Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement that the resolution passed on Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council today, mandating an international investigation, is not the best way forward.

In a statement released today, Bishop said that the resolution failed to recognise the significant progress Sri Lanka has made in the North-East of the island.

The Sri Lankan Army and police have carried out house to house searches in Piramanthanaaru and Punnai'neerav, in Kilinochi district on Wednesday, reported the Uthayan.

Security personnel went door by door, questioning residents and checking their identity documents.

Cordon and search operations are continuously carried on in various parts of Kilinochchi the Uthayan further said.

Four Tamil men were held in the North-East of Sri Lanka by security forces, after being accused of removing posters of Tamils wanted by the police, according to Uthayan.

The men, arrested in Oddusuddan, were also attacked by the army and the police, Uthayan further said.

Augustin Salujan 24, Irasenthiram Kamalathas 19, Sureshan 25 and Najeetharan 25 were taken to Oddusuddan police station.

Peace in Sri Lanka is an illusion created by the government said the TNA's Eastern Province member, Mr. T. Kalaiyarasan, reports Uthayan.

Accusing the government of seeking to suppress the Tamil race through such illusions of peace, Mr. Kalaiyarasan said there was a need to fight for Tamil rights on the island.

Referring to the resolution being discussed on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council, Mr. Kalaiyarasan said that peaceful protests were taking place, in the hope that the resolution would be in favour of the Tamil people.

Photograph Tamil Guardian

The international community's call for accountability and justice in Sri Lanka is "not going to go away" warned Canada's Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deepak Obhrai, at a press conference inside the UN Human Rights Council, hours before the Council is set to vote on a third resolution on Sri Lanka.

Asked by the Tamil Guardian on how Canada would respond if the Sri Lankan government failed to cooperate with an investigation by the Office of the UN High Commissioner, Mr. Obhrai said,

"It is very important that they address these issues, it is not going to go away, as much as they try, it is not going to go away."

As the UN Human Rights Council gets ready to vote on the third resolution pushing for accountability in Sri Lanka, government supporters demonstrated in Colombo today in what they said was a "The massive protest against Geneva resolution".

Photograph DailyNews.lk

Today's protest is the latest in a series of protests by pro-government Sri Lankans on the island and in the diaspora against the UNHRC resolution. Meanwhile Tamils worldwide have been pushing for a stronger resolution, demanding accountability and justice for the victims of mass atrocities in Sri Lanka.

Only the Tamil Tigers violated human rights during Sri Lanka’s armed conflict, a senior government minister said according to a media report today.

Nimal Siripala de Silva was speaking after recently returned from Geneva where he briefed diplomats from UN Human Rights Council member states and sought support against the resolution on Sri Lanka.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has stated that an international inquiry on Sri Lanka is "warranted" and "essential", as she presented her report on Sri Lanka at the 25th session UN Human Rights Council earlier today.

Addressing the council Pillay stated "there has been little progress in other critical areas" and that "Sri Lanka has not responded positively to OHCHR’s repeated offers of technical assistance".

Speaking on the final stages of the armed conflict, Pillay told the council "it is important for the Human Rights Council to recall the magnitude and gravity of the violations alleged to have been committed". She went on to add that whilst the government has claimed to initiate various investigations, "none have had the independence to be effective or inspire confidence among victims and witnesses."