Published 00:01 GMT
 

Writing in the Tamil Guardian today, British Prime Minister David Cameron reiterated his commitment to ensuring those responsible for war crimes in Sri Lanka are held accountable and said he would press the country's new president, Maithripala Sirisena, to deliver on his commitments, during a bilateral discussion at Downing Street this afternoon.

 

Sixteen months ago I welcomed Tamil representatives from communities here in Britain to Downing St to discuss how we could work together to address the issues of Sri Lanka’s past and put the country on the path to a brighter, peaceful and prosperous future.
 
Since then, a UN led investigation into alleged war crimes by all sides in the conflict has got underway. And the people of Sri Lanka have elected a new President who has made clear that he is fully committed to reconciliation and reform.
 
Ever since my visit to Sri Lanka in 2013 one thing has remained constant - my unwavering commitment to stand up for all those affected by what happened. I remain determined to ensure that there is accountability for the past and respect for human rights today. And that will be my message to President Sirisena when I meet with him in Downing Street today.
 

Tamil disappearances activist Jeyakumari Balendran, who was arrested and arbitrarily detained by Sri Lankan security forces almost 1 year ago, was granted bail by a court in Colombo today.

Ms Jeyakumari was released with a Rs. 200,000 surety bail and instructed that she must sign in to a police station every month. She is also subject to a travel ban, with her passport having been confiscated by Sri Lankan authorities.

Protestors had gathered outside of the courthouse in Colombo earlier today, as she arrived for her hearing, having being held in detention for 362 days.

The producers of the award-winning, Emmy-nominated documentary No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka released a version of the movie in the Sinhalese language at an event in the House of Commons in London.

A press release said the new version was a "direct challenge to the new government over its commitment to a free media".

The event, which coincided with the new Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's visit to London, was attended by No Fire Zone Director Callum Macrae, Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh and Conservative MP Lee Scott and was also addressed by exiled Sinhalese writer Bashana Abeywardane.

“I welcome President Sirisena’s commitment to freeing the media in Sri Lanka from the censorship and repression of the Rajapaksa years,” Mr Macrae said.

Prime Minister David Cameron told President Maithripala Sirisena that meaningful engagement with the OHCHR Investigation in Sri Lanka is central to continued support from the UK, at the first meeting between the two leaders in London earlier today.

A Downing Street spokesperson said they discussed President Sirisena’s "clear plans to build lasting reconciliation across Sri Lanka, both through supporting the ongoing UN investigation and by establishing an internal mechanism to address issues from Sri Lanka’s past".

Hundreds of Tamil Nadu youth marked International Women’s day with a rally calling for justice for those Eelam Tamil women killed by the Sri Lankan security forces.

The Indian government said it is working with Sri Lanka to repatriate thousands of Tamil refugees, who fled to India during the armed conflict.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said discussions about the return of 100,000 Tamils from Tamil Nadu were ongoing.

"We had agreed when Sri Lanka's foreign minister was here (India) in January to find ways by which these refugees could go back with honour, dignity (and) safety," Mr Jaishankar told reporters on Monday.

"We've already had one meeting on the bilateral side on January 30 to discuss the issue."

"We are discussing a lot of issues with Sri Lanka and the issue of reconciliation features significantly," the foreign secretary said.

"We want to encourage that process."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to visit Sri Lanka this week and is expected to become the first Indian leader to visit the Tamil North-East of the island.

The former army commander General Sarath Fonseka has been acquitted of harbouring army deserters, by the high court in Colombo.

Judge Devika Tennakon de Livera said the prosecution had failed to prove the case, which was brought by the government after Mr Fonseka’s failed electoral challenge to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, without reasonable doubt.

Meanwhile media in Sri Lanka reported the general is due to be promoted to the rank of field marshal, the highest rank in the Sri Lankan army.