“It is the failure on the part of successive governments of the Sri Lankan State to deliver on such a political solution that has been the primary cause for the exacerbation of the conflict and the consequences thereof.

“[Instead] The Sri Lankan State has over the years, systematically and continuously unleashed violence against unarmed Tamil civilians in order to suppress and subjugate them and to deny and deprive them of the realization of any legitimate power-sharing.

“We observe that the [UN expert panel’s report] confirms the truth of what happened to the unarmed Tamil civilians in the course of the conduct of the recently concluded war and is an irrefutable confirmation of the accounts of the events as reported by us to Parliament as and when they occurred.”

“We welcome the recommendations made by the Panel and trust that they will be honestly implemented.”

- Tamil National Alliance. See the party’s statement in response to the UN expert panel’s report here.

A convention is being organized on May 10 in New Delhi, to discuss the recently release UN Report on War Crimes in Sri Lanka and its implications.

Prominent activists speaking at the convention include Prof Jagmohan Singh, Arundhati Roy, Justice Rajinder Sachar (former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court), and Prof SAR Geelani (Delhi University).

Leaders from Indian political parties, including D. Raja of the CPI, are also taking part.

The convention is to be held atKrishna Menon bhavan (opposite the Supreme court) from 2.30 to 7.30. The UN report will be released and video footage of war crimes in Sri Lanka will be screened.

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.

In 2010, the Indian government agreed to assist Sri Lanka in the development of both Palali airport in Jaffna and the Kankesanthurai Port.

"The restoration of the Kankesanthurai harbour will provide a fillip to domestic and regional commerce in Sri Lanka. It will also result in increased connectivity and people-to-people contact between India and Sri Lanka, an objective to which both India and Sri Lanka are committed," said a statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Colombo in January.

At that time, India's Ministry of External Affairs signed an Agreement with RITES Limited for Consultancy Services on the preparation of a detailed project report and the conduct of geo-technical investigations for the rehabilitation of KKS Harbour.

Earlier this week, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who holds the finance portfolio, presented to the cabinet the proposal to develop the harbour, Sugeeswara Senadhira, the Minister-Counsellor at the Sri Lankan High Commission in India said, according to Indian press reports.

Senadhira added that the Sri Lankan cabinet sanctioned the plan after the proposal was put forward by the President. "A Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian government is to be signed shortly," Senadhira told IANS.

KKS harbour is one of 10 sea and air entry points to Sri Lanka.

Its breakwater was severely damaged by the 2006 tsunami and the harbour also needs to be cleared of several shipwrecks from ships that sank off the KKS coast.

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

"We hope that the international community could help develop a favorable external environment for the Sri Lankan government to stabilize the country's internal situation and accelerate economic growth, and avoid taking measures that could further complicate the issue."

- The response of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei When asked to comment on the report by the UN Secretary General's Advisory Panel. See here for the Xinhua press report of his comments.

"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. If one takes a cue from developments over recent years, Colombo’s successful prosecution of the war would not have been possible without both overt support and sins of omission and commission by both New Delhi and Washington."

- An extract from a comment in the May 2011 issue of Himal magazine. See here for the full comment.

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.

In particular, Ross cautions against the narrow reading in the press of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s statement on needing a mandate to initiate a Commission of Inquiry into Sri Lanka’s 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."

- Indian External Affairs Ministry. See Times of India’s news brief here.

See our ealier post: 'India and Sri Lanka’s war crimes'

See also Hindustan Times’ report: ‘Will India too back Lanka after report?’

This is what Human Rights Watch said on March 1:

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):

“The way this conflict was conducted, under the guise of fighting terrorism, challenged the very foundations of the rules of war and cost the lives of tens of thousands of civilians.

“I hope the disturbing new information contained in this report will shock the conscience of the international community into finally taking serious action.

“As the report itself says, addressing violations of international humanitarian or human rights law is not a matter of choice or policy; it is a duty under domestic and international law.

“The eyewitness accounts and credible information contained in this report demand a full, impartial, independent and transparent investigation.

