The vote by the United Nations Human Rights Council to congratulate the Sri Lanka Government on its victory over the Tamil Tigers and to ignore calls for an inquiry into possible war crimes is a disgrace.

In what is seen as another blow to its already damaged credibility, the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday, May 27, voted in favor of a resolution praising Sri Lanka, which western nations said would do nothing to help victims of the just-ended civil war or remedy widespread human rights violations.

The next time you buy some lingerie, a T-shirt or a pair of rubber gloves, you may want to reflect on this: they were probably made in Sri Lanka. And like it or not, your purchase plays a role in the debate over how to respond to the Sri Lankan Government's successful but brutal military campaign against the Tamil Tiger rebels, which reached its bloody climax this week.

United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka’s main opposition, has said the government should defeat the ‘Eelam ideology’ and stressed the need to take action on Tamil political parties to remove the Eelam ‘tag’ from their names.

Despite a financial crisis which has led to Sri Lanka seeking USD 1.9 billion emergency loan from the IMF and even after declaring victory over the LTTE, the Sri Lankan Army is planning to increase its military strength by 50% according to its chief.

The Sri Lankan government and local media, who are increasingly hostile to the West, believe that European nations including Britain, France and Sweden are influencing the US Obama administration to block the IMF loan to Sri Lanka until Colombo adheres to its obligations under international humanitarian laws.

Evidence gathered by The Times has revealed that at least 20,000 Tamils were killed on the beach by shelling as the army closed in on the Tigers wrote the Times in an editorial on 29 May.

The UN Secretary-General must speak out about civilian deaths in Sri Lanka wrote The Times in an editorial on 1 June.

The silence of those who were warned of civilian deaths in Sri Lanka is shameful. They must speak out now to prevent future atrocities wrote The Times in an editorial on 30 May.

Francis Boyle, professor of International Law at the University of Illinois College of Law said Saturday that both the United Nations Organization itself and its highest level officials are guilty of aiding and abetting Nazi-type crimes against the Tamils by the Government of Sri Lanka, in violation of international law.

ICRC which was involved in evacuating injured civilians, announced on Wednesday May 27 that it was suspending its aid operations due to difficulties caused by “additional restrictions” placed upon it by the Sri Lanka government.

The liberals have finally got what they wanted, the military defeat of the LTTE. But Sri Lanka is further from a liberal peace than at any point in its bloody sixty year history.

UN Humanitarian chief, John Holmes, rejected accusation by a British newspaper that UN had colluded with Sri Lanka in hiding the war crimes the government committed during the final phase of its war against the LTTE.

Calling for increased access so the international community could make a decision on war crimes, the outgoing US Ambassador to Sri Lanka gave a final press conference on Wednesday before his departure from the country.