Sri Lankan President Mahidna Rajapaksa laid the foundation for a Buddhist Stupa dedicated to Sri Lankan Army soldiers in Anuradhapura earlier this week, the first of such religious monuments to be built across the country.

The Stupa in Anuradhapura will be built from 30 million bricks and 40,000 cement bags, with similar Stupas “giving due recognition to the memory of those War Heroes who defended the country from threat of separation”, being built in each of the provinces of the country.


Since May 2009, over 28 statues of the Buddha have also been constructed along the A9 highway, the main road leading into Jaffna.

Commenting on these statues and the forceful construction of Buddhist monuments in the North-East of the island, the Sunday Leader said,

“The comedy of this charade (what else can one call it?) is that these statues are placed in areas where little or no Buddhists reside."

"This has caused a stir amongst the local Tamil communities who whisper (yes they can still only whisper or speak of it in hushed tones too afraid to make public their protests) that this is just one more example of Sinhala chauvinism stamping on the cultural and religious sensitivities of the Tamil community.”

“Alongside  statues there has also been a Dagoba built in the Mankulam town. What is striking is that the majority of these statues have been erected towards the North end of the roads beyond Vavuniya, an area that is strictly Tamil, having a 30 year history of conflict with Sinhala parties (i.e. the Sri Lankan Army). A Buddhist statue was erected in Kanakarayankulam, near a tank, causing the Tamil community of the area to voice resentment.”

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), widely criticised for its perpetual dithering, slammed the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka's constitution as "full of flaws" on Saturday.

The TNA's spokesperson, MP Suresh Premachandran, said,

“If the government is genuinely committed to it, there is no need for them to have a dialogue with us.  Today, the 13th Amendment is full of flaws. The government can devolve powers to the governors of the provincial councils instead of empowering the boards of ministers. It is a constitutional lacuna,”

“The provincial councils need land, police and fiscal powers. If the Centre is involved in all these matters, the hands of the provincial councils will be constitutionally tightened,”

Drawing attention to the protracted, and futile rounds of talks over the past year, Premachandran added,

“We have not discussed the devolution of land and police powers. Also, we have not touched the topic of the re-merger of the north and the east.”

A group of students from the University of Virginia’s School of Law visited Sri Lanka as part of a Human Rights Study Project (HRSP).

Eight students spent their time interviewing many people, including judges, military and government officials, NGO’s and individuals within camps, to study different areas of human rights within Sri Lanka.

Here is a description of the group’s experience by the President of the HRSP, John Akin:

"The current government of Sri Lanka has a history and a reputation of being very unfriendly to NGOs and human rights organizations.

"The second day we were in the country, we were told the Ministry of Defense would like to speak with all of us, and they would be sending a car in the morning to come and get us.

"They brought us into the Ministry, and we met with a number of military officials before finally meeting the Chief of National Intelligence.

"They wanted to know what we were doing in the country, and after speaking with us told us that we could meet with anyone we wanted, but they wanted to make sure we met with the ‘right people.’

"We were very aware of the potential consequences for the people we were interviewing with after that day and much more careful with our actions and profile in the country.”

It was just this week Mahinda Rajapaksa asserted that only the Parliamentary Select Committee would decide on devolution, dismissing India's external affairs secretary, SM Krishna's statement that 13+ changes had been promised by Sri Lanka.

On Thursday his words were:

"The PSC, in which all parties in parliament would be represented, was the best forum to discuss and take a decision on the matter.”

“I cannot reveal it. If I say anything on it, people will say, I am biased. Let parliament decide. I’ll accept its recommendations.”

Yet speaking Saturday, at celebrations for what Sri Lankans commemorate as their independence day, Rajapaksa revealed his devolutionary vision and his guiding light:

"Ethnic communities have no separate regions. The entire country belongs to all ethnic communities."

"what is required today is the formulation of policies based on a vision that is commonly applicable to the whole country."

"The words of the Buddha show the path we should take and how we should solve problems.

Akkodhena jine kodham – asadhum sadhuna jine
Jine kadariyam danena – saccena alikavadinam

"Let this thought guide all in making the freedom of our motherland meaningful!"

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Dismissing Mahinda Rajapaksa's address on Sri Lanka's independence day, TNA MP Sumanthiran, said that the recommendations of the LLRC has not been implemented.

He added that the TNA believes the Sri Lankan government had received a letter from the US urging action.

The "US have warned that if the government did not take action, it will pursue on certain international actions,” said Sumanthiran.

The Assistant US Secretary of State for South Asia, Robert O'Blake, is said to be visiting Sri Lanka on the 11th February, ahead of the 19th session of the UN Human rights Council.

