Thousands of people rallied in Colombo against a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka on Monday. The rally, organised by the joint opposition, saw leading figures from several parties in attendance , including the SLFP, National Freedom Front, Communist Party and several former government ministers. “The resolution violates our sovereignty and Constitution,” Dinesh Gunawardene, leader of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna. Former government minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara, leader of the Democratic Left Front, also voiced his criticism, stating the United Nations cannot pass...

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena expressed deep appreciation for China’s assistance in developing the island and in supporting Sri Lanka in the international fora reports Colombo Page. Welcoming a delegation of the Communist Party of China, headed by China’s deputy leader Zhang Baowen, Mr Sirisna, said, “When we travel across Colombo as well as around the country we can see many development projects funded by the government of China.” The two leaders discussed strengthening relations between the sruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and China’s Communist party.

A Sri Lankan government commissioned report said "there can be no effective domestic mechanism for the purpose investigating international crimes,” according to a leak document obtained by Channel 4 News . Sections of the “Missing Person's Commission”, also known as the Parangama Commission, led by retired Sri Lankan High Court Judge Maxwell Paranagama, said that unless Sri Lankan domestic law incorporated international crimes, a domestic accountability mechanism would not be effective. "Military Courts of Inquiry, in these circumstances, may appear to lack the impartiality and independence to inspire confidence," said the report. The report also concludes that video evidence of extra-judicial killings committed by Sri Lankan troops is "unlikely to be faked". Speaking on the evidence of the killing of Balachandran Prabhakaran the report said “ clearly if this allegation is proved, this a clear breach of the laws of war ". "In the Commission's view, the Channel 4 programmes provide enough material to form a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes may have been committed, warranting an investigation," said the report, adding it was "mindful of the fact that forensic pathology and other corroborative expert evidence support the video footage as genuine." Sections of the report go on to quote the former Chief of Staff of the Sri Lankan Army, Major General Udaya Perera, as saying, " more than the Government of Sri Lanka, it is we, the army who should take responsibility, if that cowardly killing happened at the hands of our men".

Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the security forces will be ordered to cut the fishing nets of Indian fishermen who come into Sri Lankan waters, reports the Sunday Times . Stating that the arrest and detention of Indian fishermen and their equipment had failed to stop them from entering Sri Lankan waters, Mr Amaraweera said that new official orders would be sent round soon. “We have also decided that any of the Indian fishermen’s detained boats will not be released,” he said.