A senior official of the Sri Lankan Army has said that anyone participating in the commemoration of LTTE soldiers will be jailed.

Major General Boniface Perera was responding to a question about reports in some media outlets that relatives of those that died in the last phase of the conflict were planning to organise a commemoration event in Vavuniya.

As Tamils all over the world gathered to mourn their dead, Sri Lanka held its annual ‘Victory Day’ parade, celebrating the defeat of the LTTE.

Over 13,000 personnel from the navy, army, air force and Special Task Force took part in the parade, overseen by Mahinda Rajapkse.

Photograph Uthayan

Students and staff at the University of Jaffna remembered those who were slaughtered at the final stages of the armed conflict on Friday, reports Uthayan.

India's Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid telephoned his Sri Lankan counterpart GL Peiris on Friday and urged him not to dilute the 13th amendment, according to reports.

Reportedly concerned by increasing calls to abolish the 13th amendment, sources said,

The military's presence in the North-East was 'nothing but a necessity', said the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, speaking to The Island.

Asserting that previous governments had failed to ensure adequate security measures, Gotabhaya said, "I have no intention of repeating the same mistake."

Ontario's leader of the opposition Progressive Conservative party endorsed the call for accountability, in his statement marking Annual Tamil Memorial Week.

"Annual Tamil Memorial Week ensures we never forget the innocent civilians who were killed during the war, including the tens of thousands of people who died during the last weeks leading up to May 18, 2009. It also gives us the opportunity to once again demand accountability for those who died, the families still living in the country, and their loved ones abroad."

Former Australian diplomat Bruce Haigh has called for Australia to boycott the upcoming CHOGM, due to be held in Sri Lanka, comparing the island to Apartheid South Africas.

He slammed Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr's position on Sri Lanka, stating that 'in all conscience Australia must also boycott CHOGM'.

See his full piece here. Extracts have been reproduced below.

"In the face of a great deal of evidence to the contrary, Bob Carr has declared Sri Lanka an ideal democracy."

"He has declared their institutions sound, and scoffed at the idea of corruption within the ranks of the Rajapaksa government."

"He has declared the police, army and navy to be clear of charges of detaining and torturing members of the Tamil minority. He believes that the Sinhalese majority are free of triumphalism and ethnic abuse of Tamils, amounting to state sponsored genocide, following a bloody civil war that occurred because of the very attitudes and practices being deployed against Tamils today."

Prime Minister David Cameron’s upcoming visit to Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth heads of Government meeting has faced criticism at Prime Minister’s Questions in parliament today.

Due to Cameron’s visit to the US, he was represented by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

The deputy leader of Clegg’s Liberal party, Simon Hughes, said he “cannot support” Cameron’s decision, because of Sri Lanka’s human rights record.

Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh also questioned the decision to attend the meeting.

Nick Clegg said that the decision was “controversial, especially in the light of the despicable human rights violations”, but that the visit would “cast a spotlight on the unacceptable abuses”.

“If such violations continue, and if the Sri Lankan Government continues to ignore their international commitments in the lead up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, of course there will be consequences.”

See below for exchange in full.