Australian newspaper The Age published an editorial today calling upon the Australian government to take meaningful action towards bringing about an international investigation on Sri Lanka, stating that the international community has a duty to act on the reports of war crimes.

Published the day after a report by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), which stated genocidal acts may have occurred, the editorial slammed Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s “petulant and dangerously insular response” to reports of human rights violations and Australia's "shameful and obsequious brand of appeasement” of Sri Lanka. It went on to note that "Australia risks being marginalised" if it fails to act towards bringing about justice.

Extracts from the article have been reproduced below. See the full piece here.

"When war crimes are committed but not punished because a ruling government ignores or, in the case of Sri Lanka, flatly denies that they occurred, the duty falls to the international community to act. We must not fail to do so even when we fear it may jeopardise bilateral relationships. We have an abiding moral duty to do all we can to ensure justice is done."

"What is particularly concerning, though, is evidence that torture, enforced disappearances, rape and sexual violence have continued since 2009 under the government of President Mahindra Rajapaksa. The PIAC suggests the Rajapaksa government has fostered a ''culture of impunity'' that allows violations of human rights to continue. Is it any wonder that so many Sri Lankans have sought asylum here in recent years?"

The Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation, a group founded by DMK head Karunanidhi, has passed a resolution calling on India to support an international investigation into Sri Lanka at the upcoming UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva.

The organisation, who met at the at 'Anna Arivalayam' in Chennai with Karunanidhi chairing, unanimously condemned the Indian government’s approach on Sri Lanka and called upon the government to support a resolution calling for an international investigation on Sri Lanka.

Protesters and demonstrators are to be prosecuted in the future, the Sri Lankan police has announced.

Police spokesperson Ajith Rohona told a press conference that due to the public inconvenience caused by demonstrations and road blockades, protestors would be charged for wasting public time.

The policy will allegedly be enacted in all districts on the island, including Colombo.

Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Ministry has denied reports that it refused a visa for the US Ambassador at Large for Women’s Issues, Catherine Russell, who cancelled a 2 day visit scheduled to the island.

External Affairs Ministry official Prabhashini Ponnamperuma said that the government was merely requesting Russell to reschedule her visit.

The International Crimes Evidence Project (ICEP) on Sri Lanka, carried out by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), concluded the Sri Lankan government was responsible for vast "crimes against humanity of persecution".

Highlighting the need for a truly independent and credible investigation, the report added that such crimes "constitute genocidal acts if the additional requisite elements for this crime are found to be present through further investigation".

“An independent and comprehensive international investigation is needed into these alleged violations of international law. The absence of such investigation will also ensure the ongoing impunity of those on both sides of the conduct who have committed violations, thereby emboldening those who may continue to abuse the civilian population.”

There are also allegations of collusion and other acts by the Sri Lankan state, which inhibit accountability for wartime crimes and protect perpetrators.

This report describes command and control structures so well-established that criminal responsibility for certain crimes if proven at trial could lead to convictions of senior military commanders and Sri Lankan Government officials, as well as senior surviving members of the LTTE.

ICEP is in the process of collecting new evidentiary material. Early analysis suggests that the Sri Lankan Government may have sought systematically to exhume and destroy evidence of mass civilian deaths.

See here for key points of the report. Find full report here.

The Canadian Tamil Congress has called for financial and diplomatic sanctions against Sri Lanka, as it urged the international community to take decisive action at the United Nations Human Rights Council in March.

In a statement released yesterday, as the Sri Lankan President lashed out at the prospect of an investigation into human rights violations, the CTC stated,

"As Sri Lanka celebrates its 66th year of independence, Tamils in Sri Lanka and worldwide look forward to the support of the international community to bring about peace, justice and equality to the Tamils on the island. Tamils worldwide remain hopeful that a meaningful resolution will be passed in the upcoming March 2014 United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva – one with a mandate to establish an international independent investigation into allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed during the final stages of the war."

The statement went on to say,

"While the Canadian Tamil Congress thanks the government of Canada for its strong stand at CHOGM in November 2014, we urge our government to take decisive action involving financial and diplomatic sanctions against Sri Lanka."

Key findings from the report entitled ‘Island of Impunity?’ are reproduced below.

“The report illustrates violations perpetrated by both parties to the conflict and in particular, widespread torture, sexual violence and enforced disappearance, which continue in part today, perpetrated by SFs (Sri Lankan Forces) on the civilian population,

“There are also allegations of collusion and other acts by the Sri Lankan state, which inhibit accountability for wartime crimes and protect perpetrators.”

"Certain alleged crimes committed during the final months of the war involved such flagrant and reckless disregard for the laws of war, which strongly suggests there was intent to commit those crimes. For example, with effective control of all land, sea, and air approaches, the disciplined, well-trained and well-armed Sri Lankan SFs conducted indiscriminate artillery bombardments of areas of known civilian concentrations, also striking hospitals and humanitarian sites."

On the destruction of mass graves sites,

"Shortly before this report was finalised, ICEP obtained new eye-witness information in respect of the registration and burial of the civilian dead in the former conflict zone in Sri Lanka during the final five months of the war, and the alleged systematic destruction of civilian mass burial sites in the post-conflict period.

"According to this witness, these burial sites contained human remains from hundreds, and in some instances, thousands of men, women and children who died during the conflict. The precise location of these, and other, burial sites, has been provided to ICEP,

"This witness has alleged that scores of civilian mass burial sites were systematically destroyed after the conflict. According to this witness, the SFs, and specifically members of the Sri Lankan Police and Sri Lankan Army, are directly implicated in this conduct. This witness believes that senior SFs officials knew that graves were being identified for the purpose of exhumation, and permanent destruction, over a period of more than a year. Self evidently, these allegations are very serious and there is an urgent need for further investigation to determine their veracity."

"[...] allegations are that human remains from mass burial sites in the conflict zone were exhumed and were covertly destroyed. This highlights the urgent need for an internationally-mandated investigation.”

On indiscriminate killings of Tamil civilians,

“The impact of attacks on civilians suggests that the use of military force was manifestly disproportionate to any anticipated military advantage,

The UNP has accused the government of human rights abuses, citing the Weliweriya incident, which left 3 Sinhalese dead, and the Welikade prison massacre, which left 26 Sinhalese and one Tamil dead.