Sri Lanka President should be sacked as Commonwealth Chair

Following revelations that the Government of Sri Lanka is to refuse visas to a UN team investigating war crime atrocities and crimes against humanity in that country, Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh has called for the President of Sri Lanka to be stripped of his Chairmanship of the Commonwealth.

She has written to the UK Prime Minister David Cameron, telling him:

"I urge you to do more to hold President Rajapaksa’s regime to account and to help send a powerful message to other countries that those accused of complicity in the violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law cannot avoid international reproach for their actions."

She also calls on the Prime Minister

• "to reiterate your full support for the UN mandated investigation, as the only legitimate means to advance the causes of truth, accountability and justice"
• "and to call for the President to be suspended from his position as Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth."

A copy of the letter can be viewed here.