The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence has issued over 3,000 licenses to individuals to bear firearms in the country and training on the use of weaponry, reports the Sunday Leader.

“Politicians, security force personnel and leading businessmen” were amongst those who received the licenses, with around 200 of those people reportedly receiving training at the Special Task Force (STF) camp in Katukurunda.

A group of fishermen from Tamil Nadu were injured after attackers on board a fast craft vessel coming from the island of Sri Lanka, boarded their boats and assaulted them.

The Deccan Chronicle says that 5 attackers, alleged to be sea pirates from Sri Lanka, boarded the fishing vessels as they were fishing off the coast of Point Calimere on Friday night.

The fishermen were attacked with wooden logs, with two of them sustaining serious head injuries. The attackers then made off with the fishing catch and nets, as well as GPS equipment from the fishing boats.

Sri Lanka and Japan plan to formulate and sign a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries to enhance bilateral trade, reports Colombo Page.

Sri Lanka Japan Business Co-operation Committee said that it is preparing for a future Free Trade Agreement, during a meeting between in Colombo with the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Nabuhitho Hobo.

In a press release after the meeting, the committee said,

A report by the World Bank on South East Asia, noting structural barriers to competitiveness in Sri Lanka, predicted a decline in Sri Lanka's growth to 6.9 percent due to several factors including slowing down in the construction industry.

The report added that part of the decline in growth would  be due to previous growth being artificially propped up by consumption due to increased public sector wages.

China’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka met with the Commander of the Sri Lankan army to discuss increasing military ties between the two countries, reported the Sri Lankan army.

The Sri Lankan government has assured its commitment to implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), after Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka met with the head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) last week.

Sri Lankan minister Ajith Perera met with OPCW Director-General Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü at the organisation’s headquarters at The Hague, where they “discussed ways of further enhancing cooperation, ” said a press release.

The deputy foreign minister “assured the Director-General of Sri Lanka’s serious commitment and meaningful contributions to achieve the goals of the CWC,” whilst Mr Üzümcü “further expressed OPCW’s support and assistance towards the full and effective implementation of the CWC in the country”.

The State Finance Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution was unrealistic and India could not compel the government to implement it.

Speaking on Rupavahini TV, Mr Samarasinghe, who used to be former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s special envoy on human rights, said land and police powers should not be devolved to the provinces as stipulated in the amendment, highlighting that JR Jayawardene, the president at the time of the amendment, was strongly opposed to the devolution of those powers.

The minister accused India of pressuring the government in 1987 to accept the amendment, despite opposition by Sri Lanka, and said no Sri Lankan leader would give in to Indian pressure to accept its position which was “unfair and unacceptable”.

Army camps built on land that has been reportedly released by the Sri Lankan government has left displaced Tamils unable to resettle in their native villages, said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson and MP Suresh Premachandran.

Speaking after visiting the 1000acres of land that was reportedly released by the Sri Lankan government in Vali North, Mr Premachandran said the lands “have not been fully released”.

“Inside the 1000 acres of land, is two big army camps,” said the MP.  “If those army camps are removed, then people those lands belong to can resettle. The owners of the lands are now in Urumpirai welfare centre,” he added, referring to a housing camp for displaced Tamils in Jaffna.

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet Spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne said if former president Mahinda Rajapaksa had established an inquiry similar to the South African ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission’, the resolutions passed at the UN Human Rights Council could have been avoided.

Mr Senaratne, who is also Health Minister, said Mr Rajapaksa was not prepared to listen to anyone, despite his advice to establish a South African style commission.

South Africa’s TRC did not include a justice or accountability mechanism, strongly demanded by Tamils and sections of the international community.