The stated-run Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) reportedly blocked BBC Tamil services on the island, in the run up to a United Nations Human Rights Council vote on Sri Lanka last week.

Writing in the Asian Correspondent, Sri Lanka Campaign Director Fred carver reported that BBC Tamil services were disrupted, with reports on the Human Right Council session replaced by unrelated material, or by pro-government pieces.

Bashana Abeywardane of Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) stated,

In a US State Department Daily Press Briefing this week, Spokesperson Victoria Nuland has stated that if Sri Lanka was not “forthcoming” in steps towards accountability, then the international community will examine other steps that can be taken.

Commenting on resolution 22/1, Minister of Youth Affairs, Dalas Alahapperuma, told reporters that the UNHRC was being misused by "imperialists" to divide Sri Lanka.

Source Associated Press.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo on Friday, the Minister of Petroleum, Susil Premajayantha, 'accused the LTTE diaspora of attempting to influence the international community against Sri Lanka'.

Source Colombo Page.

Reacting to India's vote in favour of the resolution that has been adopted at the UNHRC, the JHU (part of the ruling UPFA), called on the government to form an Asian brotherhood of states, without India.

In a statement, the JHU said:

"We urge the government to build a foreign policy for Asian solidarity and brotherhood without India"

The National Freedom Front (NFF) - a party within the ruling UPFA coalition, called on the government to reconsider the economic engagement with India and the US.

The NFF media spokesperson, Mohamed Muzamil, said the government must reconsider importing products from India and the US.

In a letter to the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan Muslim Council (SLMC) called for the anti-Muslim attacks by Buddhist groups to end.

A letter signed by the President of the Muslim Council N.M. Ameen said:

“Their campaign has also affected all businesses – not just Muslims’ – and resulted in a threat to the maintenance of law and order affecting all communities. These groups have been using the traditional media, social media, public meetings, posters, leaflets, and the circulation of rumours and misinformation insulting Muslims to inculcate a sense of fear and hatred of Muslims among Sinhalese. They are using abusive language when referring to our religious practices and publicly calling for a boycott of businesses run by Muslims,”

Sri Lanka's opposition party, the UNP, which has been largely quiet over recent events at the UN Human Rights Council, blamed the government for resolution 22/L1. 

Speaking at a media briefing on Friday along with the JHU, and Sri Lanka's Minister for Youth Affairs, the UNP parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella backed the call for demonstrations against the resolution, but urged that they be redirected to opposite Temple Trees, and not embassies. 

In a column - ‘Acting’ President Priyankara on cloud nine - the SundayTimes.lk has asked if the GTF and the TNA were responsible for Botswana's vote of abstention.