The Global Tamil Forum has expressed its disappointment at the resolution passed at the UN Human Rights Council.

Asked by the Tamil Guardian for the organisation's reaction to the resolution, spokesperson Suren Surendiran said that the organisation expressed appreciation for the countries that supported the passing of the resolution, but it would have liked to have seen a stronger text that included a “political solution for the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people” and underlined the need for an independent international investigation.

The British House of Commons held an adjournment debate on the subject of “Justice for Tamils” last week, where the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Tamils urged the British government to push for an international investigation into allegations of war crimes.

Speaking at the House of Commons last week, MP Lee Scott also called for a strengthening of the proposed UNHRC resolution, “to send a clear message to the Sri Lankan Government”.

The resolution was passed the next day with 25 member states voting in favour of the resolution, 13 against and 8 abstaining.

In response, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Alistair Burt, said,

“All international resolutions of this kind are composites, and are put together in a manner designed to create the greatest possible support for them. That sometimes means a degree of compromise on language. The United Kingdom felt that the most important thing was that the demonstration of a significant number of countries with concern about Sri Lanka was better than having a motion that some might have felt unable to support. We wanted to give a clear indication, as we gave last year, of the importance of these issues to many nations, which is why the resolution is drafted in the terms it is. We think it is still firm and meaningful.”

“The text reflects widespread concern that, in simple terms, the Sri Lankan Government, having won a brutal war, are not winning the peace.”

Burt faced serious criticism from Diaspora groups after recording a video interview on the beaches of Mullivaikkal, where tens of thousands of Tamils were massacred in the final few days of the armed conflict in 2009.

The Minister was also slammed after visiting Vanni earlier this year, accompanied by a heavy Sri Lankan security presence, who recorded Tamil civilians talking to the Minister.

Burt responded,

"When I was in Sri Lanka, in the northern area, it was noted that I was not alone. I was accompanied not only by UK officials and officials from the high commission, but by a significant military presence, some uniformed and some non-uniformed. It is not uncommon for a Minister visiting someone else’s country to be protected and supported by the military in those areas, and I raise no issue about that. I felt safe, and it was only appropriate for the Government to do that. However, the extent of military involvement was noticed by others, who were keen to pick out the non-uniformed individuals who were there, which raises a significant matter."

The two biggest political parties in Tamil Nadu have called for India to pull out of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka later this year.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha said participation in the event would “embolden” Sri Lanka.

The stated-run Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) reportedly blocked BBC Tamil services on the island, in the run up to a United Nations Human Rights Council vote on Sri Lanka last week.

Writing in the Asian Correspondent, Sri Lanka Campaign Director Fred carver reported that BBC Tamil services were disrupted, with reports on the Human Right Council session replaced by unrelated material, or by pro-government pieces.

Bashana Abeywardane of Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) stated,

In a US State Department Daily Press Briefing this week, Spokesperson Victoria Nuland has stated that if Sri Lanka was not “forthcoming” in steps towards accountability, then the international community will examine other steps that can be taken.

Commenting on resolution 22/1, Minister of Youth Affairs, Dalas Alahapperuma, told reporters that the UNHRC was being misused by "imperialists" to divide Sri Lanka.

Source Associated Press.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo on Friday, the Minister of Petroleum, Susil Premajayantha, 'accused the LTTE diaspora of attempting to influence the international community against Sri Lanka'.

Source Colombo Page.

Reacting to India's vote in favour of the resolution that has been adopted at the UNHRC, the JHU (part of the ruling UPFA), called on the government to form an Asian brotherhood of states, without India.

In a statement, the JHU said:

"We urge the government to build a foreign policy for Asian solidarity and brotherhood without India"

The National Freedom Front (NFF) - a party within the ruling UPFA coalition, called on the government to reconsider the economic engagement with India and the US.

The NFF media spokesperson, Mohamed Muzamil, said the government must reconsider importing products from India and the US.