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) General Secretary and former Eastern Provincial Councillor, Poopalapillai Prasanthan, was arrested by Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officers on 12 November 2020, on alleged witness tampering charges.

Prasanth was arrested by Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officers at his residence due to a complaint made in 2019 for intimidating witnesses in a double murder case in Arayampathy, Kattankudy. Prasanth was also arrested by Kattankudy police in 2008 over the same Arayampathy double murder case but later bailed out. 

The vehicle of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Vanni MP Vino Noharathalingam was attacked by a group of allegedly intoxicated youths.

The MP was travelling from Mannar to Vavuniya when his vehicle was stopped and attacked the group in the Katpakapuram area in Vavuniya. The attack is reported to have caused considerable damage to the vehicle.

The attack was reported to the police.

A 6-year-old girl has died after falling into a newly cut toilet pit in the village of Panrikkeithakulam in Omanthai, Vavuniya. The victim was identified as Satyaseelan Saivini.

The girl was playing at home while her parents had gone out before she accidentally fell into the pit which was flooded with rainwater. With residents of the village lacking basic bathroom facilities, many are only able to dig pits to fulfil toilet functions.

Human remains were found in the Karippaddamurippu region in Mankulam, Mullaitivu last week.

The remains were found in a privately-owned paddy field, which had been subject to police surveillance after the field's owners discovered explosives while digging boundaries with hoes. The human remains were found on the third day of police inspecting and searching the area.

The Mullaitivu magistrate's judge visited the area to inspect the remains.

A 17-year-old from Thunukkai, Mullaitivu District was arrested in connection with an allegedly recovered locally made firearm in the district.

Mallavi police made the arrest during a raid conducted by the on Sunday evening. 

The police said that the youth was going to be produced in the Mullaitivu Magistrates’ court on Monday and that investigations  were ongoing. 

Within the past three weeks, Sri Lankan police have made several arrests across the North-East, with illegal weapons allegedly recovered across the province.

Almost 500 families have been affected by a shortage of drinking water across several villages in the Vavuniya District. 

After at least 120 pilot whales became beached at Panadura earlier this month, experts have suggested that a Sri Lankan military exercise in the Bay of Bengal may have lead to the mammals becoming disoriented and stranded.

Tributes have flooded in this week as yet another Tamil doctor passed away from coronavirus in the UK this week, as coronavirus infections rise across the country.

Dr Krishnan Subramanian, a Consultant Anaesthetist at Royal Derby Hospital, passed away on Thursday after contracting coronavirus. Dr Subramaniam joined the trust in 2014 as a Consultant Anaesthetist and was a well loved member of the medical team.

The Sri Lankan military announced the establishment of a new “Drone Regiment” this week, as it was deployed in parts of the island where the armed forces have been arresting those it claims have been breaking coronavirus lockdown regulations.

Shavendra Silva, the war crimes accused head of the army, was the chief guest at a military ceremony on Thursday where the newly acquired drones were showcased.