Sri Lanka's external affairs ministry confirmed that Blake is scheduled to meet GL Peiris on the 13th, however Mahinda Rajapaksa will most probably be on a private visit to another country. According to reports, Blake will be meeting the TNA and other political parties.

Dismissing the recent boycott of Sri Lankan goods but activists in Tamil Nadu, an official of Sri Lanka's Deputy High Commission to India, drew attention to the lack of an apology from Tamil Nadu state government.

The official added,

This is not even noteworthy when compared to the magnitude of trade in India. The authorities of this company brought the matter to our notice. The total value of our products was Rs.4,000. We raised the issue with the state government of Tamil Nadu. We also informed our mission in New Delhi"

Only a certain group is involved. We hope it will not be repeated,”

At a recent debate in the House of Commons, British MPs urged the British government to ‘speak out loudly’ and raise human rights issues in Sri Lanka with the UN and other organisations.

Labour MP Kerry McCarthy called for a debate in the House of Commons about the controversial LLRC report.

“We have recently had the report published by the LLRC. I hope that, at some point over the next few weeks, we will find time for a full debate on that in the House, because there are many question marks over the report, in relation to the terms of reference of the commission and its recommendations.” said McCarthy.

She also called on the government to "use opportunities presented by forthcoming events such as the Olympics, to promote the Government’s human rights message.”

Mike Gapes, MP for Ilford South, reiterated calls for the UN to address accountability issues in Sri Lanka.

“We reaffirmed our view that an independent international war crimes inquiry should be held to investigate the allegations of atrocities carried out by both sides."

"The Government said in their response that they would await the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission set up by the Sri Lankan Government. As many of us predicted, that commission did not carry out the kind of investigation or produce the kind of report necessary to deal with the issues adequately.

"It is time to return to the Human Rights Council to push the issue up the agenda again. I know that last time there was a blockage, the HRC, disgracefully, commended the Sri Lankan Government on their behaviour and refused to hold an international inquiry.

"There are issues involving settlement and what is regarded as an attempt to change the demographics in the north of the island, and there are serious concerns about individual human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.

"The Government are all-powerful, the constitution gives the President great control and the Opposition—not just the Tamil Opposition but others—are intimidated or inhibited in many ways from doing what is needed internally.

"They need international support and solidarity. That is why it is important that the British Government speak out loudly, clearly and unambiguously, using whatever channels they can—the UN, the HRC and the Commonwealth—to raise those issues continuously."

The Parliament Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Alistair Burt, responded to the calls by the MPs.

“The fact that so many colleagues have such a strong commitment to this area matters a lot to the Government. I hope they feel that we share that commitment. We could debate each of the areas mentioned—Sri Lanka, Israel, the occupied territories, Iran and Pakistan—and I suspect that we will in due course.”

“It is important for us to brief them about measures we have taken, and plans for the future.”

“If India is with us, we can ward off the international pressure.”

“Finally the U.S. and the West are not punishing Iran, but they are punishing us, small countries."

"We might. Otherwise how do we survive?"

“Many of us were in Mullivaikaal-where the final phase of the war took place, and if we are deported back, our safety and life will be in jeopardy.”

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the UN Human Rights Council to act against the continued lack of accountability for abuses committed in Sri Lanka.

In a letter, addressed to council members, HRW called on the council to undertake credible measures towards accountability, as the Sri Lankan Government is still continuing to ignore calls for an independent accountability mechanism, nearly 3 years after the end of the armed conflict.

"The Human Rights Council is uniquely positioned to ensure that the deaths and injuries of tens of thousands of civilians in the last months of Sri Lanka's conflict are properly investigated," said Philippe Dam, acting Geneva advocacy director at Human Rights Watch.

"The failure of the council to respond to one of the worst episodes of human rights abuse since its creation would only undermine its relevance."

The letter highlights the support for an independent, international investigation by several high ranking UN officials, including High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, and former Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston.

HRW urged council members to pass a resolution expressing concern at the continued failure by Sri Lanka to investigate crimes and provide accountability, and to implement the recommendations made by the Panel of Experts to the Secretary General Ban-ki Moon, which includes establishing an independent investigation commission to examine alleged human rights violations by all sides.

HRW further accuses Sri Lanka’s own report on the war, the LLRC, as ‘[disregarding] the worst government abuses and [failing] to recommend measures to hold accountable government and military officials responsible for abuses.’

"It has long been clear that justice and accountability will not come from the Sri Lankan government," said Dam.

"Only international action will address the suffering of victims."

The Colombo stock exchange, the best-performing stock market of 2009, has slumped to become the second-worst, only just ahead of Bangladesh.

