The Sri Lankan government will provide military training to army officers from different countries, the Sunday Times reported.

Following a recommendation by Defence Minister, and President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s cabinet decided to provide the training, both free of charge and for payment, at the Defence Services Command and Staff College.

Sri Lanka is hiking taxes on several imported food products, described by an official as “semi-luxury food items”, reported the Sunday Times.

The items, to be taxed at a yet to be determined rate, include canned fish, fruit juices, beer, foreign liquor, sausages and processed foods such as meat, milk powder, butter cheese, cereal, and chocolate.

Army camps in the North-East will not be dismantled as per the Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister’s demands reiterated the Sri Lankan government last week.

Commenting on CV Wigneswaran’s demands for the dismantling of military installations in the North-East, Sri Lanka’s Media Minister said that the camps would not be dismantled just because the Northern Province was calling for such action, reports the Island.

Photograph Colombo Page

The leader of the United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremasinghe welcomed back the former deputy leader Sajith Premadasa, nominating him for the role once again.

Northern Province Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran said the Sri Lankan government is spying on him, presenting a threat to his life, Colombo Page reported.

The chief minister said he was photographed by people posing as media personnel during his meeting with the German ambassador to Sri Lanka Jürgen Morhard, who also noticed the incident.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) General Secretary and veteran politician, Mavai Senathirajah was appointed leader of the Illangai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) Saturday, replacing R. Sampanthan.

Two volley ball players from Tamil Nadu returned from the Asian youth volleyball championship in in Sri Lanka, after being withdrawn by the south Indian state’s Sports Development Authority.

The Tamil Nadu State Volleyball Association (TNSVA) headquarters has been closed since Wednesday night and the manager and coach of the players have been suspended, The Hindu reported, adding that it was “surprising that the two players were sent to the island nation”, in the first place.

Villagers from Valikamam North Mayiliddi have handed a petition to the Jaffna District Secretariat demanding they be resettled in their own land, which is currently being occupied by the Sri Lankan military after being designated as a High Security Zone (HSZ).

The petition, which was delivered by leaders from the by Poonthalir Women's Organisation and the National Fisheries Co-operation Movement, said,

“We have been living in the temporary camp for 24 years since being displaced from the Valikamam North Mayiliddi village during the war in 1990.”

“More than 5 years have passed since the war ended and it is worrying that we have not been resettled back in our own lands.”

Valikamam North is currently designated as a High Security Zone (HSZ) by the Sri Lankan military. Satellite images released last month show the Sri Lankan military has been consolidating its presence in the HSZ, increasing the number of permanent structures that it has built on land seized from Tamil civilians since the end of the armed conflict.

Sri Lankan military intimidation has for the second time led to prayers that were going to be held for the displaced people of Valikamam North being cancelled, reports Uthayan.

Military intelligence once again threatened the organisers with “consequences” if the prayers, organised for those displaced in Valikaamam North, went ahead.