Britain’s minister for Asia and the Pacific said “much faster progress is needed” in Sri Lanka, as he responded to questions regarding accountability for mass atrocities committed almost a decade ago.

Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, asked whether “Ministers share my grave disappointment that, 10 years after the horrors of Mullivaikkal, no one has been brought to justice for war crimes in the Sri Lankan conflict?”.

The British Foreign Secretary has said that there will never be lasting peace in Sri Lanka without justice and accountability.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt made the remarks in response to a question about Sri Lanka in parliament on Tuesday.

Gareth Thomas MP had asked:

Arguing the UN Human Rights Council process has failed to provide justice to Tamil victims of mass atrocities in Sri Lanka, the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) announced yesterday it would be seeking data and information from the UN investigations in order to push for private prosecutions of war criminals. 

Human Rights Watch yesterday urged the Sri Lankan government not to end the country's unofficial moratorium on the death penalty, as pledged by the president, Maithripala Sirisena. 

Responding to Sirisena's statement this week that a date had been set for the death penalty to came back into force. 

Imposing the death penalty for drug offenses would violate Sri Lanka’s international human rights obligations, Human Rights Watch said in a statement. 

The Assistant Superindentent of Police in Mannar, Upul Alawatta was arrested last night by the Criminal Investigation Department over the abduction and disappearance of a man in 2008. 

A new British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Sarah Hulton, has been appointed to follow on from James Dauris in August. 

Sri Lanka's president, Maithripala Sirisena says he has set a date for the implementation of the death penalty for those already convicted of drug related sentences. 

The deputy leader of the United National Party received an honorary title from the Sangha Council “in recognition of his service to the nation and the Buddha Sasana”.

The Chief of the Rule of Law, Equality and Non-Discrimination Branch of the UN Office at the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said Sri Lanka’s current justice system is “slow and it’s not delivering” in an interview earlier this week.

The chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils has called on the British government to ensure Sri Lanka abides by commitments it made to the international community in co-sponsoring a UN resolution mandating a hybrid court.

The resolution, passed by the UN Human Rights Council last month “comes at an important time as we approach the 10^th anniversary and remembrance of Mullivaikkal” wrote parliamentarian Paul Scully.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) Sri Lanka desk representative, Alan Keenan met with families of the disappeared in Mullaitivu today. 

A Sri Lankan navy ship arrived in Malaysia last week as troops took part in an international military exhibition in the country, despite continued concerns of human rights abuses committed by the Sri Lankan security forces.

The governor of the Northern Province, who had previously criticised Tamil activists travelling to Geneva, has been accused of hypocrisy after a Buddhist Congress held in Vavuniya under his leadership was revealed to have cost over 900,000 rupees ($5000 USD).

Two more Sinhalese men have been arrested by Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force (STF) for illegal sand-mining in Vavuniya.

A 21-year-old and a 32-year-old were arrested during an STF round up in Sinnaputhukulam on Saturday.

The men’s construction vehicle and other equipment were also seized by the STF.