Immigration Minsiter Scott Morrison visited the city, home to some of the worst violence during Sri Lanka’s civil war, during his international visit overnight.
Local media confirmed that he met with the regional governor GA Chandarasiri, but failed to meet with the Tamil elected chief minister during the evening visit.
CV Vigneshwaran, a former Supreme Court judge belonging to the Tamil National Alliance, was elected by popular vote in last year’s election.
Local site malarum.com also quoted Mr Morrison as welcoming the changes seen in the region over the past five years during his visit with Governor Chandarasiri, a former senior military officer.
The secretive visit followed a meeting with the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Mr Morrison, accompanied by the Australian High Commissioner and additional officials, took part in a ceremonial commission of the Mihikatha and Rathnadeepa patrol boats, described by local media The Nation as a “gesture of goodwill”.
The trip follows Sri Lanka's ban on press conferences held by and releases issued by activist groups and NGOs.
A Defence Ministry circular dated July 1 also outlaws NGOs and civil society organizations holding workshops for journalists.
Reuters reported that the direction came as President Rajapaksa's government continues to face international pressure to account for suspected war crimes and human rights abuses during the war against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels which ended in 2009.
Abuse claims rejected
The visit comes less than a week after naval authorities from both countries met for the handover of 41 Sri Lankan nationals.
The transfer, confirmed on Monday, involved on-water processing of the 37 Sinhalese and four Tamil asylum seekers ahead of the handover between the Australian and Sri Lankan Naval forces.
A transfer of a second boatload of asylum seekers has temporarily halted following an injunction by the High Court.
Mr Morrison has refused to comment on the government’s plans for the 153 asylum seekers, but the government has pledged to give 72 hours’ notice of any action.
He also rejected asylum seeker claims of mistreatment by an Australian official before they were handed over to the Sri Lankan navy.
The federal government usually declines to comment on "on water" operations, but Mr Morrisonreacted strongly to claims by an asylum seeker that he had been beaten by an Australian.
The minister has absolutely rejected what he's called an offensive allegation, in addition to denying reports of detainees threatening to jump off a roof of a building on Christmas Island.
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