The US has granted seven further countries, including Sri Lanka, exemptions from sanctions for importing Iranian oil.

South Africa, India, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Turkey were given a waiver from meeting a US deadline, which is looming at the end of this month, to reduce imports from Iran.

Countries, which haven’t been granted an exemption and fail to reduce imports, will be cut off from the US financial system.

Japan and 10 EU states were granted exemptions from the sanctions, imposed by Congress in December last year, in March.

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said in a statement:

"By reducing Iran's oil sales, we are sending a decisive message to Iran's leaders: Until they take concrete actions to satisfy the concerns of the international community, they will continue to face increasing isolation and pressure,"

China remains under the threat of sanctions and is still under pressure to reduce their reliance on Iranian oil.

“Sri Lanka could be pleased with the way things are turning out with regard to the conduct of its international relations.”

"I have made my decision. I do not think this is a matter of national importance."

Students at the Eastern University boycotted lessons for the third day on Saturday, protesting against the appointment of a paramilitary backed appointment of Dr Jaffer to the university's governing council, reports TamilNet.

Dr Jaffer, the director of the Kalmunai Base hospital is reported to be backed by the paramilitary leader come Sri Lankan deputy minister, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (Karuna).

TamilNet reports that the Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University, Professor K. Gobinarajah, said the university was 'helpless to political appointments made to its governing council by Colombo.

See here for story on TamilNet.

The Sri Lankan government cautioned the US ambassador designate, Michele Sison, over her recent statements on Sri Lanka's human rights record.

The Sri Lankan secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs, Karunatilaka Amunugama, said that although they were not currently taking any action...

“If she is appointed as ambassador to Sri Lanka, and she continues to make such preconceived comments then the government will look at taking further action.”

He added,

“I am confident that the ideas expressed by the ambassador designate and the US government are two different ideas.”

A senior official of India's Intelligence Bureau has accused Tamil Nadu police officers of turning a blind eye to Tamil refugees leaving refugee camps and moving to Kerala.

The official is quoted as saying,

"The Tamil Nadu police are turning a blind eye on Lankan Tamils moving from refugee camps to Kerala. It's not possible for refugees in such large numbers to avoid detection of the police. We strongly believe that the Tamil Nadu police are discreetly allowing refugees to come to Kerala,"

"We have communicated the matter to the Tamil Nadu police as we cannot believe that the refugees have travelled to Kerala without coming under the scanner of the Tamil Nadu intelligence wing,"

The comments came as 151 Tamil refugees were arrested by Kerala police by the coast.

The ultra Sinhala nationalist party, JHU, are to take legal action over TNA leader, Sampanthan, for statements 'regarding formation of a Tamil Eelam state', reports Colombo Page.

The spokesperson for the JHU, Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe, asserted that Sampanthan's statements were in violation of the 157th article of the constitution of Sri Lanka.

The party, led by Buddhist monks, has criticised the government and accused it of failing to take action over the Sampanthan's comments at the ITAK convention held in Batticaloa recently.

“The state government has passed a resolution seeking an economic ban on Sri Lanka. But bureaucrats are inviting delegates from Sri Lanka. They are guilty of genocide and must not be allowed to visit our country.”

"serious allegations of violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law, committed by both sides at the end of the war remain to be investigated and have slowed reconciliation."

"The United States and other international partners have encouraged the government of Sri Lanka to pursue the steps needed to foster genuine reconciliation and accountability."

"Achieving genuine reconciliation will require Sri Lanka to take credible steps to ensure equality and justice for all sri Lankans, particularly for those living in the former conflict areas."

"Such steps include demilitarisation of the former conflict zones, establishment of a mechanism to address cases of the missing and detained, and setting a date for provincial elections in the north. Also critical will be an agreement between the Sri Lankan government and the elected representatives of the Tamil community and devolution of power to provincial institutions."

"During a May 18th meeting with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Secretary Clinton underscored that enduring peace is unsustainable without adequate measures to address reconciliation and accountability. She encouraged a transparent and public process with regard to reconciliation and accountability to strengthen confidence inside and outside of Sri Lanka, and to speed the healing of the country."

"If confirmed I stand ready to leader efforts to support SL as it moves forward and to use US assistance strategically, to promote reconciliation, strengthen democratic institutions and practises, and foster economic growth particularly in the North-East, the former conflict zones.

Sri Lanka's parting representative to the UN in Geneva, Tamara Kunanayakam, sent a letter to the UN High Commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, questioning the impartiality of the UNHRC resolution passed earlier this year, the Daily Mirror reports.

In a letter, published by the newspaper, Sri Lanka ambassador, asserts that Pillay's office, "instead of implementing the resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council at its Special Session on Sri Lanka in 2009, was playing the political agenda of the USA and other Western powers."

Citing an email communication by the head of the Asia-Pacific division of the OHCHR, Rory Mungoven, to Pillay's office, 'triumpantly announcing the adoption' of the UNHRC resolution, Tamara writes,

"The communication raises serious doubts about the impartiality, objectivity, and non-selectivity of the work conducted by the staff of OHCHR and their respect for decisions of the Human Rights Council."

