The Sri Lankan government has hired yet another lobby firm based in the United States, reports the Sunday Times.

The firm, Sandler, Travis and Rosenberg (ST&R), has reportedly been hired with the blessings of Sri Lanka’s Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrema to “educate officials on a non-existent peace process, increase economic ties and market access”. The firm is charging a monthly fee of US$ 30,000.

The Sri Lankan army has denied reports that it will be closing down camps in the Eastern province.

Hiru News reported the Ministry of Defence as stating “there is no truth” to a report that 64 camps were set to be withdrawn from the Eastern province. It went on to label such reports as “misinformation” adding that there would be no reduction in the number of camps in in Trincomalee, Amparai and Batticaloa.

Camps are to been maintained “as part of a holistic plan to ensure national security” it said.

Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa criticised his predecessor Chandrika Kumaratunga this week, rubbishing her claim that “75%” of the war against the LTTE had been completed under her government.

"The aristocrats can make all sorts of claims, but the people of this country know the truth,” said Mr Rajapaksa. “They are the best judges."

Ms Kumaratunga made the comments in 2014, when she questioned “How can one deny it?”

Despite widespread criticism over Sri Lanka's historic lack of judicial process over state crimes committed against the Tamil people, the prime minister on THursday defended the country's legal system, stating that any prosecutions to emerge from the Office of Missing Persons would occur under the present laws. 

Stating that "the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) will lead to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission," Mr Wickremesinghe was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying, "truth should not lead to retribution. We should put the past behind us. We have a future ahead."

Families of those missing marched in Mullaitivu on Thursday, protesting against the enforced disappearances of their loved ones and demanding action. 

Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy wrote to India’s external affairs minister this week, calling for the release of four fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy.

Mr Narayanasamy, who met with Minster Sushma Swaraj in Delhi last week to discuss the issue of the Sri Lankan military arresting fishermen, called for steps to be taken to release the men.

Photograph: ColomboPage

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena declared Theravada Buddhism the island’s biggest wealth, at a Buddhist religious festival in Kandy this week.

After 30 years of military occupation, the Sri Lankan armed forces have released a Tamil school playground that it had taken over.

The Rambaikulam Girls’ school playground in Vavuniya has been occupied by the Sri Lankan Air Force since March 12, 1986.

The military took over the playground “in view of terrorism,” reports The Island and despite the end of the armed conflict more than 7 years ago, it had continued to be under military occupation. After a request by the principal of the school, the playground has now been released.
 

Sri Lanka’s Governor of the Northern Province defended the building of Buddhist viharas in the Tamil North-East, stating that it should be welcomed instead of being objected to.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the government-appointed governor s questioned as to why Tamils across the North-East have objected to the rapid construction of Sinhala Buddhist places of worship.

Tamil parliamentarians said that the Sri Lankan government has not assisted Tamils across the island, in comments made during a trip to India on Friday.

Tamil National Alliance MPs S Sritharan of Kilinochchi, C Nirmalanathan of Mannar and Democratic People's Front MP M Velukumar of Kandy said the current government still had not taken any steps to help Tamils, especially war widows in the North-East.