The new Sri Lankan government is seeking a delay in the publishing of the UN inquiry investigating allegations of mass atrocities committed against the Tamil people, the country's foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.

"Once the report is finalised, we are hoping they can refer it to our domestic mechanism for action," Mr Samaraweera was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying.

"We are hoping they could hold on to it until our mechanism is in place – maybe August, you know, or so," he added.

The report, which was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2014, is scheduled to publish its findings at the end of next month.

Speaking at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington on Wednesday, Mr Samaraweera said the new government was different.

"Unlike the previous government, we are not in a state of denial, saying that such violations have not happened," he said.

"We believe such violations have happened. We are ready to ensure that those who have violated human rights in Sri Lanka will be brought to justice through such a mechanism."

Mr Samaraweera's comments come immediately after the Tamil led Northern Provincial Council (NPC) passed a resolution calling for an international inquiry into the crime of genocide against the Tamil people by successive Sri Lankan governments, stating that it had no faith in any domestic commission.

"This Council notes that President Maithripala Sirisena was acting defense minister in May 2009, during the peak of the government’s attacks against Tamils. This conclusively demonstrates the need for justice and accountability for the Tamil genocide to be driven and carried out by the international community. Tamils have no hope for justice in any domestic Sri Lankan mechanism, whether conducted by the Rajapaksa regime, Sirisena regime, or its successor," the resolution read.

The prospect of a domestic commission has also been met with apprehension and criticism by the families of victims however, who have launched a serious of protests since the appointment of the new government calling for an international inquiry to address the allegations of mass atrocities.

Earlier this month, the international rights group, Human Rights watch, expressed concern over the likelihood of any credible internal investigation.

“We do not expect the government to conduct a serious investigation,” said HRW's Asia director, Brad Adams, when asked about the government’s proposed domestic investigation, pointing out former army commander Sarath Fonseka’s presence in the government would politicise a domestic probe.

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