As part of its ongoing efforts to rebuild the war-torn Tamil areas of Sri Lanka, India is to fund development of Kankasanthurai (KKS) harbour, the largest port in the Jaffna peninsula.

When its ready, the revamped port will make possible the easy transportation of goods and people between the island's north and nearby Tamil Nadu ports.

The Indian government will fund development of KKS in two stages, including repairs to the present breakwater and jetty, and the deepening of the harbour, as well as the building of a new breakwater.

"The Chinese side is confident that the Sri Lankan government and people are able to properly address all relevant issues."

"The role of India and the US is probably going to determine whether the pressure mounts on Sri Lanka or the [UN expert panel's] report is quickly forgotten.

Click here to listen to comments to Radio Australia by James Ross, Legal and Policy Director at Human Rights Watch, on the UN expert panel's report on Sri Lanka’s war crimes.

“The government [of India] has seen the report of the panel of experts appointed by the UN Secretary General …. The issues raised in the report need to be studied carefully. As a first step, we intend to engage with the government of Sri Lanka on the issues contained in the report."

These are UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay’s comments on the expert panel’s report on Sri Lanka’s war crimes (see statement here):

"By requesting a report from a panel of experts and making it public, [UN Secretary General] Ban Ki-moon has taken a crucial step towards justice for the thousands of civilians who suffered abuses by the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers during the war.

This is what the United States'  Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Susan Rice said in response to the release of the UN Panel of Experts' Report on Sri Lanka:

"With the UN report practically confirming human rights violations and brutal repression that was earlier in the realm of speculation or dismissed as biased or partisan reportage, the Indian government should now move the UN to initiate necessary steps to bring Rajapaksa to stand trial for war crimes and genocide along with his generals, senior ministers and all others who were party to the

“India should not subject itself again to be charged as supporting genocide by Sri Lanka.”

Reports on gender-based war crimes in Sri Lanka from Headlines Today, part of the India Today group:

“The publication of this report will cause irreparable damage to the reconciliation efforts of Sri Lanka. It will damage the UN system too.”

- G. L. Peiris, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister.

“The UN report says that the alleged crimes of both the warring parties and subsequent cover-up by the government constitutes ‘an assault on the entire system of international law and security’.