Sri Lanka's paramilitary leader and former chief minister of the Eastern Province, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan has been indicted over the assassination of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Joseph Pararajasingham, the attorney general told the Supreme Court on Thursday. 

Mr Pararajasingham was shot dead by two gunmen in Batticaloa as he attended a Christmas mass on December 24, 2005. 

A trial has been scheduled for November 6th, 7th and 17th. 

Pillayan, who has been held on remand requested the Supreme Court to allow him to be released. 

Sri Lanka's finance minister Mangala Samaraweera rejected a statement by the former commander of the security forces in the Vanni, that those supporting the new constitution were traitors and should be killed, stating that 63 lakhs of people had voted in favour of a new constitution. 

Mullaitivu residents protested against landgrabs in Mullivaikkaal, forcing surveyors to turn back from the area.

A Sri Lankan Navy camp in Jaffna was searched by police on Thursday in connection with the murder of a Tamil man in Ariyalai last week.

24-year-old Don Bosco Rikman was shot in Ariyalai East on Sunday afternoon and later died from internal bleeding while receiving treatment at Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

After receiving an anonymous tip-off about the location of the vehicle used by the assailants, the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department secured a warrant to search the Gotabaya navy camp in Mandaithivu from Kayts magistrates court.

However police announced later that the search had produced no evidence and that investigations continue.

A Tamil political prisoner has been acquitted after a decade of detention and repeated attempts at conviction by the Sri Lankan state.

Kanagarathnam Jeevaratnam was acquitted of charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act by the Colombo High Court on Thursday morning.

Mr Jeevaratnam was abducted by Karuna’s paramilitary group in Trincomalee on 23rd June 2007 and handed over to Sri Lankan police.

After questioning by the Terrorism Investigation Department, police filed charges under the PTA at Trincomalee Court.

Navy personnel from India and Sri Lanka embarked on the second phase of a joint exercise on Thursday to map Sri Lanka's maritime boundary. 

The first phase was completed in May 2016. The current phase is expected to be completed by December 21, the media coordinator for the Sri Lankan navy, Commander Lankanatha Dissanayake was quoted by Adaderana as saying. 

Sri Lanka's minister of Megapolis and Western Province Development Champika Ranawaka said that 50% of land reclamation for the Port City project, 134.5 of a proprosed 269 hectares was now complete. 

"All land reclamation and preparation in the first stage will be completed by 2019," Mr Ranawaka was quoted by the Colombo Page as saying. 

"Once completed the City will function as a separately governed entity with its own economic and commercial laws to facilitate operations of global multinational corporations." 

Five fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on Thursday for allegedly entering Sri Lankan waters and using illegal fishing nets, PTI reported. 

The arrest comes despite renewed efforts by both governments to resolve the issue of ongoing arrests by the Sri Lankan navy, with talks held earlier this month. 

The men were taken to Kangesanthurai port. 
 

The Sri Lankan government must quicken the pace of reform in the country, the chair of the British All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils has said following the official country visit of UN Special Rapporteur Pablo de Greiff.

Paul Scully MP expressed disappointment in the insufficient progress made on transitional justice and also expressed concern about unresolved land disputes, the Prevention of Terrorism Act and harassment of activists.

Mr Scully also urged for independent monitoring and demilitarisation of the North-East in a statement on Thursday, as well as stating that the Office for Missing Persons required better resourcing.

Mullaitivu landowners have said they intend to legally challenge the Sri Lankan government's planned landgrabs in Mullivaikkaal.

A gazette notification issued in August declared that 617 acres of privately-owned land in Mullivaikkaal would be appropriated for the use of the Gotabaya navy camp.

Since being informed whether they were affected by the Maritimepattu Divisional Secretariat, owners of the land have insisted they will not allow their properties to be forcibly appropriated.

Northern Provincial Council representative for Mullaitivu, T. Ravikaran said the NPC and Chief Minister would support the residents in their campaign to keep their lands.