Australia appeared sympathetic towards Sri Lanka, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott praising the Sri Lankan government's effort to bring about reconciliation after the country's three decade-long civil war against separatist Tamils. The Australian prime minister was speaking as he handed over the chairmanship of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to Sri Lanka.

Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott (L) walks beside Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa after taking the official photograph during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), in Colombo November 15, 2013. (REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte)

In doing so, Mr Abbott stuck a discordant note from traditional allies, UK and Canada, both of whom have been stridently critical of Sri Lanka's human rights record and slow pace of reconciliation effort. Australia, meanwhile, said Sri Lanka had made significant and promising progress in these areas of international concern.

Speaking of Australia's own record as head of the 51-country body of erstwhile British colonies, Mr Abbott said the creation of the Commonwealth charter, aimed at promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law, was his country's ''great achievement'' for the Commonwealth.

Applauding Sri Lanka, Mr Abbott said the country, had emerged from a brutal civil war. He said the Sri Lankan government was committed to democratic pluralism based on the rule of law.

''With peace has come more freedom and more prosperity - we are here to praise as much as to judge,'' he said.

"Sri Lanka's willingness to host this Commonwealth shows its commitment to democratic pluralism and freedom based on law and ought to assure all its citizenship that just as today is better than yesterday, tomorrow will be better than today."

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaska, meanwhile, defended his government saying that bringing an end to the war was itself an assertion of the greatest human right, "the right to life."

"Sri Lanka is emerging from an era of nearly three decades that saw destruction, bloodshed, mayhem, brutality, resultant economic reversals, and human suffering, all due to separatist terrorism."

Pointing out that the years of war had hurt the "soul of the people and the nation," the Sri Lankan president said his country was finding the way again, "though there is many an obstacle."

Asserting that no incidents of terrorism has occurred in the country since the end of the civil war four years back, Mr Rajapaska called on the Commonwealth not to be a "punitive or judgemental body."