“It is disappointing to us that India abstained from voting on this resolution when they voted yes for the last two years. We have made our disappointment known to Indian officials.”

“I applaud today’s passage of the U.S. co-sponsored resolution at the UN Human Rights Council which called for an independent international investigation into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka. Accountability is long overdue in Sri Lanka, and I hope that an independent UN investigation will be able to pursue justice, accountability and reconciliation for the grave human rights violations allegedly committed by both sides during Sri Lanka’s civil war."

"We welcome the investigative part of it, but we also have concerns because the whole Tamil narrative is lost, especially in trying to confine the problem into a religious minorities issues."

'Despite two prior resolutions by the Council in 2012 and 2013, Sri Lanka has failed to take effective steps to deliver justice for the victims of its civil war, which ended in 2009. Instead, it has launched an aggressive campaign against those who advocate for accountability and an end to impunity for human rights violations throughout the country.'

"we look forward to discussing that with India in due course.”

Sri Lanka's President on Friday ordered the release of all Indian fishermen detained for poaching after New Delhi surprisingly refused to back a US-led resolution against Colombo at the UN's Human Rights Council.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s order was "a gesture of good will in response to India's stance" at the HRC, presidential spokesman Mohan Samaranayake told AP.

Leaflets from Sri Lankan security forces, have been distributed across the North warning the Tamil population to “co-operate” with the Army, reported the Uthayan.