Rajapakse’s UK visit postponed
Sri Lankan officials have dismissed reports that President Mahinda Rajapakse cancelled his planned visit to Britain amid fears he would be arrested for alleged war crimes.
Mahinda Rajapakse was due to address the Oxford Union this week but has postponed his visit until December.
The Foreign Office told Channel 4 that it had “no indication” that the President had delayed his visit because of fears he could face arrest.
“We have had no indication that concern over universal jurisdiction was the reason behind the postponement of President Rajapakse’s private visit,” a Foreign Office spokesman said.
“We have had no indication that concern over universal jurisdiction was the reason behind the postponement of President Rajapakse’s private visit” Foreign Office spokesman
“We await confirmation from the Sri Lankan High Commission of future dates for a visit.”
Sri Lankan officials have rejected reports from Indian media that Rajapakse cancelled the trip amid fears of arrest, saying it was “false and misleading”.
“There is no cancellation and only a postponement,” a spokesman said.
Under the principle of universal jurisdiction, war crime and crime
against humanity can be prosecuted by British law, even if they were
not committed in the UK.
It comes after Prime Minister David Cameron told the Commons last week that alleged human rights abuses by the Sri Lankan government should be examined by outside experts.
Mr Cameron called for an “independent investigation” into alleged crimes committed during the defeat of the Tamil Tigers last year.