The Sri Lankan Ambassador at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva has said that his country was prepared to share the country’s experience in humanitarian work.

Ravinatha Aryasinha said post-conflict approaches used by Sri Lanka could be deployed in managing humanitarian situations in other countries as well.

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"There have been unfortunate mistakes made by the Tamils [against Muslims]. The Tamils have unreservedly apologized for those mistakes. We are keen to make sure they are never repeated."

"My party however refuses to speak on behalf of the Muslim people. They don’t like us to speak for them, as if we have a common identity. I think the Tamils must respect their feeling and accept whatever identity they choose for themselves.

We are committed to working out a framework for the North-East that the Muslims and Tamils will feel mutually comfortable and secure with. I have no doubts that such an arrangement can be arrived at."

"The 13th amendment purports to provide devolution within the unitary framework structure of the Sri Lankan State. The term “unitary” has very specific legal connotations under constitutional law.

All legislative and executive powers are vested in one power centre in a unitary state. In other words, the unitary state structure cannot provide for devolution of power.

The 13th amendment only provides the mirage of devolution.

Sri Lanka’s Election Secretariat has announced that three international organisations will be invited to observe the Provincial Council polls.

The Commonwealth, South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be asked by the government to monitor the elections for the Northern, Central and North-Western Provincial Councils.

It is yet unclear whether all three organisations will monitor all provinces.

The Australian Prime minister Kevin Rudd has announced that all new asylum seekers who arrive by boat will not be allowed to stay in the country and sent to Papua New Guinea for processing and settlement, effectively closing Australia’s borders to refugees.

Papua New Guinea will receive generous aid packages in return.

"From now on, any asylum-seeker who arrives in Australia by boat will have no chance of being settled in Australia as a refugee," Rudd said.

A European Parliamentary Delegation, expressed concern over the Sri Lankan military's economic activities in the North, during a visit to the Northern province this week.  

Jean Lambert, head of the Delegation for Relations with Countries of South Asia, comprised six members from the European Parliament, said:

Commenting on the TNA's choice for chief minister candidate in the Northern Provincial, former Supreme Court judge, C.V. Wigneswaran, the Economic Development Deputy Minister S.M.Chandrasena, called for Wigneswaran's forming judgments to be examined. 

Chandrasena said,

"Former High Court Judge P B Warawewa is also expected to contest the Central Provincial Council Elections from the United National Party (UNP)."

The Sri Lankan army is planning to create business ventures to make profit, according to Army Commander Jagath Jeyasuriya.

The commander told the DailyMirror that the army business could bid for government tenders and said the army was involved in almost all available services and professions.