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 former commander of the Sri Lankan navy and other senior officers were aware that commandos were carrying out the abduction of children said the Sub Inspector of Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Giving evidence before the Colombo Chief Magistrate in the case of abductions that took place in September 2008, CID Sub Inspector Nishantha Silva stated that several high ranking officers and the commander were aware that the children were abducted.

Several government ministers were also aware that the abducted children were being held in police custody, reports Daily News.

“The officers responsible for the abduction of the children viz Lt. Commander Sampath Munasinghe, Hettiarchchi and Ranasinghe belonged to the private security outfit of the Navy Commander,” said Sub Inspector Silva. “Therefore, it is certain that the Commander should have been aware of the abduction.”

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has criticised Sri Lanka’s “use of force” against fishermen from Tamil Nadu and stressed that they must be treated “in a humane manner”.

In a submission made to the Madras High Court Bench, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said,

“During India-Sri Lanka bilateral meetings, including those at the highest levels, India has reiterated its position that the use of force could not be justified under any circumstances and that all fishermen should be treated in a humane manner."

The submission went on to state that India had urged Sri Lankan “to act with restraint, not to fire on our [Indian] fishermen and to treat our fishermen in a humane manner.”

Hundreds of recent survivors of torture have been forced to flee Sri Lanka, says former BBC correspondent Frances Harrison, in a piece in the Huffington Post.

“Torture is for life,” said Ms Harrison who stated that those who have fled abroad “should not be rendered invisible”.

Extracts from her piece have been reproduced below.

See the full piece here.

“The Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora numbers some million people worldwide. Some settled abroad decades ago; others fled only in recent months. In the current period of transition in the country there's much talk of victims' rights, though arguably little to realise them yet. The unthinking assumption is that the "victims" are those Tamils eking out a living in the former war zone, searching for loved ones, as well of course as the Sinhalese and Muslims who suffered. It's the victims inside the country whose fate is considered the litmus test for any future reconciliation effort.”

“But what about those who've fled abroad, those who've been driven out after experiencing unspeakable crimes. I call them the invisibles.”

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister announced that a domestic investigation into mass atrocities was to be delayed until September, amid speculation that Sri Lanka’s parliament is to be dissolved at midnight.

The designated new US ambassador to Sri Lanka said the US wants to help build "a lasting peace" in Sri Lanka, including "credible justice, accountability and reconciliation" in order to help those who suffered and lost loved ones during the armed conflict.

Speaking at his nomination hearing, Atul Keshap said the primary interest of the US is to help people on the island "succeed as a prosperous, unified, reconciled, peaceful, and democratic nation".

"We want to help the Sri Lankan people strengthen democracy, civil society, and human rights, including media freedom and freedom of religion. We want to help build a lasting peace and fellowship among Sri Lanka’s ethnic and religious communities, including credible justice, accountability and reconciliation that can facilitate closure for those who suffered and lost loved ones during the war. It is important to get this right, and the UN and international community can lend useful insight to the efforts of the Sri Lankan people," he said.

Mr Keshap further said Sri Lanka will be a "critical partner" as the US looks to further its interests in the Asia-Pacific.

The Sri Lankan government has appointed two senior army commanders, who are both suspected of committing mass atrocities, as ambassadors.

The Foreign Ministry announced that former army commander Jagath Jayasuriya and former army chief Daya Ratnayake have been nominated as envoys to Brazil and Pakistan respectively. Both held senior positions during the last phase of the armed conflict, which saw grave violations of international humanitarian law.

Giving diplomatic posts to army officers is a trend initiated by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, which saw suspected war criminals in the military, including Shavendra Silva and Jagath Dias, given diplomatic posts, which would provide them with diplomatic immunity while travelling.

The appointments casts further doubt on how genuine the government's apparent efforts to engage with Tamils are, with victims of the crimes long demanding international prosecution of those guilty of the mass atrocities.

The European Union said it was “impossible” to convene any formal dialogue with Sri Lanka regarding human rights, in its Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World.

The report, adopted by the Council on Monday, said “it proved impossible to convene any formalised dialogue with the Sri Lankan authorities, whilst concerns for the human rights and security situation grew”.

The report went on to note that,

“The EU issued several statements, inter alia on the attacks against the Muslim Community (20 June), the appointment of the UN investigation team for Sri Lanka (1 July), and restrictions on non-governmental organisations and on freedom of expression (23 July), in a context of worrying developments such as increased harassment and detention of human rights defenders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, restrictions on the activities of non-governmental organisations, attacks against religious minorities, electoral violence, gender-based and sexual violence, as well as the detention and deportation of refugees and asylum-seekers”.

The Sri Lankan army ceremoniously declared open a new hall at a Buddhist temple in the Eastern Province last week, reports an official military website.

The UN Human Rights Council has rejected a claim made by a member of the ruling coalition in Sri Lanka, that it provided money to fund a “diaspora festival”, as “completely untrue”.

“Neither the High Commissioner for Human Rights, nor the Human Rights Council has provided any money for any such event,” OHCHR spokesperson Rupert Colville told JDS on Monday.

The Jathika Hela Urumaya, a key coalition partner of the government in power, condemned the decision by the government to hold a "diaspora festival", claiming that the UNHRC had provided $3.2mn.

The Bodu Bala Sena on Tuesday met with the governor of Sri lanka’s Central Bank, Arjuna Mahendran, to oppose the recent launch of Islamic financial services by a private bank.

General Secretary of the organisation Galagodaathe Gnanasara questioned why parliamentarians were quiet on the issue.

The prominent monk said Sharia Law had made its way into the school system as well as into the legal system smoothly, without being screened, and blamed the previous government for not taking action on "the spread of sharia law".

“We directly blame the previous government for not taking actions on the spread of Sharia Law as we showed them, who are behind these moves. An immediate discussion was called with the CB Governor to discuss the issue, which is a threat to Sri Lankan society,” he said, according to the Daily Mirror.

The US military has resumed training exercises with Sri Lanka's navy after suspending the cooperation while the previous government was in power, The Island reported.

The US Navy’s Sea, Air and Land Forces – commonly known as SEALs – are taking part in the exercise, which involve the elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS) and Fast Attack Craft (FAC) flotilla off the coast of Trincomalee in the North-East of the island. According to the paper, the navy headquarters confirmed the resumption of exercises with the US.