Sri Lanka is seeking to revoke the lease to an Indian company of a petroleum storage tank complex in Trincomalee, President Mahinda Rajapaksa stated in Parliament on Friday.

In a speech addressing parliament, Rajapaksa is quoted as saying,

"Our oil storage tanks located in Trincomalee were privatized. We are currently having talks to take them back (under state control)".

As 2013 winds to a close, Sri Lanka's politicians relax and unwind at a special dinner, courtesy of the Speaker, Chamal Rajapaksa at his residence.

Guests included the opposition leader, Ranil Wickramasinge of the UNP...

The Sri Lankan Navy has been engaging in further landgrabs in Pattikuda in the eastern Pulmoddai region, reports Tamilwin.

A sign was erected on the land, belonging to local residents, declaring it to belong to the navy. Residents were forced out, with their huts, fences and crops destroyed.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has slammed the Indian government over reports that the Indian Coast Guard is participating in military exercises with the Sri Lankan Navy.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday, Jayalalithaa said,

“I am totally dismayed to note from media reports that the Indian Coast Guard is participating in a marine defence exercise and has deputed ships, officers and men to Trincomalee, to participate in this exercise which is reported to be commencing there on 21st December, 2013.”

“This is in complete and callous disregard of the strong views and emotions of the people of Tamil Nadu clearly and unambiguously conveyed in my earlier letters to the Prime Minister, through Assembly resolutions and through protests, agitations and demonstrations by the people of Tamil Nadu.”

“The Government of India has still chosen to ride rough shod over the groundswell of emotions in Tamil Nadu and has persisted with its policy stance towards Sri Lanka.”

Two human skeletons were found in the Manthai area of Thirukketheeswaram reported Tamilwin on Friday. (See here for report on Colombo Page).

The remains were found when a workers at a water supply department, attempted to set up an under the surface, water supply pipe.

The police were informed, and have said the surrounding areas are to be excavated, to look for any further remains buried nearby.

The British Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Hugo Swire, during proceedings at the House of Commons on Tuesday, outlined that any investigation that Sri Lanka were to commence, must be accepted by the international community in order to be deemed credible.

Responding to questions on UK involvement in ensuring an appropriate resolution was passed at the UNHRC in March 2014, Swire highlighted that the UK was regularly engaging with other countries on Sri Lanka, including discussions on the content.

Swire added,

"The Prime Minister has said that the UK would use its place on the UN Human Rights Council to call for an international investigation if there has been no progress. An assessment will be made at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2014."

"We regularly discuss Sri Lanka, including accountability, with a range of other EU, Commonwealth and international partners. In those discussions we are exploring options, including the content of a UNHRC Resolution, ahead of the March session. It is too soon to define what any international investigation might consist of."

"We have made clear that any investigation must be internationally accepted to be considered credible."

Speaking at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York yesterday, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson stated there was a “systematic failure” in Sri Lanka, as a new action plan to prevent genocide and human rights abuses was launched.

Eliasson was speaking at the launch of “Rights Up Front”, a follow up report to the Internal Review Panel on UN Action in Sri Lanka, which concluded there was a “grave failure” on the part of the United Nations, and acknowledged that up to 70,000 Tamil civilians could have been killed.

The Sri Lankan Navy Commander, Jayanath Colombage, dismissed criticism by Tamil Nadu politicians over the arrest and detention of Tamil Nadu fishermen, by saying, "we are only protecting ourselves".

Speaking at the Marine Conservation Conference, he said,

“The only deterrent for poaching we came across so far is arresting and we are doing it, of course Mr. Karunanidhi came up with the statement that Sri Lanka Navy trying to make the Bay of Bengal into an open air prison!"

Sinhala and Tamil civil society figures condemned the on-going detention of 7 Tamil youth under terrorism laws and called for an immediate halt to the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Raveendran Kajeepan (21), Alfred Piratheepan (30), Murukaiya Ashokkumar (35) and Nageswarasri Yarsan (22) from Jaffna, were arrested along with three other youth from Mannar in a separate incident, by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) between 25th and 27th November 2013.