Sri Lankan ministers today came out in support of Brigadier Priyanka Fernando, the country's Defence Attache to London who was filmed making a throat slitting gesture to Tamils protesting outside the Sri Lankan High Commission on Sunday, just days after his suspension was revoked by the Sri Lankan president. 

Sri Lanka's State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene praised Brigadier Fernando for giving what he described as the "right signal the pro-LTTE diaspora". 

“My preference is for Brigadier Fernando as he had given the right signal to pro LTTE Diaspora,” Mr Wijewardene was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

The Sri Lankan army commander on Wednesday rejected the possibility of an inquiry into the country's Defence Attache, Brigadier Priyanka Fernando, after he was filmed making a throat slitting gesture to Tamil protesters, claiming that he had only been explaining that the LTTE leader had been 'taken care of' by the military. 

"On the day of the incident the protesters who were carrying LTTE flags had shouted slogans against the Sri Lankan government and sung songs in praise of Prabhakaran," Commander Mahesh Senananayake said. 

The Sri Lankan military will be deployed to 155 “vulnerable points” during the upcoming local government elections with thousands of troops awaiting on standby, reports the Daily News.

Sri Lankan Military Spokesperson Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said 855 security personnel would be deployed from today onwards, though it is unclear where the “vulnerable” points are.

In addition to the hundreds of troops to be deployed, a further 6,200 would be kept “on standby” said the spokesperson “to respond to any situation as required”.

A Sri Lankan court has issued yet another remand to two Tamils accused of sharing a Facebook post with ‘LTTE symbols’.

BBC Sinhala reported that the two Tamil men, both residents of Ratnapura, were detained after a complaint was lodged with Sri Lanka’s Terrorist Investigation Department, after they shared posts on social media.

The two men are now to be further remanded until February 21. Bail was denied.

The Sri Lankan army has announced that yet another contingent of troops will leave on a United Nations peacekeeping mission later this month.

The British prime minister this week appointed the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sri Lanka, MP Jayawardena as a new trade envoy to Sri Lanka. 

The role would be 'to support and enhance the development of Britain's trade and investment with Sri Lanka', the government said in a statement. 

His appointment was welcomed by the UK High commissioner to Sri Lanka, James Dauris. 

Read more here.  
 

A road which runs through the large army cantonment in the Palaly area was reported to have opened to the public with much fanfare on Tuesday – however only two Sri Lanka Transport Board buses were permitted to travel, while access to civilian vehicles or pedestrians remains prohibited.

Sri Lanka's president reiterated his refusal to allow foreign judges into any inquiry examining human rights violations during the final stages of the armed conflict, whilst claiming that Sri Lanka had not been accused of committing international war crimes. 

"Sri Lanka has not been accused of committing any ‘international war crimes’ and reiterates that he will never allow the participation of foreign judges in the mechanism to investigate allegations of human rights violations," he told Derana 360° in an interview. 

The Metropolitan Police special branch is currently investigating the incident involving a Sri Lankan military officer gesturing a death threat to Tamils protesting in London, sources close to the UK government told the Tamil Guardian. 

"The Special Branch of the Metropolitan Police are interviewing complainants on an ongoing basis against Fernando with a view laying charges. If they succeed in laying charges ahead of Fernando's withdrawal, he faces the risk of being stripped of any diplomatic protection he has been afforded in the United Kingdom," the source, speaking on condition of anonymity said. 

The Sri Lankan army commander today rejected the calls for the military officer, filmed making a throat slitting gesture to Tamils protesting in London, to be suspended, stating "they could not remove officials merely because of a social media video". 

"He is back to work but there will be an inquiry," Lt Gen Mahesh Senanayake was quoted by Sri Lankan papers as saying. 

He went on to defend the military officer, Brigadier Priyanka Fernando, describing the then Colonol "as an officia who rendered an immense service as the commanding officer of the 11th Gemunu Watch to rescue villagers in Mullaitivu and elsewhere during the Wanni humanitarian operation."