In brief
Death penalty
The Sri Lankan government announced in mid-March that the death penalty will be reintroduced. Since June 1976, death sentences have been commuted to life imprisonment. Under current law, courts may impose the death sentence for murder, abetment to suicide, treason or drug trafficking.
Weapons ship
Colombo newspaper Sunday Times says that an Indian navy operation to intercept LTTE trawler MV Mariamma in early March on Sri Lanka’s request, failed. The navy found the vessel 125 miles west of Andaman Islands, without persons or weapons on board.
Arrest
In February, Greek police arrested Eftihios Zervoudakis, involved in the sinking of a vessel and causing the death of 280 asylum-seekers, including 92 Sri Lankans, between Malta and Sicily on 25 December 1996.
Assault
Colombo Sinhala newspaper Lakbima Journalist Srilal Priyantha was abducted and brutally assaulted on 14 March. Mr Priyantha has written on corruption in the defence establishment.
Meeting
The Foreign ministers’ meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Nuwara Eliya on 18 March postponed decision on a South Asian Economic Union by the year 2020.
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