The table, compiled by Bespoke Investment Group, looks at year to date stock market returns for 78 countries.

Sri Lanka’s bourse saw the second biggest loss of -7.94% compared to last year, placing them 77th on the list.

The Island blames the slump on over regulation and quoted brokers as saying that a lack of foreign inflows is also to blame for the lack of growth.

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Any decision of system of devolution will only be determined by a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) said Sri Lanka's president, Mahinda Rajapaksa:

“I had told Krishna that I had no objection to going beyond the 13th Amendment, and that I had said so earlier too. However, I added that I could not take a decision on the matter arbitrarily."

"The PSC, in which all parties in parliament would be represented, was the best forum to discuss and take a decision on the matter.”

“I cannot reveal it. If I say anything on it, people will say, I am biased. Let parliament decide. I’ll accept its recommendations.”

"The reality is somewhat different and in truth, there is probably no worse or more dangerous time for an England team to travel to this troubled and divided nation."

"The case to cancel the tour is augmented in the light of Jon Snow’s ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’"

"Despite being faced with the ‘evidence’ in this video, authenticated by the UN, the Sri Lankan Government has dismissed the tapes as fabricated and refuses to initiate a proper investigation or take any action against the accused soldiers."

"But neither the international community nor the International Cricket Council should accept this position... An England cricket team should not tour a country where the Government stands accused of such appalling atrocities and refuses to investigate them."

"Apologists for apartheid claimed then that politics and sport were completely separate, and that the internal politics of South Africa were nothing to do with cricket. Nelson Mandela being imprisoned for 27 years because for the colour of his skin was not for some, a reason to isolate South Africa from international cricket."

"Fast forward forty years and there are few people who will argue that Mike Gatting, Graham Gooch and their rebel tours helped the cause. Likewise those who condone apartheid today are silent, dangerous and very few in number."

"In the light of this international condemnation, it would be naive and provocative at the very least, for Andrew Strauss or anyone else to lead an England team to play tests in Colombo and Galle. With perhaps as many as six of the possible England team being South African born, the politics and sport arguments will be familiar to them."

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“For Tamils, the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war has brought no peace dividend; for Tamil women, peace has brought with it a continuation – and in some cases an intensification – of violence and insecurity.”

“There is, however, an opportunity to address Sri Lanka’s entrenched culture of denial and impunity – including for crimes against women – at the upcoming session at the UN Human Rights Council. Canada has already played an important role in recent months by reminding the world about the need for accountability and justice in Sri Lanka. Now is the time to put their principles into action in Geneva.

Canada should take a firm stand at the HRC and work closely with the United States, Britain, other members of the European Union and, critically, African and Asian states – especially India – to make sure this marks the beginning and not the end of a real accountability process.”

“As the international community seeks, laudably, to recommit itself to the protection of civilians in armed conflict, it needs to reflect seriously on what happened in Sri Lanka: arguably one of its greatest single failures to provide even a modicum of safety to hundreds of thousands innocent victims of war. If the opportunity is again missed to provide some form of accounting, the sustainable peace that all Sri Lankans deserve after so many decades of civil war and political violence will be only further out of reach.”

"Those directly involved in the campaign are still in service. They’ll never betray the country for personal benefit.”

The venue of the first test match of England’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka is currently without water or electricity.

The stadium’s curator, Jayananda Warnaweera, said that supplies were cut off after bills were left unpaid by the Sri Lankan cricket board (SLC), which is under severe financial pressure.

"Yes there has been an issue due to the financial crisis faced by the SLC. We discussed it with the SLC and I hope it will be settled by Tuesday," he told the BBC Sinhala service.

Warnaweera insisted the pitch will be ready before the first test and hit out at criticism.

“They only point the finger only when something happens in an Asian country. Similar incident happened in Australia but did not accuse anybody,” Mr Warnaweera told BBC Sinhala service.

“I can assure you that a much better pitch for the England game will be prepared.”

England’s controversial tour of Sri Lanka is scheduled to go ahead even though there have been calls by organisations to boycott the Sri Lankan Cricket team due to the continuing failure of the government to address allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"We recognize the limited nature of the sales, and we acknowledge that the Bahraini government has taken some positive steps with respect to human rights in recent months."

"However, it has not done enough to justify the sale of any military items or services to Bahrain."

"Tragically, even a brief survey of reports from reliable sources makes clear that the Bahraini government continues to perpetrate significant human rights violations."

"In fact, it is noteworthy that the Bahraini government has pursued prosecutions against protestors far more aggressively than it has pursued prosecutions against senior government officials or security forces who have been responsible for grave abuses over the past year."

