Australia's $2 million gift of two patrol boats to the Sri Lankan Navy has been slammed by Geoffrey Robertson QC, who stated that they will be used against civilians.

Condemning the gift to the Sri Lankan Navy, Robertson said,

“The Sri Lankan navy, the beneficiary of the Australian gun boats, played the worst part... They just stood off shore bombarding people and shelling people in this vast crowd in this target area”.

“Of course, the patrol boats will be used for the purposes of the Sri Lankan navy, whether it's shelling civilians or having fireworks displays when the judges are sacked.”

“Human rights violators can't be trusted not to violate human rights again and again.”

He also went on to criticise Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's statement that "We accept that sometimes, in difficult circumstances, difficult things happen", claiming he had paraphrased former US secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld who stated “stuff happens”, when describing looting in Baghdad during the US invasion.

Robertson stated,

“But genocide is not stuff. It's not a difficult thing that happens, nor is torture, or mass rape or mass murder... These are breaches of universal law, which must, when they happen, be universally condemned by every state that takes its international obligations seriously.

“You can't deal with leaders who are mass murderers... They always lie and cheat and make promises they've got no intention of keeping.

Speaking on why asylum seekers were fleeing Sri Lanka, Robertson went on to say,

“And that was David Cameron's point and it seems to elude Mr Abbott. People will always risk their life to retain their liberty...

“We cannot in international law turn away those who face persecution. And Australia's only message to Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth conference should have been: End the persecution.”