The US has warned Sri Lanka to apply international standards to its probe into the deaths of civilians in the final months of its civil war.

Washington says that if this is not done, there will be pressure to appoint an international body for the purpose.

It is the strongest human rights warning sent by the US to Sri Lanka since the government's final war victor

Sri Lanka Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe on Monday (28) told the Human Rights Council that the LTTE rump was active in several countries.

Making his presentation on the opening day of the current sessions, Samarasinghe said: "We note with deep concern that remnants of the defeated LTTE’s international network continues its criminal activities and its secessionist agenda.

With the Group remaining a proscribed terrorist organisation in several countries, we are pleased to note that pro-LTTE groups, thei

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) yesterday announced that it has closed its office in Jaffna after 21 years of service there.

“We are closing down here after 21 years of service. This is an important moment in the history of the ICRC's work in Sri Lanka. We remain committed to responding to needs arising from the conflict, which we will often do in partnership with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society,” the head of the ICRC office in Jaffna, Florence Gillette, said. 

A high level Sri Lankan delegation has updated the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the ongoing post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in Sri Lanka, the UN confirmed Thursday (24).
In response to questions, the Spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General Martin Nesirky noted that a high-level delegation from the Government of Sri Lanka, which included the Attorney-General and the Foreign Secretary, paid a courtesy call on the Secretary-General on Wednesday.

"This provided an opportunity for the de

Newly appointed Human Rights Commission (HRC) would meet for the first time today (24), reliable sources said.

Five names had been nominated by the Parliamentary Council which was formed under the 18th Amendment of the Constitution for the Human Rights Commission.

The names nominated for the Human Rights Commission are, Commission Chairman- Retired Justice Priyantha Perera, Former IGP T. Anandarajah, Dr. Bernard Soysa, Former Government Analyst Dr. Ananda Mendis and former South East University Chancellor Dr. Jezima Ismail

The issue of war crimes and human rights violations during the course of the war continues to be raised internationally putting the Sri Lankan government on the defensive. The latest is a petition signed by 41 British MPs urging the Prime Minister to work towards establishing an independent international investigation into these issues.

Sections of the Tamil Diaspora will continue to press the politicians of the countries they reside in to take action. Many of them lost relatives who were eith

The government has taken action to release lands in the High Security Zones (HSZs) in the country in keeping with the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) being implemented by the Inter Agency Committee (IAC).

already been returned to civilians and another been identified for civilian occupation in more than 2500 hectares of the land that was set apart for HSZs. These lands will be returned to their original owners.