Photograph Tamil Guardian

The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict opened in London today, co-hosted by the UK's Foreign Secretary, William Hague and the Special Envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Angelina Jolie. 

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Photograph: Tamil Guardian

“We know how few of these crimes have ever been punished and because of impunity they continue today, in Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic to name just a few examples... We want the summit to shatter the culture of impunity for sexual violence, to increase support for the survivors and change the situation on the ground for the most affected countries."

“Other survivors live in countries where war is over, but the peace has brought no justice and as an international community we are responsible for that. We need to shatter that culture of impunity and make justice the norm not the exception for these crimes."

A petrol bomb attack on a refugee camp occupied by Tamil refugees has left over 35 houses destroyed.

The attack on Sunday in Thiruvarangulam, Pudukottai district, came after local villagers started claiming the land and threatened the refugees to leave the camp, the Times of India reported.

No one was injured in the attack.

The Sri Lankan government will not attend the high-profile summit on sexual violence in London, nor will it sign the “Declaration of Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict” as it could be used against the country, said External Affairs Minister GL Peiris, reported The Island.

Sri Lanka has “vehemently rejected” the appointment of the OHCHR team to conduct the probe into war crimes, reported Colombo Page.

The Ministry of External Affairs is reported to have said that permission for the team to enter the island would not be granted.

UK, US urge Sri Lanka to cooperate with international inquiry at opening of 26th UNHRC session (10 June 2014)

Photograph SL Campaign

"I do think that when the [forthcoming OHCHR] inquiry takes place they will need to probe this question because many Tamils have often spoken about the fact that this is a genocide, and that it has genocidal tendencies - the way in which this war prosecuted.”

"I think all of us in the Panel that were confronted with this question have always raised that there is a real need for a proper investigation when it happens to test this issue [genocide]."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has stated the UK government will investigate claims that Tamil rape victims are being deported to Sri Lanka were they face torture by security forces, in an interview to the Guardian on Tuesday.

His pledge comes after the Guardian reported that a Tamil asylum seeker faces deportation from the UK for a second time, despite being "beaten, branded, suffocated and rape" on his first deportation. See here for more.

Hague was joined by the Special Envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Angelina Jolie, who also said she was to meet female Tamil refugees in Britain and discuss the issue with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees during the course of the four-day summit.