Sri Lankan troops took part in a military exercise on Vaharai beach in Batticaloa this week.

Over 100 Sri Lankan Marines, 30 commandos and 30 Special Forces personnel took part in the exercise, which according to the Daily News was held to “amplify the operational readiness, in collaboration with allied forces, to withstand any form of threat posed by an enemy both from the sea and land”.

Several senior members of the Sri Lankan army have been summoned to appear before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Serious Acts of Fraud (PRECIFAC), over the theft of metal in Kankesanthurai in Jaffna.

PRECIFAC has called for Former Army Commander General Daya Ratnayake and other senior military members, including from the Defence Ministry, to appear before the commission on July 13.

The commission is investigating the theft of metal machinery parts from a cement factory in Kankesanthurai from 2012-2013.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe assured his parliament that any new constitution for the island will continue to grant Buddhism “first and foremost” place, pledging that amendments would not be implemented.
Responding to claims from the opposition that there have been attempts to scrap Article 9 of the Sri Lankan constitution – the clause that grants Buddhism primacy on the island – Mr Wickremesinghe said that the steering committee which he heads would not allow such a change to take place.

The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappdi K Palaniswami, wrote to the Indian premier, Narenda Modi on Friday, expressing his concern about Sri Lanka's new fishing legislation which bans bottom trawling. 

Describing the legislation, which was adopted on Thursday, as a “harsh step to undermine the diplomatic efforts”, Mr Palaniswami said it was “aimed at preventing our fishermen from exercising their traditional fishing rights in the fishing waters."

His letter is the latest in a long series of letters from chief ministers of Tamil Nadu to Delhi on the issue of fishing and the arrests of fishermen by Sri Lankan navy personnel. 

A former deputy chief justice of South Africa, Dikgang Moseneke met with officials from Sri Lanka's Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation this week to share his experiences of constitution making process. 

Highlighting the fact South Africa's constitution was not based on religion or ethnicity, Mr Moseneke said, "in our system everybody has right to be a Buddhist, be a Muslim, to belong to a Hindu religion or even no religion”.  

“Unity in diversity, mutual respect and co-existence”as important element for reconciliation," he added, the Sunday Times reported. 

Sri Lanka's Joint Opposition on Thursday threatened to quit the constitution-making process unless the government announces elections, the Daily Mirror reported. 

"There was no point in participating in the process as long as there was no elections in the country," Prof G L Peiris told the paper. 

Efforts to amend the constitution faced another set back this week after senior members of the Buddhist clergy said on Tuesday that they unanimously rejected the need for any change or amendment. 

The Leader of House, Lakshman Kiriella MP rejected media reports that the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance Bill had been taken back, stating that the bill would be debated in the future. 

The Daily Mirror reported that Mr Kiriella told parliament media reports that the Bill was taken back by the government was not true.

The bill has been criticised by the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa as well as senior members of the Buddhist clergy, who said the bill should be postponed in order to give parliamentarians more time to study it. 

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said his government would protect Sri Lankan soldiers and the “freedom earned for the country” by the military, in a speech at Temple Trees on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka’s president assured the Buddhist Maha Sangha that it will be consulted on the draft constitution.

A meeting between the Maha Sangha led by Maha Nayaka Thero was held at the President’s House in Kandy today, reports Adaderanal.lk.

The Buddhist monks also presented a list of proposal pertaining to the constitution to Mr Sirisena.

The meeting comes after several Buddhist institutions in Sri Lanka rejected the need for a new constitution.

The Sri Lankan navy on Thursday arrested eight fishermen from Tamil Nadu, The Hindu reported. 

The men, who were reportedly detained around the Neduntheevu area, have been taken to the Kankesanthurai naval base. 

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