“The team is working on both ongoing (DR Congo, Syria) and historic (Libiya, Bosnia, Rwanda) cases of sexual violence in conflict—and has recently expanded its remit to cover more countries including Burma..Yet Sri Lanka, where rape has been a weapon of war for many years of brutal civil conflict, is not being examined,” she wrote.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said today that the Sri Lankan government has been notified of the details of the team that will conduct the investigations into human rights violations.

Claims for land, which has been taken by the military in the northeast, are being made using “false documents”, military spokesperson Ruwan Wanigasooriya said according to Ceylon Today.

He said that the people asking for the return of their land should produce relevant documents.

“The terrible human cost for civilians caught in conflict is even greater for women and girls, who often face sexual violence from all sides and have nowhere to turn for protection... The London summit will only be a success if the pledges countries make to end the scourge of rape in war are translated into concrete action.”

“Countries with armed conflicts should make clear they will arrest and prosecute those responsible for sexual violence, including officers in their own troops with command responsibility for the attackers.”

“As an immediate measure, I request you to kindly ensure that India registers the strongest disapproval of the belligerent actions of the Sri Lankan Navy.”

An increasing number of soldiers who have deserted the Sri Lankan Army are going on to commit crimes according to the latest reported statistics, with tens of thousands of soldiers classed as deserters.

A total of 82 Indian fishermen were arrested and 18 of their trawlers have been seized by the Sri Lankan Navy, in another spate of arrests.

A case filed against Balendran Jeyakumari and her daughter Vipoosika, for allegedly sheltering a member of the LTTE, has been postponed after the presiding judge failed to appear in court.

Disappearances campaigner Jeyakumari and her 13-year old daughter Vipoosika were both detained by the Sri Lankan security forces on the 13th of March 2014 at their home in Tharmapuram. Since then, Jeyakumari has been held at the infamous Boosa camp in the south of the island.

Despite protests calling for their release, the Sri Lankan government has refused.

See more from the Uthayan (in Tamil) here.

A Tamil  man was attacked by unidentified men today, leading to his admission into Batticaloa Teaching Hospital.

28-year-old Paalippodi Gunaseelan was returning to his home in Kanjiran'guda Panaiyaruppan village, in Batticaloa, to find a group of unidentified men questioning his wife. The men, wearing motorcycle helmets, then attacked the victim using logs. He is currently being treated in hospital.

Arrangements are underway to obtain over 1,400 acre of land in Kilinochchi, stated the government in Parliament on Thursday, as land grabbing by the state continues.