The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) criticised what it described as "lots of talk but little progress in Sri Lanka over journalist murders' as the government commenced its 4th year in power. 

"Impunity for crimes against journalists remains a front-line issue in Sri Lanka; indeed, ending impunity was a promise of the government of President Maithripala Sirisena when he defeated Mahinda Rajapaksa in elections in 2015," CPJ's Asia program coordinator, Steven Butler wrote. 

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Sri Lanka's former foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera said the government was committed to delivering justice for the assassination of the former Sunday Leader editor, Lasantha Wickrematunga, as the family of the murdered journalist criticised the government's failure to bring the perpetrators to justice. 

In a statement marking the 9th anniversary of Mr Wickremetunga's death on January 8th, his brother, Lal, criticised the government for using the case as a "political tool" without delivering results. 

Sri Lanka's prime minister sought to allay criticism of the government's lack of progress on key issues in a special statement released today, marking the third anniversary of the unity government's election win. 

"on November 21, 2014 the President decided to join with the UNP to rid the country of nepotism, corruption and fraud to launch Sri Lanka to a position of economic and political stability while also regaining the tarnished image of Sri Lanka in the eyes of the international community," Mr Wickremesinghe was quoted by Ada Derana as saying. 

A former Sri Lankan navy spokesman has been granted bail after being held in remand custody over the abduction of 11 Tamil youth.

D.K.P. Dassanayake and five others were granted a cash bail of Rs.100,000 with three sureties of Rs.1 million each.

The group is suspected of involvement in the enforced disappearance and abduction of eleven Tamil youths that took place in 2008.

The Sri Lankan military announced that it held more Christmas events in churches across the North-East this year, as military involvement in civilian activities ramped up in the Tamil homeland during the festive period.

The head of Sri Lanka’s army has been accused of bearing responsibility for the alleged loss of military intelligence records regarding disappeared journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.  

Speaking to BBC Sinhala, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake said that it was not "practical" for military records on the abduction of the journalist to still have been kepy "if the military intelligence was intelligent".

"If someone is involved in this, if they are aware of an investigation, if it is the intelligence unit, aren't they intelligent?" he said.

His comments provoked sharp criticism, including from Sandya Ekneligoda, the wife of the disappeared cartoonist.

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary will be able to access a proposed new electronic identity card system without the need for any court orders, reports EconomyNext.

The new system, which is being challenged in Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court later this month, is reportedly being designed without any privacy laws in place.

EconomyNext reports fears over the security of data held by the government, reporting that there have been hacks in similar electronics citizens databases in India.

“Critics have said it lays the foundation for a 'big brother' police surveillance state,” it added.

A Tamil National Alliance candidate in the upcoming Local Government polls was allegedly assaulted by a supporter of the paramilitary group, EPDP, on Saturday. 

The assault took place as the victim, 67 year old Kasilingham Satkunathevan, was campaigning door to door with leaflets.

The EPDP supporter became angered that Mr Satkunathevan had come to his house to campaign, hitting him with a broom stick and an axe handle. 

Sri Lanka's police force is to increase security operations across the island ahead of the upcoming local government elections, the police spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekara was quoted by the Colombo Page as saying. 

The Inspector General of Police has "given instructions to seize illegal firearms, set up instant roadblocks covering all island wide police stations and intensify operations to arrest suspects on warrants", the paper reported. 

The police had to date received 54 complaints of election law violations, including damage to property and threat to persons. 

The deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu on Saturday told reporters he was confident that all the fishermen currently detained by Sri Lankan authorities would be released. 

Speaking to reporters in Rameswaram, a day after the chief minister sent a letter to Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, Mr O Panneerselvam said the state government would prevail on Delhi to take up the issue. 

A delegation of fishermen had presented a letter to the Tamil Nadu government asking them to ensure the speedy release of detained fishermen and their boats, The Hindu reported.