In an interview to Phoenix News Media on 1st March 2013 regarding Sri Lanka, the Canadian MP for Mississauga-Streetsville, Brad Butt, reaffirmed Canada's commitment to "continue to put pressure on through international bodies, through the Commonwealth and other agencies that Canada is a partner", and made clear that whilst quiet diplomacy can work, "sometimes you have to raise the bar, and that's exactly what we are doing."

"As we learn more, we continue to step up," he added.

Extracts of Brad Butt's responses have been transcribed below:

"The Prime Minister has spoken out very loudly and clearly on this issue, so has our foreign affairs minister, John Baird. We continue to be concerned about the lack of accountability for the serious allegations of war crimes. We know that there has been work done by the UN, a number of other reports that you've mentioned, that the Canadian government is gravely concerned about.""From what I heard, the US government is stepping up their comments and their concerns as well on this issue, so we are starting to build a better international voice on this to make sure that these issues are well articulated."

 Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa will open a new 'Buddhist Leadership Academy' later this month.

Government supporters have held a protest in Colombo, calling on the UN to take action against the “LTTE” in the diaspora and the Tamil National Alliance, for being a “proxy” of the organisation.

Around 1,500 people from a group called “Dead and Missing Persons Front” gathered outside the office of the United Nations in the capital and handed over a petition demanding action.

A senior official from the British Mission in Geneva at the United Nations Human Rights Council has denounced Sri Lanka's speech which sought to attack UN High Commissioenr for Human Rights Navi Pillay.

The head of Sri Lanka's delegation at the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva has reportedly snubbed UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay, by missing a scheduled meeting with her.

Hundreds of protesters made of DMK party workers along with the leader, MK Stalin, were arrested on Tuesday as they attempted to picket the Sri Lankan High Commission in Chennai.

Statement made by Ms. Vani Selvarajah at the UN Human Rights Council on Monday on behalf of Lawyers Rights Watch Canada, during Item 2 - Interactive Dialogue with High Commissioner:

(See here for UNHRC webcast at 00:59:50)

"Thank you Mr. President,

Madam High Commissioner, on behalf of Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada and the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), we welcome your annual report, and thank you for your continued resolve to protect human rights around the world.

The situation in Sri Lanka is deteriorating, with an increased level of militarization, suppression of free speech, the breakdown of the rule of law and the loss of any democratic space. The Tamil people are living under army occupation. Students from the University of Jaffna were illegally arrested and detained for peacefully protesting. Journalists continue to live and work in fear of reprisals. The Chief Justice, Shirane Bandaranayake, was illegally impeached this January. We are encouraged by your optimism that findings of the Secretary General's landmark internal review undertaken by Charles Petrie, would allow for increased responsibility, transparency and accountability within the UN system. To effectively promote accountability in Sri Lanka, Council itself must act to ensure acceptance of the UN Panel of Experts Report as an official document. The Panel of Experts concluded that there were credible allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both sides of the conflict in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan government is on the lookout for people providing information to the British television broadcaster channel 4, reported a Sinhala daily paper, The Divaina.

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.

The MDMK leader Vaiko was arrested by Chennai Police after attempting to lay seige to the Sri Lankan High Commission on Monday, reported NDTV.

Speaking at the current United Nations Human Rights Council sessions, the UN high Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, expressed concerns about the absence o