Sri Lanka’s main opposition party, the UNP, has blamed the government for the resolution against Sri Lanka that is expected to be tabled at next month’s UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"The country is at a precipice and the government bears full responsibility for our country's current plight," the statement said.

The number of skeletons found in a mass grave in Mannar has risen to 61, with two more found on Wednesday.

More excavations are due to be held on Thursday, reported the Uthayan.

“In Geneva we are in touch with all parties looking at various aspects of the issue. It is something on our radar. We will see how it goes.”

“We will decide once the text of the resolution is made available. India has no position on it now.”

A programme of physical and psychological torture in Sri Lanka’s “rehabilitation” camps for former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, has been revealed in a report by an NGO.

Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) has gathered evidence from former detainees, who detailed systematic torture, beatings, humiliation and sexual abuse in the camps, and concluded that rehabilitation in Sri Lanka is a “physical and mental pacification programme that forms a cornerstone of the Sinhala-Buddhist nationalist state-building project”.

“Since Sri Lanka has not made any progress on a credible and transparent investigation, it was confirmed that the British Government is working with international partners to set up an Independent International Investigation in the island of Sri Lanka. The government feels that there is a good chance of passing the resolution with the support of international partners.”

 “It was also agreed that the substance of the resolution should have a strong mandate to implement the recommendations without any further delays with witness protection for all victims in order to serve justice and accountability for a long term sustainable peace on the island”

Outlining the key messages advocated by representatives of the Tamil community at the meeting, which was chaired by the Conservative MP for Ilford North, and Chair of the APPGT, Lee Scott, and included the Labour MP for Mitcham and Mordem Siobhan McDonagh, one source at the meeting told the Tamil Guardian, 

“we highlighted the likelihood of the Rajapaksa regime repudiating any resolution made against them and stressed the necessity to follow-up on the regime’s reaction to the resolution with travel bans and asset freezes.”

Today 5 years ago a young British Tamil self-immolated outside the United Nations Human Rights Council in protest at the inaction of the international community, in the face of the relentless onslaught of the Sri Lankan military on Tamils in the Vanni.

Antony Jeganathan, Deputy Chairman of the Northern Provincial Council and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Councillor, has slammed the Sri Lankan government’s commission on disappearances as a fake, set up only to fool the international community, in a meeting with officials from the Japanese embassy.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has rallied against an international investigation this week, slamming “foreign saboteurs” and “insidious elements” in a series of adamant speeches across the Sinhalese South of the island.

Speaking in Batahena, Rajapaksa said a “smear campaign” has been started against him, stating,

“Those who cannot tolerate the country's growth after the eradication of terrorism are trying to take me to the electric chair."

Whilst the International Criminal Court cannot impose the death penalty, it can pass down sentences of up to 30 years of life imprisonment.

In Udugama, according to the Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa went on to launch an attack against the “sinister objectives” of “certain embassies with the help of Non Governmental Organizations”, who were attempting to destabilise the south of the country and launch a conspiracy against the security forces.

He labelled a recent protest at a factory, possibly referring to the loss making state-owned Milco Company, as “part of this plan”.

Rajapaksa went on to defiantly rally the South together in his speeches, adding,

"Civilians should not be misled by the ongoing international conspiracy against Sri Lanka."

In yet another event at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo, Rajapaksa lashed out at “foreign saboteurs” as he launched a “Responsible Citizenship, Unity, and National Pride” program for school children.

He stated that “a morally upright and disciplined society” needed to be created and that “children should be guided on the correct path” so that they could “love the country”, adding,

“Therefore, it is a national need for programs of this nature (Mother Sri Lanka project), which paves the way for a well-disciplined society to be given all the support in its endeavours."

The Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka went on to add, “students expressed their loyalty to President with a Kurahan Satakaya”.