3. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera informed the Parliament that a system of appointing non-resident ambassadors would be introduced as means of modernising the country's Foreign Service, This was as per the recommendation of a team that visited Singapore recently to study the Foreign Service in that country. This system will also reduce costs considerably.

International Involvement not ruled out- PM:

4. In an interview with the Channel 4 news, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the government had not ruled out international involvement in the probe into alleged war crimes. When asked whether there will be no foreign involvement in the probe as claimed by President Maithripala Sirisena last week, the Prime Minister said he (President) had not ruled it out.

Probe to Clear Security Forces- President:

5. President Maithripala Sirisena has said probe on a few incidents has become essential in order to prevent the world from naming the Sri Lankan security forces as an unlawful force. The President however, added that such probe would not target the security forces as the only objective would be to know the truth. He questioned whether those who opposed such probes and accused the government of betraying the nation were waiting till Sri Lanka was isolated by the world. He stressed that Sri Lanka was bound by the international covenants’ to safeguard the rights of people and treat them equally. The President said that human blood is the same irrespective of what ethnic or religious group a person belonged to and irrespective of the language they spoke. The President said a mudslinging campaign was being carried out by some in the social media even suggesting that he and the Prime Minister should be ‘broken into pieces’. However he said they could not be silenced by these campaigns. “We will do our duty amidst mudslinging and death threats,” he asserted.

6. State Minister of Defense, Ruwan Wijewardene added that the government would bestow the topmost status to the security forces, the police and members of Civil Defense Forces. He said the allegations that the government was neglecting the country’s security and sovereignty were totally baseless.. “We will not do anything to jeopardize the security and sovereignty of our motherland,” he said. The decision of the government to introduce a privilege card scheme for the security forces, police and the members of the Civil Defense forces was to enhance their status, the minister clarified.

Central Bank in talk with IMF for SBA:

7. While admitting that Sri Lanka’s economy was in a bad shape due to local and global factors beyond its control, Special Assignments Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said that the Central Bank was negotiating with the IMF to obtain US$ one billion under a Stand By Arrangement (SBA) to boost sagging foreign reserves of the country.

SLFP Should Stop Division within Party- Chandrika Kumaratunga:

8. Former president Chandrika Kumaratunga pointed out that it was the party's chairman who should decide on the attempts by a section of SLFP to form a new party under the leadership of ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa. She added that the attempt to gain cheap political mileage by claiming that the Sinhala community was the majority and then discriminating against other communities resulted in anti-Tamil anti-Muslim political movements spreading racism.

SL Cannot be Divided- PM:

9. In a special statement on the process of drafting of a new Constitution, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on January 16 that the country could not be divided and that no one had the slightest intention of diluting the unitary nature of the country through the new Constitution. He said that the new Constitution was being drafted within the parameters of the Sixth Amendment to the 1983 Constitution which prohibits the setting up of a separate state within the territory of Sri Lanka. The Prime Minister added, “Some say the foremost place given to Buddhism and the unitary nature of the country are being diluted through the new constitution. No one wants to divide the country. Most of us including me are Buddhists, I am Sinhalese and I need to unite the whole country. The draft will be passed with a two-thirds majority in Parliament. For those who speak of Buddhism losing its foremost place in the Constitution, I will make a special statement in Parliament. I ask the small parties not to politicize this issue.” He went on to assure, “The new constitution will be based on the aspirations of the people….I am not keen to draft the new constitution inside a single chamber. I want the people to present their views on the draft of a Constitution which is suitable for the 21st century. The purpose of using the social media is to obtain the views of the youth who will be the future leaders of this country. This is the first time that the social media is being harnessed in drafting a new Constitution,” he said.

10. He said the names of those in the committee to collect the views and proposals of the people via social media had been submitted by him to the Cabinet on December 19, 2015. The Prime Minister said the 24-member committee would also travel across the country to collect the views and proposals of the people. After the draft Constitution is passed with a two-thirds majority, it will be submitted to the Cabinet and then placed before the people at a referendum, he added.

External Developments:

No Agreement yet with India:

11. Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama refuted Opposition’s charge that a framework agreement on the proposed India and Lanka Technological and Economic Participation Agreement was to be signed in February this year as alleged by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) led by former Minister Wimal Weerawansa.

Port City Project will Continue- PM:

12. The government has decided to go ahead with several Chinese funded infrastructural projects, including the Port City Project and the next phase of the Hambantota Port, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe told foreign journalists in Davos.

Indian Fishermen to Boycott Katchatheevu Pilgrimage:

13. Tamil Nadu fishermen have decided to boycott the annual Katchatheevu pilgrimage and festival at St Antony’s Church. The pilgrimage is scheduled for February 20 and 21. Leaders of 11 fishermen associations met in Tamil Nadu and decided to boycott the festival in protest against the arrest of fishermen by the Lankan Navy and confiscation of their boats, The associations felt that there was no point in attending the festival organised by the Jaffna Diocese when fishermen were not allowed to fish around the islet as per the agreement after India ceded the islet to Sri Lanka, they maintained.

