The Australian government’s “dangerously close relationship with Sri Lanka” has put it at odds with its allies and leaves it at risk of violating international human rights obligations, said Emily Howie, the director of advocacy and research at the Human Rights Law Centre in a piece published on Tuesday.

Stating that Australia has “failed to live up to its own human rights standards”, Howie said the government has become “increasingly unwilling to criticise Sri Lanka on any account”, even though it is “well aware of the serious human rights situation in Sri Lankan and the brutal track record of its partners”.

Howie went on to call the increased collaboration between the Sri Lanka and Australia, including Australian opposition to a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka earlier this year, “counterproductive, short-sighted and extremely disappointing”.

Mahinda Rajapaksa meets Muslims in Beruwala (Picture: @PresRajapaksa)

President Mahinda Rajaksa this morning met with Muslims affected by the violence that gripped Aluthgama and surrounding towns on Sunday and Monday.

Rajapaksa said during the meeting in Beruwala, one of the towns targeted by Sinhala mobs, that an impartial inquiry into the attacks will be conducted.

2nd lead: adds motion text

Sri Lanka’s parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a motion rejecting the UN investigation into wartime atrocities, with only the Tamil National Alliance voting against.

144 government and allied MPs voted for the motion, while 10 MPs of the TNA voted against.

The main opposition UNP abstained, while the JVP was absent.

The government-allied SLMC boycotted parliament as a protest against the government’s ‘failure to protect’ Muslims during recent violence by Buddhist mobs. A Muslim minister in Rapaksa’s UPFA, Rishard Badurdeen was also absent.

“The UNP was compelled to abstain from participating in the vote today due to the government’s non-acceptance of amendments suggested by the UNP that would have helped preserve Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.”

Thousands of Tamils remain blocked by the army from returning to their homes, reports Al Jazeera.

In a video report on militarisation in the North, Al Jazeera interviews Tamil displaced civilians and reveals thousands of acres of occupied land, much of which is used for commercial ventures by the Sri Lankan army.

See video below.

"The reports of several fatalities and dozens injured as well as attacks on homes, businesses and mosques are deeply regrettable. "

“The recent attacks appear to follow a rising trend of violence instigated by extremists which is spreading fear and mistrust among the population.“

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has received one of Bolivia’s highest awards from President Evo Morales and the State Assembly, for the Sri Lankan’s ‘contributions to peace and democracy ‘.

Rajapaksa receiving the award is the first time that a foreign Head of State has been awarded the “Parliamentary Order to the Democratic Merit – Deputy Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz”, one of the Bolivian state’s highest awards.

Anti-Muslim violence continued for a second day in Aluthgama, southwestern Sri Lanka, as Sinhala Buddhist mobs torched dozens of Muslim-owned shops and attacked Muslim houses.

The violence, which started Sunday in Aluthgama, spread to new areas of the town, with rioters moving around freely despite a government curfew and the deploying of over 1,200 police. On Tuesday Army troops were also deployed. See PTI’s report here.

Much of Muslim commerce in Aluthgama has been destroyed with reports of attacks on Muslim businesses in two other towns, the BBC reported.

The violence is being orchestrated by the Buddhist group, Bodu Bala Sena, or Buddhist Force Movement, with Buddhist monks amongst the rioters.

Amnesty International has called for those responsible for anti-Muslim violence in Sri Lanka to be held to account in a statement released earlier on Tuesday.

Commenting on the recent attacks, David Griffiths, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia Pacific Director, said,

“There has been a disturbing rise in attacks and harassment of religious minorities in Sri Lanka over the two past years, mostly led by groups with a hard-line Buddhist or nationalist agenda, and these groups are reported to have strong links to high-ranking government officials. Rising violence against religious minorities cannot be treated as an isolated issue – stopping it must be a crucial part of the national reconciliation that is so badly needed since the conflict’s end in 2009.”

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has said it could do a “full and thorough investigation”, even though Sri Lanka said it will deny access to the team conducting the probe.

OHCHR spokesperson Rupert Colville told the Daily Mirror that the body had developed extensive methodologies to deal with countries which deny access, referring to the Commissions of Inquiries on Syria and North Korea, where they produced detailed reports and were able to gather evidence.