"I have around 100 people making lanterns over the past seven months. I have already spent over 200,000 rupees for material. But can’t recover even the labour cost, because Chinese lanterns are cheaper."

"Our Vesak lantern producers should increase the quality of the product to compete with them (Chinese). That is the solution."

Commenting on recently taken photographs of waving the Sri Lankan flag with UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the TNA R. Sampanthan defended his actions to Charles Haviland, BBC correspondent for Sri Lanka.

According to tweets posted by Haviland on Saturday, Sampanthan dismissed concerns regarding his actions stating that it was the national flag.

Haviland's tweets have been reproduced below:

"TNA's Sampanthan: Some concerned that #lka [Sri Lankan] flag design didn't take in minority consent, but it's nat [national] flag & I'd no difficulty in holding it."

"TNA Sampanthan tells BBC: We seek polit [political] solut [solution] in framework of united undivided country; if sincere, can't be disrespectful to nat [national] flag.#lka"

According to the Sunday Leader, Sampanthan described his actions as “a symbol of solidarity with the workers of Sri Lanka and a sign of solidarity and reconciliation between the Sinhalese and Tamil people in the country”.

Walter D. Givhan, US State Department official on political-military affairs reviewed demining efforts in the North-East over the past week.

Discussing the situation with local NGOs, Givhan reviewed the challenges faced and ongoing support needed.

During his visit to the island, Givhan also visit senior military officials in Colombo, incluing, Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Army Commander General Jagath Jayasuriya and Navy Commander Vice Admiral D.W.A.S. Dissanayake.

In a statement released by the US embassy, 'military bilateral relationship and support towards demining' were discussed during the meeting.

"I don't accept there are harsh limitations on Sri Lanka’s media freedom."

"Tamil expatriates around the world are conducting an extensive propaganda campaign targeting the Sri Lankan government over human rights issues to remain in their countries of domicile."

“As a politically active community Eezham Tamils should cast their votes to the candidate who promises to deliver not just the best services for Londoners but who also will take a keen interest in affairs of their community and a positive stand on the genocide in the homeland.”

The future plans of Sri Lanka's national carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines and the 100% government owned, low-cost airline, Mihin Lanka, were discussed during a meeting chaired by the President at Temple Trees on Thursday.

Instructing Mihin Lanka to grant concessions to Buddhist pilgrims travelling to South India, President Rajapaksa also urged officials at Sri Lankan Airlines to work with Sri Lanka's overseas missions to improve its reputation.

Plagued with accusations of corruption and financial mismanagement from its outset, Mihin Lanka was recently said to cost the economy Rs. 13 billion from 2007 to 2010.

In an interview with the Sunday Observer in February, Piyankara Jayaratne, the minister for aviation, defended the airlines losses.

"We have minimised losses incurred by Mihin Lanka. Mihin Lanka is rendering a service without considering profit."

"The Opposition never asks poor mother or father in the village about facilities provided by Mihin Lanka. Mihin Lanka has given the opportunity to public servants who go on pilgrimage to India and settle payment in 10 instalments. However, Mihin Lanka has been able to reduce losses incurred."

The name, 'Mihin', according to some reports is derived from the name 'Mihindu' - the Sanskrit word for Mahinda.

Over 700 activists attended Amnesty International's annual 'Get on the Bus for Human Rights' event in New York on Friday, calling for justice, accountability, and an end to human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, Burma, Indonesia and Tibet.

Activists called on the Sri Lankan government to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the Trinco-5 killings of Ragihar Manoharan and his fellow four students in Trincomalee on 2nd January 2006.

J.S. Tissainayagam, a former Sunday Times journalist imprisoned by the Sri Lankan government in 2008, spoke at this year's event, detailing the Sri Lankan government's failure to deliver justice and his own ordeal during detention.

Tissainayagam's imprisonment under Sri Lanka's notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act had previously been a focus point of Amnesty's 'Get of the Bus' campaign.

Shan Sundaram, a Tamil activist who attended the rally told Tamil Guardian,

“Yesterday was the first time I had seen over 700 American school kids standing in front of Sri Lankan mission and demanding justice be served for Tamils.”

“Rejected asylum seekers returned to Sri Lanka have been subject to arbitrary detention, torture, and other serious human rights abuses. Efforts to counter and prevent people-smuggling should seek to protect asylum seekers, and shouldn’t interfere with their right to seek asylum.”

“Australia should ensure that human rights concerns and safeguards are paramount in any security, intelligence, and migration cooperation with Sri Lanka. Australia is prohibited under the Refugees Convention and international human rights law from sending anyone to a country where they face torture and ill-treatment.”

The UK has no right to accuse Sri Lanka of not doing enough to address accountability of the war, said Sri lanka's deputy external affairs minister Neomal Perera on Tuesday after the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office released a report on Monday concluding that significant progress was still needed.

Perera said,

"How can they say we have not done enough? On what basis are they saying that?"

"The Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) handed over its final report only in December last year so how can the UK report say we did not do enough to address the issues mentioned. We have started addressing them now and some of the recommendations of the LLRC are also being implemented."

"We are still in May and October is a long way ahead. They cannot prejudge us when we still have time in our hands and are already working on most of the issues."

"I honestly can't see any rationality behind the behaviour of either in the exchange rate or interest rate."

"If the element of speculation goes beyond a tolerable level that is the time the market should intervene not by just simply releasing foreign exchange, (but) probably with the announcement of two rates. If that is what speculators are looking for, the government is quite competent in managing it."

Sri Lanka’s emerging economic crisis (18 Mar 2012)

Prices rise as Mahinda Economics unwinds (16 Feb 2012)

Mahinda Economics (21 Sep 2011)

"There is no economic or fundamental reasons for the rupee to go beyond 125 a dollar. There is no reason why the rate goes beyond this because the policy actions are already in place."

"For the sake of stability, if we feel we need to extend a decision, we will do that, including (supplying dollars for) oil bill payments."

"What we have found out is some dealers push up the exchange rate without any proper underlying transactions.”

“It is against the exchange control act. We are studying these speculating dealers and we will take action against them."

U.S Congressman Bill Johnson (R) from Ohio reiterated calls for an international investigation and accountability in Sri Lanka while meeting Tamil and Indian constituents, as he campaigned for re-election in November.

Representative Johnson was welcomed with a flower garland from the host and lit the traditional oil lamp.

“That is absolutely atrocious and they must be held accountable. Like I said earlier, it never ceases to amaze me what one group of human beings will perpetrate on another for political gain and it’s a tragedy. So I’m hopeful that they will be held fully accountable.”

“Urges the government of Sri Lanka, the international community, and the United Nations (U.N.) to establish an independent international accountability mechanism to look into reports of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other human rights violations committed by both sides during and after the war in Sri Lanka.”

He assured his constituents that he will keep working for the rights of the Tamil people because “it’s the right thing to do.”