The US State Department has highlighted human rights abuses which occurred in 2014, in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.

The report details attacks on human rights activists, journalists and Tamils viewed as sympathisers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam by government-linked individuals and impunnity for wide-spread abuses.

See full report here.

"The major human rights problems reported over the year were: attacks on, and harassment of, civil society activists, journalists, and persons viewed as sympathizers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by individuals allegedly tied to the government; involuntary disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, abuse of detainees, rape, and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence committed by police and security forces; and widespread impunity for a broad range of human rights abuses," the report said.

"Involuntary disappearances and unlawful killings continued to diminish in comparison with the immediate postwar period. Nevertheless, harassment, threats, and attacks by progovernment loyalists against media institutions, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and critics of the government were prevalent, contributing to widespread fear and self-censorship by journalists and diminished democratic activity due to the general failure to prosecute perpetrators."

The report said unlawful killings by securty forces and paramilitaries often occured in Tamil areas, and highlighted the issue of individuals detained without trial.

"Other serious human rights problems included unlawful killings by security forces and government-allied paramilitary groups, often in predominantly Tamil areas; poor prison conditions; and lack of due process. Defendants often faced lengthy pretrial detention, and an enormous backlog of cases hindered the justice system. Denial of a fair public trial remained a problem, as did continued coordinated moves by the government to undermine the independence of the judiciary."

Speaking at the launch of the report, Secretary of State John Kerry said it was important to strengthen political will to hold those responsible for atrocities accountable.

"The persistence of terrible bloodshed is a challenge to all of us. It is a challenge to us to strengthen our institutions and our political will so that we can do a better job of deterring aggression, holding accountable those who commit atrocities, identifying potential crises ahead of time, and stopping outbreaks of violence before they begin," he said.

Mr Kerry said that the US itself also had room to improve on its human rights record, touching on the continuing racial tension in the country.

"There is nothing sanctimonious in this. There is zero arrogance. And we couldn’t help but have humility when we have seen what we have seen in the last year in terms of racial discord and unrest. So we approach this with great self-awareness. But we also understand that when human rights is the issue, every country, including the United States, has room to improve. And the path to global respect always begins at home."