Tamils across the state of California held a candle lit vigil to commemorate the 4^th year anniversary of the Mullvaikkal massacre.  

Speakers at the events, organised by the May 17 movement, that took place in Santa Monica and San Jose, condemned the international community’s failure to recognise the genocide of the Eelam Tamil nation, and called upon the Eelam Tamil diaspora to pressure the United Nations to facilitate a referendum on Tamil Eelam.

In its annual International Religious Freedom report, the US State Department expressed concern about attacks and discrimination by Buddhists against Hindus, Muslims and Christians.

After criticism from human rights organisations, not to invite Sri Lanka to a World War I Commonwealth commemoration event, Downing Street has said invitations should go out as usual.

A renowned bridge construction company, Clevelend Bridge, has successfully won a £35million contract to replace rural bridges in Sri Lanka.

"Respect for basic rights and liberties has declined in Sri Lanka in the four years since the government defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). This week marks the fourth anniversary of the brutal civil war's end."

"Publications − including electronic media − that are critical of the government have been subject to government censorship, and some have been forced to close down. The leading Tamil opposition newspaper, Uthayan, has faced repeated physical attacks against its journalists and property."

"Tamils with alleged links to the LTTE remain targets of arbitrary arrest and detention, and are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Sri Lankan security forces have used rape and other forms of sexual violence against alleged LTTE supporters, as documented by Human Rights Watch in a February report. On the strength of the evidence presented by Human Rights Watch and other organizations, since 2012 several courts in the United Kingdom suspended the deportation of Tamils considered to fall within this risk category."

Jayasuriya further added that the LLRC reported no deliberate targeting of civilians by the army during the war and praised the army’s role in developing the country as “peacetime troops”.

Updated 09:00 GMT