Investigation into War Crimes, an Internal Process: President:

14. President Sirisena has asked the international community not to worry about matters of state interest and the investigation into war crime charges should be internal matter. External interference would be violation of the laws of the country. “Foreign judges and prosecutors should not be involved in an investigation into allegations of war crimes. I believe in the judicial system and other relevant authorities in this regard,” he added. In an interview to the BBC, the President said the country did not need to "import" specialists as, "I will never agree to international involvement in this matter. We have more than enough specialists, experts and knowledgeable people in our country to solve our internal issues," On the question of setting up of special court, the President clarified, "These things cannot be done instantly or in a hurried manner. We will certainly reach our target but it's a process."

Lankan Tried in Germany for Backing LTTE:

15. Sri Lanka-born man in Germany, charged with being member of the LTTE which Germany considers a terrorist organization, went on trial. The 53-year-old German national, identified only as Yogendran G. by the court, is accused of having raised funds from 2007-2009 for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in and around the northern city of Hamburg.
Prosecutors in the Hamburg court said the accused had raised more than 81,000 Euros ($88,000) for combat and terrorist activities including suicide attacks by the LTTE in its campaign for a separate Tamil homeland in the South Asian country.

Chinese and Indian Naval Ships in Colombo:

16. Three Chinese and two Indian naval ships arrived at the Colombo Port on January 17 on a goodwill visit.The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the three People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) ships, “Liuzhohu”, “Sanya” and “Qinghaihu” and two Indian ships “Tharangi” and Sudarshini”, in accordance with naval tradition. Prior to their departure on January 21, the visiting Chinese ships are due to conduct a Passage Exercise with SLN crafts ‘to share professional expertise between the two friendly navies’. The two Indian Navy Sail Training Ships are at the Colombo Port on a training visit until January 18. A select group of officers and sailors of the Sri Lanka Navy will be given onboard training by the Indian Navy.

It would be a Sri Lankan process with an international element: Swire

17. British Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hugo Swire visited the Northern Province. Later the visiting minister said that there was some concern about the pace of land held by the military being returned. He promised Britain’s assistance in addressing international issues on human and labour rights and said that several criteria’s needed to be fulfilled, before the country applied for the European GSP scheme.

Lanka keen on India’s help in Expediting Voluntary Repatriation:

18. With one more batch of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees returning from Tamil Nadu to their motherland in a few days, the Sri Lankan government has expressed keen interest in Indian assistance to facilitate quicker voluntary repatriation of the remaining refugees. On January 19, 41 refugees including 26 women, reached Colombo from Chennai and Madurai. A senior official in Chennai said: “Of late, on an average, 60 persons are returning to Sri Lanka every month compared to 30 or 40 persons in the past.”

19. About 1.37 lakh houses are required to be built in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka. Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation and Resettlement has prepared a “comprehensive project” for providing livelihood assistance to the returning refugees. The project envisages provision of food for six months. In this regard, the World Food Programme has been approached. “In case our project does not get covered under the Food Programme, we will provide dry ration for three months from our budgetary allocation,” the official says.

Of 46,000 houses to be built with the Indian government’s assistance in the two provinces, 43,800 houses were completed as on December 31, 2015 including 15,878 houses in 2015. The remaining 2,200 houses are expected to be covered in “the next few months,” says the Indian High Commission in Colombo. Ministry will award contracts shortly for a project of building 65,000 houses in the two provinces. While 11,000 houses will be built in the first year, the next three years will see the construction of 18,000 houses each year.

Maldives:

Enough Evidence against SL Suspect:

20. Maldivian Police have enough evidence to detain the 27-year-old Sri Lankan arrested on charges of conspiring to assassinate President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. This was stated by Maldives Legal Affairs Minister. The Maldivian Police had earlier said in a statement that the Sri Lankan who was arrested on charges of conspiring to assassinate Maldivian President was hired by some Maldivians to carry out the operation.

SL Watching Maldivian Situation- British PM David Cameroon

21. British Prime Minister David Cameron informed the House of Commons that Britain and its allies including Sri Lanka were watching the Maldivian situation very closely. Replying to a question, Prime Minister Cameron expressed hope that “the diplomatic efforts, including by the Commonwealth action group, will lead to the changes we want to see.”

Nasheed Seeks British Support:

22. At a meeting with the British Prime Minister David Cameron recently in London, former President Nasheed called for sanctions against the Maldivian government. Nasheed said, “The date of my return is in a "fluid situation" and I might seek to exert influence from India or Sri Lanka or could return to jail. However, I will definitely go back to the Maldives. But the only question is how and when.” Nasheed held separate meetings with British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Maldives James Dauris and US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Atul Keshap in Colombo on January 20.