The UN Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky will be visiting Sri Lanka next week, from 3 to 11 September. 

“My visit aims at collecting first-hand information and examine questions related to debt and other financial obligations from a human rights standpoint,” Mr Bohoslavsky said. “The purpose of the mission is to identify good practices, challenges and potential gaps to be addressed."

“An important objective of my visit is to study the effects of public debt and related polices on the full enjoyment of human rights.

The chairman of Karaichchi Divisional Council (Pradesiya Sabai) has been summoned by Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID). 

The chairman was previously detained for 13 months by the TID in 2013 with no reason given. 

The chairman was initially required to attend for the inquiry today, however the date was postponed to September 1st due to his poor health. 

Once again no reasons were given by the TID for the inquiry.

The body of a young Tamil woman was found in the Pannangkandi area of Kilinochchi this morning. 

Her body, lying face down, was found inside the Iranaimadu irrigation canal by locals, who alerted the police. 

A group of 15 prominent Buddhist organisations in Sri Lanka have thanked the Sri Lankan government for reportedly banning a book and radio drama for “insulting Buddhism” and called for more to be done to protect Buddhism.

“We consider it a constitutional obligation of the government to prevent the continuous insults on the Buddha, the distortion of the Dhamma and the belittling of the Buddhist cultural traditions by taking cover behind Democracy and Freedom of Expression prevailing in the country,” said the organisations in a letter to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.

The United States Coast Guard has officially handed over a high endurance cutter vessel to the Sri Lankan navy, making it the largest ship in the Sri Lankan fleet, despite ongoing human rights concerns. 

A former Sri Lankan navy commander, who was wanted over the abduction and murder of 11 Tamil youths as well as the assassination of Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj, has been remanded until the September 12^th by a court in Colombo today.

Former Navy Lieutenant Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi aka 'Navy Sampath' had skipped bail and was wanted by Sri Lankan authorities before he was finally arrested earlier this year. Sri Lanka's navy chief, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne reportedly gave Rs 500,000 in cash to help him evade arrest.

The Sri Lankan rupee closed at an all-time low of 161.30 per dollar on Tuesday, continuing its weak run as outflows from equities continued, reports Reuters.

The rupee declined 1 percent so far this month and 5.1 percent so far this year. 

The absence of dollar conversions by exporters and outflows from equities also pushed the rupee lower, economic analysts were quoted by Reuters as saying, with the issue further exacerbated by exporters keeping hold of dollars as they expect the rupee to decline even further.

A Tamil youth from Jaffna was reported missing by his mother on Monday.

18-year-old Saranraj, an employee at the Kalviyankadu petrol station and resident of Manaltharai Road, Kantharmadam, reportedly did not return home after attending the annual festival at Nallur temple on Sunday.

His mother filed a missing person report with Jaffna police on Monday.

Worshippers of a Jaffna temple currently under Sri Lankan Army occupation have requested the temple’s release.

The trustee board and local worshippers of the Nachimar Kovil in Nagarkovil, Vadamarachchi East, have requested the release of the temple which has been off limits for civilian use for 15 years.

Residents alleged that Sri Lankan troops disrespected the sanctity of the temple and its grounds, ignoring local sensitivities, by killing and consuming meat on its premises.

The Sri Lankan Army’s Jaffna Commander has backed a proposal to reopen a Sinhalese school in the district, which alumni and former staff claim will facilitate reconciliation and unity in the North.

A group of alumni and former staff of the Jaffna Sinhala Mahavidyalaya argued the case for reinstating the school’s operations at a meeting at the District Secretariat on Sunday.

The school operated from 1965 to 1989, when it was vacated due to the arrival of the Indian Army (IPKF). The Sri Lankan Army occupied the property ever since.