The UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office met with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera in New York today, to discuss implementation of a UN resolution calling for an internationalised accountability mechanism.

The US Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) said it was “deeply disturbed” by Sri Lanka’s justice minister’s rejection of war crimes and threat of legal action against those who attempt to pursue accountability for human rights violations committed by Sri Lankan soldiers.

"USTPAC is deeply troubled by Justice Minister Rajapakshe's comments,” said USTPAC president Dr Karunyan Arulanantham, adding that it should “raise alarm bells among the international community”.

The 21^st anniversary of the Nagarkovil massacre was marked in Jaffna on Thursday evening.

The chief minister of the Northern Province, C V Wigneswaran, the Tamil People's Council and the Tamil Civil Society Forum urged Tamils to join the "Ezhuha Tamil!" mass rally in Jaffna tomorrow. 

Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena addressing the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday said the country was is "no hurry" in its journey towards reconciliation and lasting peace. 

His address, which comes after a number of international calls for increased momentum towards delivering on key concerns of the Tamil people, also stressed that Sri Lanka would formulate its own recipe for reconciliation. 

The European Union may have to remove the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam, from its list of terrorist organisations according to a top European Court advisor, reports the BBC.

US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena in New York on Wednesday and called for “meaningful reconciliation and justice in Sri Lanka”.

A massive Sri Lankan military exercise which has been underway for several weeks concluded with a multi-pronged assault on a beach in the North-East on Tuesday.

The Sri Lankan military declared open a new exhibition showcasing heavy weaponry deployed by the military in the final phase of the armed conflict in the Tamil North-East, more than 7 years after the massacres of tens of thousands of Tamils.

India and Sri Lanka are to jointly manage 30 oil tanks in Trincomalee, the Sri Lankan petroleum minister Chandima Weerakkody was quoted by The Hindu as saying. 

Mr Weerakoddy is to hold meetings with his counterpart in New Delhi regarding the joint venture which will involve the Indian Oil Cooperation subsidiary, Lanka IOC and Ceylon Petroleum Cooperation. 

“It’s the starting point for developing the regional hub,” Mr Weerakoddy reportedly added.

Sri Lanka's justice minister, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said he "categorically rejects all allegations of war crimes against the armed forces" in an interview to the BBC Sandeshaya. 

Mr Rajapakshe warned that "legal action would be taken against anyone who alleges that the country’s armed forces had committed war crimes", reported News Radio. 

The president of the Valikamam North Resettlement Society called for displaced Tamils to be resettled in their native land and not in any other alternate locations, in an interview with Ceylon Today published on Tuesday.

Arunasalam Gunapalasingham said everyone “must understand reality”. “Our people are looking forward to resettle in their native places and everyone has their own lands.”

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera met with UN human rights chief Zeid Al Hussein in New York this week, where the two discussed the “reconciliation” on the island, according to a government spokesperson.

The secretary of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) said the Sri Lankan government is confusing its electorate by giving contradictory statements on federalism and the prominence of Buddhism on the island.

Udaya Gammanpila, a Sinhala nationalist MP, said whilst Sri Lanka’s president and prime minister have pledged to ensure Buddhism still holds prominence across the island as in the current constitution, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga has contradicted them.