Tamara's full letter, as published in The Daily Mirror, is reproduced below:

"I am writing to you in connection with an email communication dated 22 March 2012 addressed to the staff of your Office by Mr. Rory Mungoven, Head of the Asia-Pacific Division of OHCHR, triumphantly announcing the adoption that morning of the resolution on Sri Lanka by the Human Rights Council, describing it as “the culmination of the sustained and determined work by many in the team and other parts of the house over the past few years.”

I am attaching a copy of the email for ease of reference.

In his communication, Mr. Mungoven pays special tribute to:

(a)    Cynthia Veliko, the OHCHR representative in Colombo, and her team “who have had a difficult task of working through all of this on the ground;”

(b)    “Richard and the colleagues” who supported the Secretary-General’s Advisory Panel on Sri Lanka “without which this would not have been possible,” thus establishing a link between the adoption of the resolution and the report of the Panel, despite the Council’s rejection of official status to the report at its 18th Session;

(c)    the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, and staff of the Special Procedures Branch “who added a powerful dimension to our advocacy; and,

(d)    others involved in your Office’s “own internal documentation exercise.”

In paying tribute to his colleagues, Mr. Mungoven says that the adoption of such a resolution “seemed unthinkable” in the “the dark days of the conflict or the special session in May 2009.”

On your own role and the role of your Office, Mr. Mungoven boasts that it makes him “very proud of the special role this Office can play in not giving up on impunity issues and the strong, personal leadership of the High Commissioner.”

The email further reveals that your staff is now being mobilized, in the same spirit, for the coming months. Mr. Mungoven calls on your staff to prepare “a good follow on strategy” to make most of “new opportunities “opened by the resolution, “and “to pursue this agenda further.” According to the email, your Office is will also be participating in the implementation of the recommendation made by the Secretary-General’s Advisory Panel on Sri Lanka to conduct “a comprehensive review of actions by the UN system during the war in Sri Lanka and the aftermath, regarding the implementation of its humanitarian and protection mandates.” 

It appears from the communication that your Office played a significant role in triggering the adoption of the resolution on Sri Lanka, contrary to the mandate granted to the High Commissioner and the Office by the General Assembly in its resolution 48/141. It also appears that your Office, instead of implementing the resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council at its Special Session on Sri Lanka in 2009, was playing the political agenda of the USA and other Western powers.

The communication raises serious doubts about the impartiality, objectivity, and non-selectivity of the work conducted by the staff of OHCHR and their respect for decisions of the Human Rights Council. As members of the United Nations Secretariat, the staff of your Office are bound by the Charter requirement to refrain from any action which might reflect on their position as international officials responsible only to the Organisation. They are also bound to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, which includes probity, impartiality, fairness, honesty and truthfulness in all matters affecting their work and status; Mr. Mungoven does not have the right to cast aspersions or make negative remarks or draw negative implications from decisions taken by the United Nations organs or bodies.

 I wish therefore to seek clarification on the developments that appear to be contrary to the mandate granted to the High Commissioner and her Office by General Assembly resolution 48/141.

I will to reiterate that we are deeply attached to the independent, non-partisan and multilateral character of your Office, which is crucial not only for its own credibility, but also for the credibility of the Human Rights Council and the decisions that it adopts. "

Amid strong calls for reconciliation and rehabilitation in the North, the Sri Lankan government, who are currently accused of war crimes and human rights abuses, are looking to raise $5 billion dollars, to invest into Hambantota, President Rajapaksa’s home constituency, and in the southern capital city, Colombo.

See here.

A recent report on a $5 billion investment raising initiative exhibited Sri Lanka’s continuous investment drive to help develop its southern ports facilities.

Speaking about plans for Colombo and Hambontota, in a recent interview with a UK newspaper, Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman, Priyath Bandu Wickrama, said,

"We’ll have a golf course and a formula one race track which will be completed by the end of 2014. We’ll have a lot of hotels, shopping malls and various other investment opportunities in that small piece of land,” 

Incidentally, Chinese firms have pledged to invest approximately $50 billion, spread over the next 15 years, in the southern ports.

Writing in The Guardian, Donna Covey, the chief executive of a leading UK charity for refugees and asylum seekers, Refugee Council, condemned the UK's policy of deportation to Sri Lanka, following the recently published testimony of the tortured Tamil deportee, 'Hari'.

'Evidence that shows it is unsafe to return people to Sri Lanka grows by the day. Just last week, the UK's high court stopped the removal of 40 refused asylum seekers to Sri Lanka on the grounds that their human rights would be violated. Human Rights Watch have this year alone reported 13 cases of refused asylum seekers who have been tortured on return to the country, and have called for the UK to halt all returns. The charity Freedom From Torture has consistently raised this as a serious issue, with a "steady stream" of clients who have been recently tortured, including individuals who were forcibly removed to Sri Lanka from the UK.

The human cost of sending people back to Sri Lanka can no longer be ignored, and it's clear the UK government should stop removals without delay. Yet the message does not seem to be getting through. The Home Office's response to this appalling story – that it will continue to return people "who do not have a genuine need for our protection" – is simply unacceptable.'

See here for full article in The Guardian.

“The Prime Minister raised the issue of making sure that allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka were properly investigated”.