In an apparent response to protests by the Tamil Nadu film industry against the genocide of Eelam Tamils, dozens of Sri Lankan held a 'Adhisthana Pooja' in Colombo on Thursday.

The Buddhist pooja was held in response to the Tamil Nadu artists protesting, reported the Daily Mirror. Held outside 'Independence Square' in Colombo, hundreds gathered to hold the pooja, with Sri Lankan flags flying.

Sri Lanka blamed India today for the 30 years of armed conflict, reports NDTV. The Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told local media that India 'could never absolve itself of the responsibility for creating terrorism in Sri Lanka', and asserted that the international community should begin any investigation into the conflict with the role India played and its intervention.

Human rights groups are urging the UAE not to deport Tamil journalist Rathimohan Lokini to Sri Lanka.

The former presenter for the National Television of Tamileelam (NTT), a channel which broadcasted nationally and internationally from the Vanni before 2009, left the island in 2008.

Lokini, who has UN refugee status, would be at “grave risk of torture” if returned, says Human Rights Watch.

The report by the Sri Lankan Army Court of Inquiry, which was appointed by the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, was handed over to the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday.

The Sinhala nationalist JHU (Jathika Hela Urumaya) said that India should look at its own human rights violations, including those in Kashmir.

Science and technology Minister and Gen Secretary of the JHU Patali Champika Ranawake said the recent Indian delegation visit was part of a campaign to distort the image of Sri Lanka.

Updated 13:45 Hardeep S Puri retired last month from the Indian Foreign Service.

In an op-ed in The Hindu, India’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Hardeep S. Puri, calls for a “full and final” investigation of allegations of Sri Lankan war crimes in 2009.

A boat carrying 66 asylum seekers from Sri Lanka has arrived at the busy Western Australian port of Geraldton, completely undetected until its arrival.

The US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Michele J. Sison, has warned that unless accountability was addressed in Sri Lanka, the island would see a “return to a conflict situation”, whilst addressing the Foreign Correspondents Association of Sri Lanka.

See her full speech here.

Speaking in Colombo, Sison said,

“History has shown that societies that do not adequately address reconciliation and accountability usually return to a conflict situation at some point down the road. Thus, however difficult this process is, it is ultimately vital to the stability of Sri Lanka”.

“As we examine next steps, we will renew our consideration of all mechanisms available, both in the Human Rights Council and beyond. But it is important to emphasise that calls for reconciliation and accountability should not simply be seen as exhortations by the international community – reconciliation and accountability should be viewed as essential to ensuring a peaceful and prosperous future for the country”.

“We looked at the conditions around the country. We compared those to the government's commitments and stated goals. We realised that not only were many of the concerns that led to the first resolution still there, but also that in some ways the situation had deteriorated."

In terms of accountability, Sison expanded saying,

"We mean identifying those responsible for committing abuses and imposing consequences for these acts or omissions."

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister GL Peiris has stated that Sri Lanka will not comply with a recently passed resolution at the UN Human Rights Council this March.

Speaking in Parliament, the Minister said,

“Sri Lanka cannot acquiesce with the resolution adopted.

The Sinhala Buddhist group of Sri Lankan monks, the Bodu Bala Sena, who are responsible for recent anti-Muslim campaigns, have announced that they will be sending a delegation to the US in order to contruct a worldwide BBS network.

The executive committee member, Dilantha Vithanage, made the announcement on Monday.

The delegation will include the Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero and the national organiser Witharandeniye Nanda Thero.