PM's absence casts shadow over CHOGM beginning on Friday

At the joint press conference, CHOGM Secretary General Kamlesh Sharma said the outcome of the Summit will touch upon the issues relating to Commonwealth principles like human rights, democracy and judiciary.

He said the grouping was engaged with Sri Lanka on the issue of human rights violations and would invite complaints about torture by state forces so that progress can be achieved on reconciliation.

In a question to Rajapaksa, a Geneva-based Sri Lankan journalist, who thanked the President for “eliminating the world's dangerous terror outfit” asked as to how he would save the Tamil diaspora from being influenced by LTTE, in a reference to Sri Lankan Tamils settled in various western capitals and campaigning against the Lankan government.

“I have already invited them to come to Sri Lanka for a dialogue with us. We can have a dialogue. We are ready to discuss with them and listen to them,” Rajapaksa said.  But, he said, there was the other side when human rights violations were perpetrated by the LTTE.