"We are deeply concerned that the Government of Bahrain is trying to shield itself from scrutiny. In the last three weeks alone, Bahrain has denied entry to prominent independent human rights monitors, including Brian Dooley of Human Rights First and Richard Sollom of Physicians for Human Rights."

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have hailed India’s vote for a UN Security Council resolution calling for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

“By supporting this resolution, South Africa, India and Pakistan rose to the occasion and sided with the Syrian people”

"India has seen through (Bashar) Assad's lies, and shown itself to be an independent world leader," Human Rights Watch said.

India was criticised in 2009 for preventing a resolution condemning abuses committed during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, which killed over 40,000 Tamils in a few months.

The UN has estimated around 6,000 deaths in Syria since the uprising started in March last year.

France intends to push for further sanctions against the Assad regime, after Russia and China vetoed the UN Security Council resolution on Saturday.

France's foreign minister, Alain Juppe, said,

"The president will take initiatives in the next few days to try to gather everyone who thinks the situation in Syria is completely unacceptable,"

"It's a scandal what is happening today."

"We will get together all countries that want to join us to put maximum pressure on Syria,"

"We will first help the Syrian opposition structure itself, strengthen European sanctions against the Syrian regime, raise international pressure and at one point it will realize it's completely isolated and cannot continue."

A UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria’s government for the violence it is committing against anti-regime protestors has been vetoed by Russia and China.

The resolution called for President Bashar al-Assad to step down and a "Syrian-led political transition to a democratic, plural political system", a call first made by the Arab League.

The resolution had already been watered-down, in anticipation of a Russian veto. There are no calls for sanctions and no military action would have been authorised.

The other 13 members of the Security Council, including India and South Africa, supported the resolution.

Members of the Security Council reacted with outrage to the veto.

"The United States is disgusted that a couple of members of this council continue to prevent us from fulfilling our sole purpose here -- addressing an ever-deepening crisis in Syria and a growing threat to regional peace and security. ... This intransigence is even more shameful when you consider that at least one of these members continues to deliver weapons to (Syrian President Bashar al-Assad)." said US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice.

William Hague, the foreign secretary, also condemned the veto.

"More than 2,000 people have died since Russia and China vetoed the last draft resolution in October 2011. How many more need to die before Russia and China allow the UN security council to act?

"Those opposing UN security council action will have to account to the Syrian people for their actions, which do nothing to help bring an end to the violence that is ravaging the country. The United Kingdom will continue to support the people of Syria and the Arab League to find an end to the violence and allow a Syrian-led political transition."

"The Syrian regime's actions display President Assad's cold-blooded cynicism in the face of mounting international pressure for the UN security council to do its utmost to end the bloodshed."

"The time is long past for the international community, particularly those that have so far sheltered the Assad regime, to intensify the pressure to end over 10 months of violence."

However, Russia defended its decision to veto the resolution, criticising it for making too few demands of opposition armed groups.

Russia's Ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin said

"Some influential members of the international community unfortunately...have been undermining the opportunity for political settlement, calling for a regime change, pushing the oppositionists to power,"

Last night the Syrian military escalated attacks on the city of Homs, in one of the bloodiest nights since protests started in March last year.

Over 200 people are thought to have been killed in Homs alone, with reports of indiscriminate mortar attacks by the military.

Syrian embassies in various Western cities, including London and Washington, saw protests by Syrian activists.

The embassies in Cairo and Berlin were stormed by dozens of demonstrators chanting slogans against Assad’s regime.

"It would scare the Assad regime a lot more than a more robust text vetoed by Russians."

"It would mean the Russians are slowly accepting the idea that Assad will depart and would also send a powerful message to people around Assad that it might be time to leave the sinking ship."

The most senior Khmer Rouge official yet to face charges has been jailed for life.

Duch, formerly known as Kaing Guek Eav was found guilty of crimes against humanity and jailed in 2010 for 35 years.

He appealed the decision, claiming he was a junior official following orders and would have been killed if he didn’t obey the commands.

However his appeal was rejected and judges increased his sentence to a life term.

The appeal court judges held that the initial sentence of 35 years did not "reflect the gravity of the crimes".

"The crimes by Kaing Guek Eav were undoubtedly among the worst in recorded human history. They deserve the highest penalty available," Judge Kong Srim said.

Duch was in charge of the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, where over 15,000 men, women and children, who were accused of being enemies of the Khmer Rouge, were tortured and executed.

Over 2 million people are thought to have died during the Khmer Rouge regime’s brutal reign in Cambodia.

Leon Mugesera was charged with plotting genocide, incitement and distribution of arms on Thursday, for his part in the 1994 genocide.

