The leader of the Tamil National Alliance, R Sampanthan said truth over mass atrocities committed during the conflict in the North-East must be established before negotiations to find a political solution to the Tamil question can be held.

During talks with South Africa's Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Namoindia Mfekoto, Mr Sampanthan and fellow TNA MP MA Sumanthiran welcomed South Africa's initiative towards resolving the political issue, reported Ceylon Today.

"With the cooperation of the international community, the TNA is prepared to engage in a peace process with the new Lankan government mediated by the South African Government. South Africa should insist on the Lankan government to reveal the truth with regard to the alleged war crimes," Mr Sampanthan said.

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a key party in the ruling coalition led by President Maithripala Sirisena, said it would oppose the resettlement of Tamil refugees from the North-East who fled to India during the armed conflict, reported the Daily Mirror.

The UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday defended its decision to defer the release of the report on the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka as a "very rational" decision taken in a "relatively unique" case, reported Outlook India.

Speaking ahead of the 28th session next week, UNHRC president Joachim Rucker pointed out that both the stepping down of the Chairperson of the Commission of Enquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict, William Schabas, and deferral of the OISL report by 6 months were "relatively unique cases" and warned against drawing conclusions of a general nature about them.

Sri Lanka's new president, Maithripala Sirisena will travel to the UK on March 7 on an official visit, Minister of Justice Wijayadasa Rajapakshe told the BBC Sinhala service.

President Sirisena, who was acting defence minister during the bloody final stages of the war in 2009, will have lunch with Queen Elizabeth on March 11, said Mr Rajapakshe.

The justice minister further said Sri Lanka had not yet decided whether it would start a new domestic probe into mass atrocities committed during the armed conflict.

The body of a young Tamil man was found on Thursday in Eerakulam, Batticaloa, reported Battinews.

Nallathambi Vijikaran, 20, who hails from Siththandi, was reported missing by his family three days ago.

Mr Vijikaran, whose brother Nallathambi Nithiyananthan is a journalist, was staying at his family's house in Eerakulam when he went missing. His parents identified the body, which was found at Idakkaali riverside in the town.