“We note with serious concern that this regressive step taken by the government is consistent with many other measures that it continues to take in the North and the East that are against the spirit of reconciliation. These measures include the military occupation of private lands, and the arbitrary arrest, detention and ‘rehabilitation’ of Tamil youth under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA),” the TNA said.

The Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) have said that their Kilinochchi organiser was arrested on Friday to prevent the party from holding a demonstration it had planned for Monday, to demand the resettlement of displaced Tamils in their own homes.

“The government tried to use intimidation to stop a democratic demonstration that had been organised according to the law. The arrest took place since the party and affected people stood firm in going ahead with the demonstration legally. This arrest was undertaken with the intention of halting the democratic demonstration planned by our party, and of crippling our activities in Kilinochchi," the TNPF said in a statement on Saturday.

Amnesty International has called upon the newly elected Indian government to heed the voice of its citizens and back an international investigation into violations of international law in Sri Lanka.

Shashikumar Velath, programmes director at Amnesty International India,

The Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council CV Wigneswaran has rejected an offer from Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to “accompany” him to the swearing-in ceremony of India’s Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi later this month.

The Twitter account of the Tamil National Alliance tweeted on Friday that Wigneswaran “rejected the President's invitation to 'accompany' him to the swearing in of the PM of India in a strongly worded letter”. (See letter below).

The statement came as Rajapaksa confirmed his attendance at the ceremony due to take place on the 26th of May.

The Tamil National People's Front's (TNPF) regional organiser in Kilinochchi has been detained by military intelligence officers said party leader, after officers arrived at the organiser's house this evening, instructing him to accompany them for questioning.

"Kilinochchi Organiser Jega is currently being forced by military [intelligence] to leave his house with them for inquiry," TNPF leader, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam had tweeted earlier this evening stating that they feared he had been detained after he was not answering any calls to his mobile phone.

"TNPF Kilinochchi Organiser Jega has texted party [General Secretary] S Kajendran saying he is currently being taken to Vavuniya by TID [Terrorism Investigation Division]" Mr. Ponnambalam tweeted moments earlier.

Political parties in Tamil Nadu have criticised the decision to invite Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the swearing in ceremony of India's Prime Minister-designate, Narendra Modi.

“The entire country and indeed the entire world is aware of the various Resolutions passed in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly during the last three years, with regard to the war crimes, ethnic pogrom and genocide perpetrated against the Sri Lankan Tamil people by the Sri Lankan Army under the Rajapaksa Government in Sri Lanka during the final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka.”

Pictures: @uthayarasashali

A remembrance event was held in the University of Jaffna the day it was reopened, after it was closed in the run up to the 5th anniversary of Mullivaikal.

Hundreds of students and faculty members packed the auditorium at the university on Wednesday morning, lighting candles in memory of those that died in the ethnic conflict.