A feasibility study is set to take place looking at an Indian government led project for a 50MW solar power plant in Trincomalee.

The governments of Sri Lanka and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in a host of development projects including a solar power plant in April this year.

Speaking to the Hindu Sri Lanka’s Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Sulakshana Jayawardena, said “ We have acquired the land to set up the 50MW solar plant envisaged in the MOU. We have to now work out the process of executing the project, in consultation with India. The next step would be to undertake a feasibility study and do the groundwork.”

Sri Lanka’s reform progress was “slower than expected,” warned the World Bank’s Sri Lanka Development Update (SLDU) report, published Thursday. 

Stressing that “Sri Lanka faces a number of challenges that increasingly put its future economic growth and stability at risk”, the report said "adopting a piece-meal solution to address the challenges is unlikely to be successful."

"A strong political will and support of the bureaucracy could help advancing the reform agenda. Steps are needed to ensure the support of private costs and benefits of the reform agenda.”

Sri Lanka’s Minister for Justice and the Buddha Sasana launched a scathing attack on Non-Governmental Organisations in Sri Lanka during an interview this week.

Agreeing with ongoing discussions on the need to regulate NGOs, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said,

“Most NGOs act with objectives seriously detrimental to the national interests. They have become a hindrance to national reconciliation and religious harmony.”

Mullaitivu locals were angered after an accident involving a military vehicle left two Tamil youths injured, last Saturday.

Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that the Prevention for Terrorism Act would not be repealed due to a changing global environment, adding that only amendments would be made.

Speaking to press Mr Rajapakshe said the situation in the country was different to when the discussions on repealing the PTA started. Stating that the countries that had started calls for repealing the PTA were tightening their own anti-terror legislation, he said,

Sri Lanka’s Minister of National Co-existence told Australian media that it was safe for people seeking asylum in other countries to return to Sri Lanka.

Speaking to the SBS Australian media outlet during a visit to the Australia, Mr Manoharan Ganeshan said “If anyone has broken any law, they may be questioned about it. But, they will not be taken to torture camps.”

His statements come as reports of torture in Sri Lanka continue to be documented well into Maithripala Sirisena’s governance.

Speaking to SBS, Dr Sam Pari, spokesperson of the Australian Tamil Congress, said,

Displaced people of Sampur told the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission that the Sri Lankan Navy’s ‘Vidura’ camp should be removed so that they can be resettled in their own lands.

A team from the commission led by Ambika Satkunananthan visited Trincomalee on the 15th and 16th June, holding discussions with civil society and political representatives and visiting the occupied lands in Sampur.

Women’s organisations in Trincomalee were joined on Tuesday by colleagues and supporters across the island in a protest condemning the vandalism and burglary of the Trincomalee Women’s Network office.

A group of asylum seekers have been deported from Australia to Colombo aboard a government-chartered flight on Monday, fuelling speculation that a boat was intercepted by Australian forces last week as it fled from Sri Lanka.

The Australian reports that the early morning flight saw approximately 20 people – thought to be asylum seekers – boarding the flight with guards accompanying them on to the plane.

Residents of Christmas Island reported seeing an Australian navy vessels towing a small boat to the shore last week. A spokesperson for Australia's Immigration Minister however declined to comment on whether there had been any interception of asylum seekers or not.

Sri Lanka will shut several diplomatic postings abroad including a series of missions in Europe announced Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday morning, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ravi Karunanayake said, "we will have to close down some missions as those have found to be of no use lately."

"The government has decided to go for commercial based diplomacy and link to the world through establishing commercial based diplomatic ties with various countries across the globe. We are not in a position to reveal the names of these diplomatic heads yet," he added.