Speaking to Charles Haviland of the BBC, General Sarath Fonseka, asserted that he was in charge of the military in 2009, and not the political leadership.

See BBC report here.

Criticising "some people", for "trying to hide their face when it comes to war crimes and other issues", as "it give the impression to the rest of the world, that these people are guilty of something,"  General Fonseka said that he would "not be scared".

"I have always said that I'm ready to answer any allegations about war crimes, in relation to the military operations. So that is my position"

"The large figures of 30,000, 40,000 died - it was not practicable".

“The effect of an order of freezing would mean a prohibition of any move, transfer, alteration, use of or dealing with funds in any way that would result in any change in their volume, amount, location, ownership, possession, character, destination or other change that would enable the funds to be used or dealt with, including portfolio management.”

“This is precisely what we mean when we talk about accountability in all of it”.

India’s plans to lend ancient fragments of the Buddha’s bones to Sri Lanka have been slammed by Tamil Nadu activists.

Sri Lanka signed an agreement with India on Friday, permitting the transfer of the relics for the celebrations marking the 2,600th anniversary of Buddha’s enlightenment.

The request was made by President Rajapakse to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a visit last year.

Tamil Nadu politician Vaiko criticised India’s decision in a letter to the Prime Minister.

The move was "pouring fire in the terribly wounded hearts of the Tamils", said the letter.

Speaking at a Mullivaikal remembrance event on May 20, Vaiko said the sending of the relics would be a betrayal against Tamils.

“When the Lankan government’s hands are stained with the blood of Tamils, sending the relics to Lanka is an unpardonable betrayal of the Government of India against Tamils,” he said.

“In handing down its decision, the Court appeared to rule that freedom of expression in Sri Lanka is not an absolute right and can be restricted--and you don't need to pass a law to do so.

The Supreme Court could have allowed the case to proceed and--after more hearings, the presentation of proof, and the testimony of witnesses and experts, with opening and closing arguments from both sides--the court would have determined whether a fundamental right has been violated or not. But with Wednesday's decision, none of that will happen. There is no other legal recourse in Sri Lanka. Case closed.”

“Wednesday's decision only adds more media restrictions, tightening the space for public discourse in Sri Lanka.

The court's justices have paved the way for more of the anti-media policies streaming from the authoritarian Rajapaksa government. That stream has become a steady flow and looks to become worse.”

“The entire case is built on the basis that in the absence of a law or regulation, the Ministry of Media and the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission can arbitrarily block the websites.”

“The power of regulating the flow of information, once granted, could easily be misused."

"Victory to our war hero! Victory to our leader!"

Photograph: Courtesy of Daily Mirror

Photograph: Courtesy of Ceylon Today

“They were waiting for this moment. That is why everybody is celebrating all over the country.”

"He is the true leader who liberated this country from 30 years of war."

“This has got nothing to do with international and national pressure. People have peace after 26 years of terrorism. The world should be happy about it.”

"If Mr Fonseka - who has been convicted - can be freed why not us who haven't even been charged?"

“The Vanni was above all a sanctuary. A sanctuary from the horrifying lawlessness of the Sri Lankan state and its military apparatus.”

“A military that runs amok today in the Tamil Eelam homeland, eroding and ultimately destroying every good it comes into contact with. “

In a stirring speech, she went on to praise the “the tens of thousands of men and women who in myriads of ways unflinchingly defended the people from Sri Lanka’s annihilation”, at a time when “every international institution abandoned its duty and walked away.”

She also noted that now, Sri Lanka “is recognized as the crucible where the credibility of international rule of law will be tested” and that “accounting for Sri Lanka’s crimes against humanity will indelibly shape the future of our system of international democracy”.

“This new dawning of understanding would not have been possible without those brave witnesses who have spoken out and without our friends across the world that have given their time and resources towards an accounting for 2009.”

Addressing the Mullaivaikkal remembrance event in London, on Saturday, the Tamil Youth Organisation UK (TYO UK), condemned the ongoing abuses, colonisation and oppression taking place in the North-East and asserted, "history makes two things very clear. Justice cannot be compromised on and oppression will not be tolerated forever."

See TYO UK address in full here. Extracts reproduced below:

"Three years ago, tens of thousands of Tamils perished as the Sri Lankan Army annihilated the Vanni. As we wept, the world urged reconciliation."

"Yet three years on, May 18th defines precisely what cannot be reconciled."

"As we remain confounded by our nation’s collective loss, the Sinhala nation praises its government and celebrates its military.

"What the Eelam Tamil nation calls genocide, the Sinhala nation calls ‘victory’.

"And so, on a day like today, as we remember May 18th at Mullivaikkaal, we are ever more resolved that our nation’s security, the island’s peace and the region’s stability lie in Tamil Eelam."

The British Tamil Forum condemned the continued oppression of the Tamil nation in their speech at London's Mullivaikal remembrance event on Saturday.

BTF asserted that the Tamil people will never accept 'servitude in their own land' and 'subjugation' will be 'resisted'.

For full BTF speech see here. See below for extracts:

"[We are gathered here] to remind ourselves; to remind the world, that we will not forget what was done to our people. We will not abandon our people. We will not let the international community abandon our people.

"The Tamils, the ancient people of that island, will not accept servitude in their own land. They will resist subjugation. The Sinhalese will respond with violence and murder. It won’t be long before another “Black July 1983” revisits the Tamil people. The Sinhala state will use the opportunity to rid the island, of more Tamils.

"We are facing an existential threat in our own land. We need to focus all our energies to deal with this threat. We cannot let our people be massacred on the streets and in their houses again. We have no time to lose in squabbling between us when our land is being gobbled up and our people are being trampled upon by the Sinhala state."

"The attack marks yet another attempt by the Sri Lankan state, through intimidation, aggression and sheer violence, to deny Tamils the very basic of rights – the right to mourn our dead.

Justice is paramount. However, reflecting on over sixty years of genocide faced by the Tamil nation, we view this attack as another in that continuum. We note with dismay and abhorrence that it will no doubt be met with injustice and impunity. 

Our thoughts are with our brothers and sisters in the North-East who continue to face this genocide today."

"On this day of remembrance, as Tamils around the world come together to mourn the genocide of 2009, a brutal attack was launched on a Tamil student at the University of Jaffna.

Paramalingam Tharsananth, a third year student at the Faculty of Art, and the Secretary of the Jaffna University Student Union, was attacked with iron bars by a gang widely believed to be linked to the Sri Lankan Army's intelligence unit. He has been admitted to hospital with serious head injuries.

Defying the Sri Lankan military's orders prohibiting the marking of the massacre at Mullaivaikkal, Paramalingam Tharsananth, along with his fellow students had organised a remembrance event at the university, and was due to address it, before he was attacked.

We the undersigned Tamil youth and student organisations of the UK, condemn and deplore this brutal act of violence that seeks to terrorise Tamil youth in the North-East of the island of Sri Lanka.

The attack marks yet another attempt by the Sri Lankan state, through intimidation, aggression and sheer violence, to deny Tamils the very basic of rights – the right to mourn our dead.

Justice is paramount. However, reflecting on over sixty years of genocide faced by the Tamil nation, we view this attack as another in that continuum. We note with dismay and abhorrence that it will no doubt be met with injustice and impunity. 

Our thoughts are with our brothers and sisters in the North-East who continue to face this genocide today."