Members of the newly formed Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), made of JVP dissidents, revolted against the party leader on Saturday.

The FSP dissident group, led by MP Dimuthu Bandara Abeykoon and former Western Provincial Councillor Waruna Rajapaksa - neither of whom were elected into the FSP's Central Committee - criticised the party leaders for following the JVP's path, instead of providing an alternative.

The body of Easwaradasan Kedeeswaran, a 28-year-old Tamil, was found in Aiyanagar in Trincomalee on Wednesday night, the Daily Mirror reports. He was attacked and hacked to death as he returned home that night.

Kedeeswaran had been living in the UK, before moving to Trincomalee last year with his wife.

He was making preparations to return to the UK soon to be with his wife, who had already left for the UK.

Responding to comments made by Tamil Nadu's DMK leader, Karunanidhi, that Eelam was an unfulfilled dream, Sri Lanka's defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said,

“A much bigger population of Tamils live in Tamil Nadu in India than the Tamil population in Sri Lanka. If Karunanidhi wants a Tamil Eelam he can have it in Tamil Nadu. He should not come to make Eelams in Sri Lanka. This is a sovereign country.  We consider those who talk about Eelam as terrorists,”

“There is no war now in Sri Lanka. There exists ethnic harmony and every one lives peacefully. Karunanidhi should not attempt to arouse the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. Karunanidhi is also one among the many Indian politicians who are bent on destroying our country by making controversial statements. It is a pity that they are adopting to such low political tactics."

"Karunanidhi should realize that ours is an independent country and should not attempt to establish Eelam, and if he wishes he could do so in Tamil Nadu where a larger concentration of Tamil people live,”

Over 2000 Sinhala Buddhists, including over 300 Buddhist monks, protested outside a mosque in Dambulla, forcing mosque officials to cancel Friday prayers.

The protesters were led by three Buddhist monks - Inamaluwe Sri Sumangala Thera, Akmeemana Gunaratana Thera and Pallewela Hemaratana Thera. Having surrounded the mosque, the protesters shouted slogans demanding that the mosque be demolished.

Worshippers inside were trapped and fearful that the protesters would destroy the building, reported the BBC.

Inamaluwe Sri Sumangala Thera told reporters that the mosque's construction area was within a Buddhist sacred zone and therefore the building of mosques or Hindu temples was illegal. Sumangala Thera demanded the construction be stopped immediately.

According to the protesters the town of Dambulla is a sacred Buddhist site.

In September 2011, over 100 Sinhala Buddhist monks demolished a Muslim shrine in Anuradhapura, claiming that the shrine was located on land 'given' to the Sinhalese Buddhists over 2000 years ago.

Buddhist monks destroy Muslim shrine in Anuradhapura, Sept 2011. Photograph www.sinharavaya.com

See also: 'Sinhala Buddhist monks attack Japanese Buddhist temple' (01 Oct 2011)

Tamil inmates at Galle prison were violently attacked by Sinhala prisoners with blades on the 14th April, reported Lanka eNews website.

The website, which has been banned by the Sri Lankan government for expressing 'anti-government' sentiments stated that the mainstream Sri Lankan press had not reported on the incident.

However, the prisons commissioner has confirmed that such an incident took place when the TNA MP, Ariyanendran, inquired. Ariyanendran has urged that all Tamils jailed at Galle be transferred immediately to Batticaloa prison due to the threat to their safety.

Tamil prisoners moved as riots engulf Welikada prison (24 Jan 2012)

Prison attack victims investigated for 'attempt to tarnish image of Sri Lanka' (05 Dec 2011)

Prison guards attack Tamil detainees over Heroes’ Day (27 Nov 2011)

Tamils injured in detention centre riot (23 Oct 2011)

Addressing the cross-party Indian delegation currently visiting Sri Lanka, TNA MP Selvam Adaikkalanandan reiterated the need for the devolution of land and police powers.

Speaking to the BBC after the event, Adaikkalanandan said,

“Power devolution without power is of no use. We need police and land powers for the provincial councils like the states in India,”

Highlighting the heavily militarisation in the North-East, Adaikkalanandan added,

“Land grabbing continues in the north and east, while Buddhist temples are being built in traditional Tamil areas,”

Photograph Colombo Telegraph

A mob of Sinhala youths assaulted two Tamil youths and set fire to seven Tamil homes in the village of Dilithura in Elpitiya, Galle, on Sunday.

According to reports the incident took place after an off-duty Sri Lankan army soldier became irate at a Tamil youth who refused to call him 'sir'.

As another Tamil youth attempted to mediate the altercation, upto 30 Sinhala youths gathered at the location assaulted the two Tamil youths.

After the Tamil families affected reported the incident to the Embilipitiya police force, the police team arrived and arrest two Tamil youths reported the Colombo Telegraph.

Meanwhile police are still searching for the members of the mob.

The Leader of the DMK, M Karunanidhi, has welcomed the idea of a referendum on an independent Tamil Eelam.

Writing in his party journal Murasoli, Karunanidhi said India should give the "required support and pressure" to effect an intervention by the UN.

“The demand for a referendum among Tamils for a separate Ealam is welcome. Some countries have earned recognition following such referendum at the intervention of the United Nations (UN),” he said.

