A convoy of buses carrying 178 fleeing Sri Lankans was pelted by sticks and stones near Kattur in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. The Sri Lankans, who were on their way to Tiruchirapalli airport to fly back home to Colombo, experienced similar protest action whilst visiting a Christian shrine in Velankanni earlier that morning, and whilst visiting a Poondi Madha Christian shrine in Thanjavur the day before.

In a written submission to the up-coming, 21st session of the UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International detailed the 'shortcomings in Sri Lanka's National Plan of Action to implement the recommendations of the LLRC'.

The report, entitled 'No Real Will to Account', argued that the lack of accountability had ensured a "climate of impunity where arbitrary detentions, torture and other ill-treatment, enforced disappearances, and custodial killings continue unchecked."

"More than three years after the armed conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended, these violations continue to be reported."

See here for full statement.

Responding to Sri Lanka's travel advisory warning against travelling to Tamil Nadu, the spokesperson of India's External Affairs Ministry assured Sri Lanka of the safety of any visiting Sri Lankans.

The spokesperson, Syed Akbaruddin, said,

Sri Lankan Minister Wimal Weerawansa warned of a 'possible catastrophic situation that would seriously harm the interests of both countries' if the protest acts on Sri Lankans in India continued, reported the Daily Mirror.

"It is not acceptable to us that he, who is responsible for the killing of lakhs of Tamils, is accorded a special welcome," Karunanidhi said.

The DMK’s fellow constituents of India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance coalition, the VCK, also criticised the plans.

The Sri Lankan government has warned its citizens against all travel to Tamil Nadu after several protests against Sri Lankan citizens were held in the state.

A top government official announced that Sri Lanka will not contest for a seat in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at the upcoming elections this year.

Sri Lanka lost the vote when it last contested for a seat at the UNHRC in May 2008, a year before the barbaric onslaught of 2009, amidst allegations of human rights taking place in the country.

The government official failed to provide a reason for not contesting.

A week after over 100 asylum seekers, including Tamils from the North-East, drowned off the coast of Indonesia en route to seeking refuge in Australia, the Australian opposition leader, Julie Bishop, called for all aslyum seekers to be sent back to Sri Lanka without coming to Australia.

Bishop said,

"If the Government grants people from Sri Lanka refugee status, the Australian Government is accusing Sri Lanka of persecuting their own citizens,"

"Sri Lanka is already making a significant effort by preventing many boats from leaving their shores, however those who make it through should be the subject to an immediate arrangement to be transferred back to Sri Lanka without coming to Australia,"

"There is an extremely high rejection rate for Sri Lankan asylum seekers with the vast majority proving to be economic migrants."

"But once they are in Australia they can pursue their claims for asylum through our courts regardless of the merit."

External Affairs Minister G L Peiris has rushed to London in the hope of lobbying the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to revise its latest travel advisory, reports Colombo Page.

As the controversy over the training of Sri Lankan security forces personnel in India rages on , it has been revealed that the Sri Lankan president and Commander-in-Chief of the Sri Lankan Army Mahinda Rajapakse is due to visit the country later this month.