Giving the term ‘public-private partnership’ a new twist,

Sri Lanka’s leading corporations staged their own demonstration Tuesday against growing international pressure over accountability for mass atrocities in the final months of the island’s war.

Following his call to boycott all American goods and products last week, Sri Lankan Government Minister Wimal Weerawansa has claimed that “local Americans” have been trying to assassinate him.

The minister said,

The Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice has released a series of witness stories from the final war zone in Sri Lanka during the past week, marking the run up to a vote on a resolution regarding Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council.

The stories have been released under the pseudonym "The Social Architects", who compose of a group of writers that have collected witness testimonies.

Extracts from the stories have been reproduced below. See all eight stories on their blog here.

Rasadurai’s story:

“They used phosphorous bombs in Udaiyarkaddu... It melted tarpaulins and the pieces fell onto the people below and burned them. It keeps burning once it gets on the skin. I saw one man badly burned by phosphorous lying on banana leaves.”

“They used a variety of types of cluster bombs. The main bomb explodes in the air and splits into many pieces. One kind of cluster bomb, used in Iranaipalai, produced colorful ribbons. Children were attracted and picked pieces up; as they handled the pieces they exploded.”

“The Army soldiers were throwing grenades into the bunkers and killing the people all night.”

“One soldier said in Sinhala, “The commander has given the order to kill everyone.” They ordered us to remove our upper clothes. Then we argued, “We are priests. These are children.”... They had black cloths tied around their faces and they were like animals ready to kill.”

“We walked on the road past burning vehicles with charred corpses under them. It was a scene like hell. The soldiers were laughing, saying, “We have killed Pirapakaran, Pottu Amman, and all the leaders, and now you are our slaves.””

“There were about fifty soldiers who had piled up about three hundred naked corpses. They had placed tube lights to show off all the bodies, and they were laughing and taking photos of them. It was like a celebration. “

“The first week of internment at Menik Farm we had no food or water and no toilet... We felt our lives were in danger there... They treated us like animals.”

Shamanthi's story:

“I don’t know if my husband was killed or if he is alive. This is why for two years I have refused to go to Canada where my father is living. Until I know more about my husband, I don’t want to go there. On Maveera Nal (Heroes Day), my daughter wished to light the lamp of her own accord. I didn’t stop her because she is used to this culture as a Tamil. She can follow our traditions. I should raise my children with good education, then they can decide for themselves. We will support the Tamil people.”

Hundreds of Sinhala Buddhist monks protested against the resolution tabled at the UN Human Rights Council urging Sri Lanka to investigate the allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In a statement, read out at the end of the protest, the protesters said,

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced on Monday that India was ‘inclined’ to back the resolution on Sri Lanka being circulated at the UN Human Rights Council.

The Congress party came under strong pressure by parties and organisations from across India, especially from the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Despite evidence having emerged suggesting the Sri Lankan Army has violated international humanitarian law Britain has continued to sell weapons to Sri Lanka, continuing after the end of the decades-long ethnic conflict in 2009.

Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) released a statement challenging the British government to explain why weapons are still being licensed to Sri Lanka despite evidence of serious war crimes.

The head of a Sri Lankan Army inquiry into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity has denied that any human rights abuses had taken place, while addressing troops earlier this week.

Sri Lanka will stop importing oil from Iran at the end of March, ahead of the US sanctions deadline of June 29, the island’s Sunday Times newspaper said.

Sri Lanka has depended almost entirely on Iran for its crude oil supplies, getting 93 percent from there.

What is India’s ambition in Sri Lanka?

According to the Sunday Times editorial today, “to carve out a powerful autonomous Northern Province which it can use as its base on Sri Lankan soil through its proxy - the Tamil National Alliance.”

Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Palita Kohona, has boycotted a Commonwealth Day Reception hosted by the UK mission, after his controversial deputy, Major General Shavendra Silva, was refused an invitation, according to the Sunday Times.

Women who have lost male members of their households during the war are being forced to turn to prostitution, according to women’s rights activists in Colombo.

Geetha Lakmini of World Fisherfolk Solidarity Movement told reporters that,

Photograph Tamilnet

Following the screening of Channel 4’s latest documentary, the British Foreign Office has called on the UN Human Rights Council to pass a proposed resolution on Sri Lanka.

Commenting on the documentary, Minister for South Asia Alistair Burt said,

"Once again, Channel 4 has brought to international attention important and disturbing evidence to support allegations of grave abuses in Sri Lanka."