Sri Lanka's State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene said that the government will never allow the LTTE to be commemorated, days before the annual Tamil remembrance day when those who died fighting for the movement are commemorated across the world.

Responding to a question about NPC Councillor Shivajilingam's recent statement about the right to commemorate Maaveerar Naal, Mr Wijewardene said,

"We cannot permit what Hon Sivajilingam has said. We will allow those who died during the war to be remembered. But we will never allow the LTTE to be commemorated."

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) realised concerns about the safety and security of the opposition leader R Sampanthan in parliament today.

Speaking in Parliament MP E Saravanabavan said the opposition leader had been given vehicles that were not secure enough and called on the government to take immediate action to address the concerns. 

In response, the Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayakee said that he will look in to the concerns raised by the MP, reprots Colombo Gazette.
 

Speaking at the Raviraj Memorial in Chavachcheri yesterday, TNA Spokesperson and MP, M.A. Sumanthiran, said that while the constitutional sub-committee reports don't have everything the Tamils asked for, if asked whether the Tamils got what they need from them, the only answer can be yes.

The UN Human Rights Committee has ruled the Sri Lankan government must "provide adequate compensation" to a Tamil man currently living in Canada, reported National Post. 

Mr Roy Samathanam filed a complaint with the Committee three years ago after he was accused of being a "Canadian Tiger" by the Sri Lankan security forces during a visit in 2007 to Sri Lanka and later imprisoned and tortured. 

“We are thrilled with the committee’s conclusions,” Matt Eisenbrandt, legal director of the CCIJ, told the National Post. 

A statue of the former Tamil MP and human rights lawyer, N Raviraj who was assassinated 10 years ago this month was unveiled in Chavakachcheri on Sunday. 

The official unveiling ceremony was attended by a number of Tamil politicians including the leader of the Tamil National Alliance, R Sampanthan, and other TNA MPs. 

The Sri Lankan president issued an order to the security forces and police chief to arrest all who incite racism, the Daily Mirror reported. 

The statement was made at a meeting at the president's official residence in Colombo this week. 

The justice minister, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe reportedly added that "steps had already been taken to draft the law and pointed out that even under the existing provisions of the Penal Code, inciters of racism were liable for one year imprisonment."

Hundreds of Sri Lankans joined Sinhala Buddhist monks in an anti-Muslim protest in Kandy on Saturday. 

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickrmesinghe assured the Constitutional Assembly that the clause on religion in Sri Lanka’s constitution would not be changed, reports Colombo Page.

Mr Wickermesinghe was speaking at the submission of the constitutional sub-committee reports to the Constitution Assembly on Saturday.

Sri Lanka’s current constitution places “foremost place” to Buddhism and pledges to “protect and foster the Buddha Sasana.”

Sri Lanka's justice minister on Friday told parliament that 32 Muslims had joined Islamic State in Syria. 

"All these [Muslims] are not from ordinary families. These people are from the families which are considered as well-educated and elite," Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. 

"There is a greater fear among the public about ISIS," he added. "If somebody tries to spread extremism in this country, we will not allow for that from today. The law of this country is no different to Buddhist monks or ordinary people."

Mr Rajapakshe's statement was condemned by the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka which said it was fuelled by racism. 

The International Monetary Fund on Friday announced it had completed its first review of the Extended Fund Facility granted to Sri Lanka, and would approve US $162.6 million disbursement. 

The three year program was approved in June, allowing US $1.45 billion.

"The government’s reform program, supported by the IMF, aims to reduce the fiscal deficit, rebuild foreign exchange reserves, and introduce a simpler, more equitable tax system to restore macroeconomic stability and promote inclusive growth," the IMF said in a statement.