Tamil civil society submitted proposals to the government consultation Committee for Constitutional reforms in Killinochchi on Wednesday.

The common themes from different proposal submitted by organisations in the Killinochchi district included calls for the Northern and Eastern provinces to be remerged and the handing over of land and police powers to state, alongside safe guards that allowed people to choose to secede if they wish, reports Tamil Diplomat.

Updated 0200 GMT

The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein visited Chunnakam IDP camp on Saturday, stating that he hoped the displaced Tamil villagers would be returned to their original homes the next time he visited Jaffna.

Speaking to families living at the camp, the Human Rights Chief said, “I hope that next time I come I will not be visiting a welfare centre, but I will come to visit you in your homes”.

The camp has previously been visited by foreign officials, and despite promises of resettlement by the Sri Lankan government, many remain trapped, a fact acknowledged by the High Commissioner.

"You must be tired when you see people like me year after year and you tell your stories and nothing seems to happen," he said. "But I assure you, I assure you, in the end there will be change and you will find your way home."

The camp residents applauded and cheered as the High Commissioner finished his address, with many lining up to thank him for his words.

Many of the residents have been displaced from their homes for decades, and remain unable to return due to Sri Lankan military occupation of their land. "It's very clear that people of the North have problems and are frustrated," said the High Commissioner, after meeting residents at the camp. 

The desperation felt was highlighted when elderly residents of the camp, pleaded with UN officials to be resettled in their land, as the High Commissioner's convoy was leaving.

The Sri Lankan government announced it will be appointing a ‘Special Task Force’ to examine public opinion on the implementation of a UN Human Rights Council resolution calling for accountability for violations of international humanitarian law.

The 11-member group, which includes Manouri Muttetuwegama and Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, will begin work after the arrival of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence Pablo de Greiff, according to state television broadcasting reports ColomboPage.

The former Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the former defence secretary, his brother, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Monday signed a petition against a war crimes court in Sri Lanka.