“We are regularly discussing Sri Lanka with a range of international partners in the run-up to the next session of the Human Rights Council in March”.

“we will continue to press the Sri Lankan Government for credible, transparent and independent investigations into alleged war crimes”.

Sri Lanka’s Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Buddhadasa Samarasinghe has said that he will present the findings from the census in Geneva during the UN Human Rights Council session in March.

The government announced the census last year and said it would be used to ascertain the real number of people who died during the conflict.

“We have a big challenge in March. We are ready to face any challenge,”

“We will neither betray the nation nor our gallant troops.”

The Inter University Students’ Union has complained that the government spent more money on the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), than on all other universities combined, reported ColomboPage earlier this month.

IUSF Convener, Sanjeeva Bandara explained that the government has allocated Rs10.144bn to state universities while allocating Rs17.311bn to the KDU this year.

The United States has announced it is supporting the Bar Association of Sri Lanka’s program entitled “Civil Society Initiatives to Support the Rule of Law”, signing a Memorandum of Understanding at the US Embassy in Colombo on Thursday.

The sponsorship, through US Agency for International Development, will see support for the three-year program, which will “foster further linkages between the Sri Lanka Bar and U.S. state bar association” according to an embassy press release.

"This grave has grown-up people and children, and there are some holes in the skulls believed to be from gunshots,"

"We don't know who killed these people. This is an area that was held by army for a long time. Wherever there has been LTTE or army camps, we must dig."

"We hope that you will use your influence to persuade [Sri Lanka's] President Jayewardene to give a positive lead by making constructive suggestions at the All Parties Conference.

"Military aid and anti-insurgency assistance are not enough to overcome a political crisis which has to be faced and resolved."