An Eelam Tamil activist has been elected President of the Ontario NDP, the provincial branch of Canada’s main opposition National Democratic Party.

Neetan Shan, who is also vice-chair of the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), won against two other candidates.

"As the President of the Ontario New Democratic Party, I will continue to advocate for the rights of all marginalized communities in Ontario and maintain my focus on helping children, youth and families,” Neethan Shan told TamilNet.

"I cannot forget that my roots are intricately woven with the collective history of the oppression and resistance of my people. I will also continue to support my fellow Tamil activists who are campaigning for the rights of our people facing genocide in our homeland under a brutal military occupation," he further said.

Eezham Tamil activist Neethan Shan elected President of NDP, Ontario - TamilNet (16 Apr 2012)

A cross party delegation of Indian officials urged the Sri Lankan government to devolve powers to the Tamils, during talks held with Basil Rajapaksa, members of the TNA and the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress.

The Indian delegation, headed by Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, included members from Congress, BJP, JD(U), SP and BJD. Two political parties from Tamil Nadu, AIADMK and DMK, withdrew their support for the visit, calling it futile.

See here for report by The Hindu and The Hindustan Times.

Speaking to PTI, Congress MP, Manicka Tagore, said,

"The delegation told the foreign minister that the issue has to be resolved through political means. In this context, we stressed the need for implementing 13th Amendment under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord which envisages devolution of powers to north and eastern provinces,"

Stating that the resolution of the Tamil question was not possible without foreign intervention, the leader of the TNA, R. Sampanthan, said,

“We are for re-commencing the talks,”

“The issue is that both sides should have faith in the talks. The government should come forward,"

President Abbas (c) with President Rajapaksa. Photo Sunday Times

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas visiting Sri Lanka Monday hailed President Mahinda Rajapaksa for “achieving peace and stability in the country,” state media reported.

Abbas is on a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka. It comes exactly fifteen years after former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat visited Sri Lanka – with an offer to mediate in the island’s conflict.

Abbas was accompanied by foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki.

Al-Maliki told reporters that the two countries had seen issues “from the same eye” for a considerable amount of time and relations had hit a new high since President Rajapaksa came into power. See Xinhua’s report here.

According to the Sunday Times, Al-Maliki said he was very glad to witness the remarkable economic development achieved by the Government of Sri Lanka following the defeat of terrorism two years ago, and that he was happy to witness the stability and the economic prosperity prevailing in this country and the amicable co-existence of all sections of people of Sri Lanka.

The two governments pledged to strengthen political relations and to cooperate in promoting tourism, education and setting up a joint economic commission to increase trade, reports said.

Rajapaksa welcomed Abbas with a guard of honour in front of the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

On Sunday Abbas was welcomed at the airport by Sri Lanka 's External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris and other government officials.

Prof Peiris reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment and support to the Palestinian cause and also recalled President Rajapaksa’s message at various international fora on Palestine issue conveying Sri Lanka’s firm and unequivocal support for the Palestinian peoples’ struggle, including the right to Statehood.

Peiris said,

Sri Lanka is intending to drastically cut back crude oil imports from Iran, as the June 28 deadline for sanctions imposed by the United States is drawing closer.

"Our efforts to finalize new arrangements ahead of the deadline were on track," Petroleum Minister, Susil Premjayantha said to The Island yesterday.

"In fact, we have no option, but to act swiftly and decisively to ensure an uninterrupted energy supply,"

Mr Premjayantha said the government will have to reach agreements with new suppliers to obtain the crude oil imports, which were previously purchased from Iran.

Questioned about the currency in which Sri Lanka would make payments for the remaining Iranian oil shipments, Mr Premjayantha said it would not be possible to pay in US dollars due to the sanctions.

"We’ll have to make payments in some other currency. We are working on that in consultation with the Central Bank. At the moment, the issue is how to bridge the shortfall in the supply of crude oil."

In more signs of Sri Lanka’s intention to ignore recommendations made in the LLRC, the Army Commander has used his New Year’s message to the armed forces to call on the army to be the ‘guiding light’ for development, just as it has been for unification, in the country.

Extracts from Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya’s new year message:

"At a time the whole of Sri Lanka celebrates Sinhala and Hindu New Year, it is with great pleasure I extend my New Year greetings to all ranks in the Army and members of their families.

"Our next challenge in this peaceful and unitary country is development. You, as disciplined members in an exemplary Army, undertook the challenge of unifying the country, and you should be able to be the guiding light for that challenge of development too.

"This is a fitting tribute as well as a source of strength, reposed in us by HE, the President, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Secretary Defence and Urban Development.

"Countless unsuccessful efforts at international level, adopted by different groups with vested interests to tarnish the image of the government as well as the armed forces, are heard since of recent times.

"We must face such challenges tirelessly and stand by the country’s sovereignty at all times. Since our Army is recognized world-wide as a fearless and a highly disciplined organization, you must take pride in it and work all the time to sustain that standard and the Army’s image."

Militarisation and colonisation is to negate call for Tamil self-governance - ICG (16 Mar 2012)

'Reconciliation is not happening in Sri Lanka, and the problem isn't a question of time' (13 Mar 2012)

Army to form construction company (19 Jan 2012)

LLRC recommendations ignored already (23 Dec 2011)