Writing in the Nigerian national daily, ThisDay, head of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association Boma Ozobia has argued for Nigeria to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka later this year.

See extracts below:

At the beginning of last month, TNA MP S. Sritharan, accused Australian MP Julie Bishop (Shadow Miniser for Foreign Affairs and Trade) of not caring about Tamil grievances, in an interview with an Australian Tamil radio show on Melbourne Radio 3Cr. See here for his comments in full.

China has refused a loan request by Sri Lanka for $500 million, saying that it would only approve “project loans”, reported the DailyMirror.

Sri Lanka had sought the loan in order to buy petrol products. An official with the Finance Ministry said that China was only prepared to grant project loans for which interest rates were relatively high.

Speaking at the current United Nations Human Rights Council sessions, the UN high Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, expressed concerns about the absence of accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

A Tamil Nadu fisherman who self-immolated himself in protest at the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka has died. Mani, originally from Cuddalore, poured petrol on himself and set himself ablaze outside the District Collector's office.

Speaking to reporters, Mani drew attention to the resolution being brought on Sri Lank at the UN Human Rights Council and said:

A motion on Sri Lanka, put forward by the SPD opposition parliamentary group, was rejected in parliament on Thursday, according to the Sri Lankan embassy in Berlin.

The motion called for more pressure by Germany on Sri Lanka, and encouraged it to play an active role in the current UN Human Rights Council session.

Sixteen Indian fishermen have been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy reports the DailyMirror.lk.

The fishermen were arrested along with their three trawlers off the coast of Kalpitiya on Sunday morning, said the Navy spokesperson, Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya. 

Speaking to The Hindu on Saturday, the Sri Lankan president commented on Sri Lanka's relationship with India, with particular reference to the arrest of fishermen, stating:

The United States has expressed "really deep concerns" over human rights in Sri Lanka and noted that the government has not taken any steps to initiate an investigation into allegations of war crimes.

Speaking at the US State Department's Daily Press Briefing, Acting Deputy  Spokesperson Patrick Ventrell noted the "strong concern" over violations of international humanitarian law in Sri Lanka. The question has been reproduced below.