Macon Phillips, the United States’ Coordinator for the Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP), is set to visit Sri Lanka in the coming days, reports Colombo Gazette.

Sri Lankan police have launched a drive to arrest lesbian couples across the island after the arrest of a couple in the south, reports Asian Mirror.

A trishaw driver in Avissawella reportedly called police to arrest a couple who were waiting by a bus stop in the town. The couple were subsequently detained and interrogated by the police.

Same sex marriages are not yet legal on the island and a spokesman from the Police Media Unit said laws were in place to punish those who behave "indecently" in public, like the couple in Avissawella.

Previously the Sri Lankan government had refused entry to the partner of the Norwegian ambassador to Sri Lanka, as the pair had a same-sex marriage.

At the time, then president Mahinda Rajapaksa stated:

“Lesbian marriages are not legal in our country. Our women will also want to behave in this manner if we permit such actions. Our Minister (GL Peiris) does not have the backbone to handle these issues. On one side there are lesbians and on the other there are the gays. Our Sinhala Buddhist identity would come to an end if we allowed these actions.”

Sri Lanka’s president reiterated the rejection of foreign expert involvement in an accountability mechanism for mass atrocities committed during the armed conflict, in an interview with Frontline magazine.

When asked about the Sri Lankan government’s efforts in implementing a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on accountability, Mr Sirisena replied:

“I have held meetings with representatives and leaders of all parties, apart from ascertaining the views of experts… There is no reason for allowing the participation of foreign experts as we have sufficient judges and our judiciary is strong and independent enough to handle issues like these [concerning accountability]. Foreign experts can share their experience with us, but we will be handling [the mechanisms] on our own.”

Mr Sirisena went on to add:

“We have not been ordered [by the UNHRC] to do anything. We are proceeding step by step towards implementation.”

The Sri Lankan president’s total denial of ongoing torture on the island is an “outrageous reversal of promises made to torture survivors and the international community,” said UK-based charity Freedom From Torture.

In a statement released on Friday, Freedom From Torture’s Director of Policy and Advocacy Sonya Sceats said,

“This is an outrageous reversal of promises made to torture survivors and the international community in October 2015 to deliver an internationalised justice process as part of the new government’s determination to achieve accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka”.

Ms Sceats went on to say,

“Survivors of torture receiving rehabilitation treatment from Freedom from Torture have been clear from the start that for them to have any confidence in the justice process, there must be strong international participation at every stage and level.”

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s questioning of mass atrocities during the armed conflict is “an insult to the thousands of victims and witnesses” said the International Truth and Justice Project.

ITJP Executive Director Yasmin Sooka said “it’s rather late in the day to question whether crimes took place,” adding,

“This is an insult to the thousands of victims and witnesses who testified to the UN inquiry and other bodies.”

The ITJP statement also said the organisation “is deeply concerned that Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena appears to be rolling back on his commitment in Geneva to include international involvement in a future judicial mechanism” and “shocked that the Sri Lankan President should question that crimes took place after the detailed and graphic revelations of the year-long OHCHR Investigation, as well as reports by many other credible international and Sri Lankan organisations”.