The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by Sirisena would not agree to a federal set-up in the new Constitution said senior minister of transport, Nimal Siripala de Silva this week.
The Sri Lanka government earlier this month gazetted a new "List of Designated Persons" under Regulation 4(7) of UN Regulation No. 1 of 2012, removing 69 names from the list last amended in November 20, 2015.
Sri Lanka's defence secretary, Karunasena Hettiarachchi called for investigations into events in the North-East marking Maaveerar Naal or Tamil national remembrance day over recent days.
Mr Hettiarachchi said the law and order ministry and police should lead the investigation at a media briefing in Colombo on Tuesday.
Tamils in an undisclosed location in the Batticaloa district marked the Tamil national remembrance day on Sunday. Locals placed flowers on a replica tomb, draped in the Tamil Eelam national flag.
Tamil asylum seekers being held in detention at Nauru Island marked Maaveerar Naal on Sunday, in a ceremony held at the immigration detention facility.
A ceremony was held in Vavuniya on Sunday to remember all those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the Tamil homeland.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena officially declared 2017, 2018 and 2019 to be tourism and investment years in Sri Lanka, as part of government attempts to kick start the island’s faltering economy.
The aim within this period is to overcome challenges in the hotel and tourism industry by 2020, said Mr Sirisena.
Families gathered by the shores of Mullaitivu to mark Maaveerar Naal on November 27.
In an emotional event, families cried as they lit fires and lamps to remember fallen Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres, sending the lamps adrift in the waters where so many LTTE cadres and Tamil civilians perished at the last stages of the armed conflict in 2009.
Tamil political parties and party members paid tribute to fallen Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre on Saturday November 27 with remembrance events marking Maaveerar Naal (Tamil national remembrance day).
The Tamil National Alliance marked Maaveerar Naal at its office on Martin Road in Jaffna, whilst its main subsidiary party, the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) held an event at its party office in Chavakachcheri. ITAK also held commemorations in the East at the party's headquarters in Batticaloa.
The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) held its Maaveerar Naal in Jaffna, with its president, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and other key party representatives and members present.
Students at the University of Jaffna marked Maaveerar Naal (Tamil national remembrance day) on November 27, following on from the remembrance event which took place two days earlier.
As many joined their families to attend large-scale events taking place at formerly destroyed LTTE thuyilum illams (LTTE resting homes), some students at the University of Jaffna lit lamps and lay flowers by the monument commemorating those 'who had sacrified their lives for freedom'. The monument was initially erected in November 2006, however was vandalised by Sri Lankan security forces.
Paramilitary leader and former Sri Lankan minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan (alias Karuna) was arrested on Tuesday by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) over the misuse of a bullet proof vehicle.
According to reports, Karuna was arrested after being requested to give a statement at the FCID.
American Tamils in several states marked Maaveerar Naal with events in their localities.
Commemoration events took place across the US, including in Boston, the DC metro area, Florida, San Francisco, North Carolina and New York City.
Events saw participants lay flowers and light candles at pictures of fallen combatants, shrines or replica tombstones. Cultural performances were conducted and speeches were made, including by NPC Councillor Ananthy Sasitharan in Virginia.
The chair of the British All Party Parliamentary Group For Tamils called on Sri Lanka to allow the Tamil community to publically mark Maaveerar Naal annually, without intimidation or harrassment from Sri Lankan security forces.
