After a state of emergency was declared in Sri Lanka on Wednesday, the Sri Lankan Army on Thursday (July 14) issued a diktat, granting its soldiers permission to wield force in any capacity whatsoever to prevent civilians from destroying public property and life.

Sri Lanka authorises its soldiers to use 'necessary' force to stop destruction of life and property

France Thursday asked Sri Lanka to end impunity and ensure ethnic reconciliation a day after Colombo withdrew from a United Nations resolution investigating alleged atrocities during its decades-long separatist war.

France asks Sri Lanka to honour UN pledges on rights

Sri Lanka on Wednesday notified the UN that it was withdrawing from a United Nations resolution for investigating alleged war crimes committed during a decades-long conflict with Tamil separatists.

Sri Lanka notifies UN withdrawing from war crimes resolution

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who oversaw a brutal end to a decades-long conflict with Tamil separatists, said Wednesday the country was withdrawing from a United Nations resolution investigating alleged war crimes.

Sri Lanka says will not honour UN pledge on war probe

Sri Lanka on Sunday said the US should reconsider its decision to refuse entry to the island's army chief over his alleged war crimes and warned that relations were being "unnecessarily complicated".

Sri Lanka calls on US to reconsider barring army chief