The Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse has claimed that no civilians at all went missing during the final phase of the armed conflict and that ICRC records tallied with those of the army, reported the Daily Mirror.

“The Board observes that at present, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) principles, applicable to internal war situations have not adequately addressed various complex issues and the existing rules are seemingly applied to state actors only. Further, there are no specific guidelines with regard to the role of international humanitarian agencies in internal war situations. Hence, the Board recommends to formulate new domestic rules, covering internal war situations.”

“With regard to the presence of Military bases in the North and East, the Board observes that the Government has an absolute right to maintain its armed forces anywhere in the Island, according to the country’s strategic and security needs."

Speaking at a function at St Mary’s College in the southern district of Kalutara, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapksa said his government will take measures to uplift the schools in the southern rural areas to eliminate the disparity in education between the Colombo and the rural areas around it.

Highlighting the need for science education facilities in his home district of Hambantota, Rajapaksa starkly noted that the fact that the northern city of Jaffna once had more schools was an “error that would be rectified by the establishment.”

The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa pledged to hold talks with the Indian government in order to resolve the fishermen arrests and the crossing of territorial waters.

Addressing the General Fisheries Federation (GFF), Rajapaksa said:

The preparations for Sri Lanka's 65th independence day ceremony in Trincomalee are in full swing and all arrangements are in place.

This year's theme is (in Singhalese) 'Asirimath Mawubimak - Isurumath Heta Dinak', or 'A Glorious Motherland - A Flourishing Tomorrow' for the majority population of Trincomalee, who mostly speak Tamil.

Legislation that allows the police to detain suspects without charge for upto 48 hours without a warrant was passed on Tuesday.

The previous limit was 24 hours.

Presenting the bill in parliament, the Environment Minister Anura Priyasharshana said:

"This is to curb organised crime. If there is a need to extend the detention by another 24 hours, it could be done by a magistrate based on a certificate produced by the police."

The US Embassy in Colombo has released a statement, expressing concern over a "series of threats and attacks against legal defenders, civil society organizations and activists".

The statement urges the Sri Lankan government to allow freedom of expression, without fear of retribution.

See full statement below: