The Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prisons Reforms plans to advertise for two hangmen, to execute upto 800 inmates on death row.

Desanayake, the Ministry's secretary, explained,

"There are two vacancies for the hangman position after one person who held the position got a promotion, and the other retired,"

"We are planing to advertise the vacancy calling for applications by next week as we cannot keep the position vacant."

"At least 800 people convicted of murder and drugs offences could potentially be executed" 

The president must sign off on any judicial execution.

The last execution occurred in 1976, following which death sentences were invariably commuted to life imprisonment.

Amidst increasing international criticism of Sri Lanka and allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Tamils, the country's Deputy Minister of External Affairs, Neomal Perara, has been dispatched to Central and South America on a very important mission. 

“ministers have made it clear to the Sri Lankan government that if the LLRC does turn out to be a whitewash and finds no real culpability at the top, you can be absolutely sure we will push hard for a formal UN report.”

However in August, when Tamils in Jaffna angered by police providing sanctuary to ‘grease devils’ – night prowlers who attack women – fleeing after being identified, the response

Cairn Lanka has discovered a natural gas field off the coast of Mannar in the Northern Province, the first time that deposits have been found on the island.

President Mahinda Rajapakse was reportedly “elated” at the news, and said,

Speaking at the AmCham's (American Chamber of Commerce) annual general meeting on Sri Lanka's economic outlook, US ambassador to Sri Lanka, Patricia Butenis urged 'full political reconciliation', stressing the need for economic development and political reconciliation to go 'hand in hand', and highlighting the unquestionable 'reservoir of skills and financial resources' of the Diaspora.

See full speech here.

Extracts reproduced below:

"I think that most would agree that in Sri Lanka economic development and political reconciliation must go hand in hand."

"I think about what more could be achieved with full political reconciliation, where every Sri Lankan feels that they have a full stake in the country and where potential foreign investors have confidence in the continued political stability of the country. The overseas Diaspora has a tremendous reservoir of skills and financial resources that could contribute so much to rebuilding Sri Lanka."

"It is not just the money, it’s also the people.  Their skills and overseas connections are just as important, and they can help propel Sri Lanka to the new level of development we all want." 

Parents of the 1800 alleged LTTE members, detained without charge by the Sri Lankan government and supposedly released last Friday, have informed BBC Tamil service, that they are yet to be united with their loved ones.

According to the report, none of the 1800 detainees have been given permission by Sri Lankan authorities to go back to their parent's homes.

Britain’s main opposition Labour Party has unequivocally called for an international commission to be set up to investigate the allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka.

Speaking at a 'Tamils for Labour' event on the sidelines of the Labour Party conference last week, Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander said the party's entire front bench was united on the view that Sri Lanka’s own inquiry, the LLRC, is not capable of holding an independent inquiry.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was served a US court summons on Friday, under the US Torture Victim's Protection Act for extrajudicial killings - a civil suit.

The case was brought by three plaintiffs who allege that Rajapaksa held command responsibility for extrajudicial killings of Ragihar Manoharan, the son of plaintiff Dr. Kasippillai Manoharan; of Premas Anandarajah, a humanitarian aid worker for Action Against Hunger and the husband of plaintiff Kalaiselvi Lavan and four members of the Tevarajah family, all relatives of plaintiff Jeyakumar Aiyathurai.

Rajapaksa has so far evaded a accepting a legal summons, by simply refusing or instructing his government officials, including the Minister for Justice, to refuse any official summons.

In an unprecedented attempt to overcome this obstacle, US constituitional lawyer, Bruce Fein, has issued the summons via over 100 media outlets in Sri Lanka, social networking sites and the internet - so that it becomes impossible for Rajapaksa to plead ignorance of the summons issued for him.

At the same time as issuing the summons, Fein, filed a motion in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, requesting Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to authorise the novel method by which it has been issued.