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.

British Tamils protesting outside Marlborough House in London earlier today

Commonwealth Day events in London saw protests by British Tamils, who opposed the presence of Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena.

A Commonwealth Day service was held at Westminster Abbey and was attended by the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, alongside representatives of Commonwealth Nations including President Sirisena.

“The UK looks forward to supporting the new Sri Lankan Government as it implements its planned reforms, and as it works towards building a more democratic and accountable government, that will help Sri Lanka grow into a stronger and more prosperous nation for all its people.”

“The UK expects to see progress on Sri Lankan commitments to set up a credible domestic reconciliation and accountability processes ahead of the UN Human Rights Council in September 2015 and the publication of the report of the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka.”