In a statement published on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch urged the UN Human Rights Council to dismiss the "tactics" of the Sri Lankan government and launch an independent, international investigation.

See here.

Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said:

The spokesperson of the US State Department Victoria Nuland has said the US continues to be “deeply concerned” about allegations of human rights violations in Sri Lanka.

Nuland said during the State Department's Daily Press Briefing that the US welcomes the report on Sri Lanka by the UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay and supports “a full accounting for all who are engaged in acts of violated international humanitarian law”.

Balachandran Prabhakaran (The Independent)

Pictures obtained by documentary makers have shown the 12 year old son of Velupillai Prabhakaran, Balachandran Prabhakaran, alive and apparently in army custody.

The clergy of the North-East have written to the UN Human Rights Council, calling for stronger action against Sri Lanka and also pointing out the systematic destruction of the Tamil nation by the government.

The letter, signed by 133 priests, is the first of its kind to be signed by so many of the clergy.

See here for the full letter.

Extracts reproduced below:

The Sri Lankan government has reached out to Estonia in an attempt to strengthen trade, tourism and investments between the countries, reported ColomboPage.

The announcement comes after a high-level 24-member business delegation from Estonia toured Sri Lanka last week, the first visit of its kind.

Meeting with  Sri Lankan Minister for Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa, Estonia's Foreign Minister said,

Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa visited Jaffna earlier this month, to observe how new "permanent structures" were being put in place, according to the Sri Lankan Army website.

Three BBC media crew, including South Asia correspondent Charles Haviland, came under attack at a Bodu Bala Sena rally on Sunday.

Charles Haviland tweeted:

'Our 3-member BBC team + driver covering #Buddhist #BBS rally #srilanka was seriously threatened with violence by mob after filming...'

Thousands of Sri Lankans have attended a rally launching a campaign calling for the boycott of Halal meat.

The campaign, led by Buddhist fundamentalists of the Bodu Bala Sena, calls for all stores to clear Halal products from their shelves by April.

The shooting 52-year-old Sunday Leader journalist Faraz Shaukatally in Colombo on Friday evening has drawn “shock and serious concern” from the British Foreign Office, as attacks on journalists continue on the island.

British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt who recently visited Sri Lanka released a statement stating that British consular staff had visited Shaukatally, who holds British and Sri Lankan citizenship.

The statement went on to say,

“It remains unclear whether this horrific incident was connected to the victim’s work as a journalist. The Sri Lankan authorities must quickly identify who committed this crime and bring them to justice.”

“There has been a range of attacks in Sri Lanka on journalists, civil society organizations and others in recent years. To date, too many incidents have had little investigation and no resolution. The UK and EU have urged the Government of Sri Lanka to do everything possible to investigate such incidences and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.”

The attack also drew sharp criticism from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who in an interview with Channel 4 said,

"I'm deeply disturbed by this particular shooting because it's a journalist and he's attached to a newspaper that's known to be critical of the government - particularly on accountability and in justice issues - which are issues that I cover. And I will be reporting to the Human Rights Council my concern over extra judicial killings, abductions and this kind of treatment and suppression of freedom of expression."

She went on to call for a “credible investigation” for this incident and for all others, calling for civil society to be involved, as the government or police does “not enjoy the confidence of the people, they’re not impartial”.