Mugesera was recently deported, after losing his fight against deportation, which started over 16 years ago.

Speaking at court in Kigali, he said,

"I'm not ready to begin,"

"I need more time to find a lawyer. I've asked the prosecutor to wait. Within one or two months I will know who my lawyer will be."

In 1992, Mugesera made an infamous speech where he called on the Hutu community to kill the Tutsis, calling the Tutsis "cockroaches" and "scum".

The UN’s nuclear watchdog has praised ‘good’ talks with Iran during a visit to discuss its controversial nuclear programme.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have said the Iranians were determined to address all issues.

"But of course there is still a lot of work to be done and so we have planned another trip in the very near future," the IAEA’s deputy director, Hermann Nackaerts told reporters.

In a statement, the organisation detailed its plans for a follow up visit in late February.

Iran has described the talks as ‘positive and constructive’, as global tension over its nuclear programme and sanctions by the US and EU intensified.

Iran has been accused of attempting to build capacity to develop nuclear weapons; however Teheran is vehemently denying the claims, insisting its nuclear programme is for the generation of nuclear power.

“since independence of the Republic of South Sudan, Khartoum has committed a range of atrocities in border regions that have claimed countless lives and displaced hundreds of thousands.  It has incited and armed rebel groups with the apparent objective of undermining the new country.”

"Governor Romney is committed to protecting innocents from war crimes and other atrocities, ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches those desperately in need, holding accountable those leaders who perpetrate atrocities, and achieving a sustainable peace for all who live in Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan."

"This is an atomic bomb for the Elysee [the presidential office] which didn't see it coming."

“Ties between France and Turkey are going to ease.”

"There had been a risk of a rift. For now, this rift appears to have been avoided."

Stating that the Syrian president's fall was "inevitable", the White House urged countries to consider carefully their stance on Syria, as a draft resolution was debated at the UN Security Council.

The White House's spokesperson, Jay Carney, speaking Monday, said,

"We believe that the Security Council must not permit the Assad regime to assault the Syrian people, while it rejects the Arab League's proposal to a political solution. We do support the Arab League's role in this process. Governments that act to prop up Assad's regime will find themselves in a small minority and criticised for abetting further human rights violations."

"It is important to look at where this process is heading."

"Assad's fall is inevitable, and so as governments make decisions about where they stand on this issue and what further steps need to be taken, with regard to the brutality of the Assad regime, it is important to calculate into your considerations, the fact that, he will go."

"The regime has lost control of the country, and will eventually fall. We are discussing with the Russians and other partners how best to use all the levers at the command of the international community and the United Nations, to press the Syrian government to stop its appalling, and ultimately ineffective and harmful repression."

"We're working with all our partners and we believe that it's important that the Security Council take action."

"The victims of Mugesera's speech are finally going to get justice. It's unfortunate that the extradition took so long, but it's still good news. It sends an important signal to all those who are being sought by Rwanda for their role in the genocide."

“The French have been the most disappointing, because, every other day, they arrest someone, the following day he is out. They have been the worst performing. They even failed to get the two cases that the ICTR gave them to take off.”

“If they can’t extradite them, let them try them in their own countries,” he added.

“is a strong message to genocide fugitives that they won’t live in comfort forever.

The long arm of the law will get them eventually.”

Speaking at the annual African Union summit, the secretary general of the UN, Ban Ki Moon, urged African countries to uphold the rights of civil, political, economic, social and cultural institutions, in order to boost stability and development.

From the summit, held in the capital of Ethopia, Addis Ababa, Ban Ki Moon said, 

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a promise to all people in all places at all times,”

“I salute your efforts to build African prosperity and grow intra-African trade. Our challenge is to transform Africa's potential into progress for all,”

“Yet below the surface [of Arab Spring protests], there was deprivation, exclusion, abuse. Events have proved that repression is a dead-end. Police power is no match for people power seeking dignity and justice,"

Iran has threatened to hit back at EU sanctions with its own embargo.

The move would pre-empt the EU ban on oil imports due to take effect in July and would hit struggling EU economies hard.

Mohammad Karim Abedi, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said a ban may last up to 15 years.

"We will change the threat into an opportunity for Iran and cut Iran's oil supplies to the Europeans for five to 15 years," Abedi was quoted as saying by Fars news agency on Sunday.

"We will not leave enemies' sanctions unanswered and we will impose other sanctions on them in addition to closing Iran's oil supplies to Europe."

"Banning oil imports from the Islamic Republic of Iran, but delaying the implementation of this ban for six months indicates Europe's fear," the Vice-Chairman of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Hossein Ebrahimi, told Fars.