“Unless there is a sea-change in the Government’s response, which has so far been one of total denial and blanket impunity, a full-fledged international inquiry will clearly be needed.”

See also Jan Jananayagam's opinion: 'UN experts’ report makes the case for genocide'

"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.

"Ban should now follow the panel's advice and set up an independent international mechanism that will investigate alleged violations. It should name names and lay the groundwork for international prosecutions."

- Philippe Bolopion, Human Rights Watch’s UN Director. See his comments to The Independent here.

"Sadly, the Sri Lankan government's immediate dismissal of the report as biased demonstrates that there is no chance of a serious domestic justice process.

"The only hope for victims of the conflict is an international investigation leading to prosecutions. Ban should lose no time in setting one up."

- Brad Adams, executive director of HRW’s Asia Division. See HRW's statement here.

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:

“The US welcomes [the] public release of the ... report. We appreciate the detailed and extensive work of the panel and believe it makes a valuable contribution to next steps that should be taken in support of justice, accountability, human rights, and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

“We commend the Secretary General for his decision to release the report publicly.

“The United States has been at the forefront of efforts to support an effective, transparent post-conflict reconciliation process in Sri Lanka that includes accountability for violations by all parties.

“The report highlights the need for an independent and full accounting of the facts in order to ensure that allegations of abuse are addressed and impunity for human rights violations is avoided.

“We strongly support the Secretary General’s call for the Sri Lankan authorities to respond constructively to the report and underscore our belief that accountability and reconciliation are inextricably linked.”

See also India's - in contrast to the US's, guarded - response, and related commentary here.

"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 brutal excesses."

"India should spearhead an international movement to put pressure on Sri Lanka to ensure that all people in that country are treated equally and are allowed to live a life of dignity.

"If necessary, an economic blockade will have to be resorted to, to bring a recalcitrant Sri Lanka to heel."

- J. Jayalalithaa, former Tamil Nadu chief minister and leader of the main opposition AIADMK. See the rest of IANS’ report here

Meanwhile, the DMK, which leads Tamil Nadu’s ruling coalition and is a key member of India’s Congress-led ruling coalition, appealed to the Indian government to make all efforts to ensure that those responsible for alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka faced action.

Referring to the UN report, the party's high-level committee said it will consult its Tamil Nadu ruling coalition partners - Congress, PMK and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, among others, on further course of action.

See PTI's report here.

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

- BJP national executive member L. Ganesan, on reports India is supportive of Sri Lanka's attack on the UN expert panel's report. See The Hindu’s news brief here.

"I believe that [the] Indians were aware of the civilian casualties that were happening [in 2009], because they had pretty good intelligence inside [Sri Lanka's] siege zone.

"If foreign governments knew what was going on this latter stage of the war and continued to supply arms, then I think it is a matter worthy of investigations in those countries."

- Gordon Weiss, former UN spokesperson in Sri Lanka. See his comments to BBC Sinhala service here. 

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon released on Monday the much anticipated report by the independent expert panel he appointed last year to look into war crimes and crimes against humanity during the final phase in 2009 of Sri Lanka's war.

The full text of the report is available on the UN website here.

The Secretary General's statement accompagnying the release of the report is found here.

The release of the report comes despite Sri Lanka's strident objections, and Colombo's vituperative criticism of the report, its authors and the UN.

In his statement, Mr. Ban said "The decision to release the report was made as a matter of transparency and in the broader public interest."

Pointedly, the statement added that the Secretary General "expresses his appreciation to the advisory Panel of Experts" and "regrets the inflammatory tone of some of the recent public statements emanating from Sri Lanka."

With regards to the expert panel's recommendation that Mr. Ban now establish an international investigation mechanism, he said this would require either Sri Lanka's consent, or a decision by the international community through an appropriate forum.

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

On April 22, 2011: ‘Evidence of warcrimes in Sri Lanka’

On December 2, 2010: ‘Sri Lanka war crimes’

On January 25, 2010: ‘War crimes return to haunt Sri lanka’