Don't Let Alleged War Criminal Rajapaksa Dine With The Queen

In one week, Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her diamond jubilee, marking sixty years as monarch and head of the commonwealth. One of the main events will be a private luncheon with heads of state from around the world, including an alleged war criminal - the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa .

The UN has found credible allegations of his responsibility for the deaths of 40,000 civilians during the closing stages of the civil war in 2009. In addition, Channel 4 recently aired a shocking documentary, Sri Lanka's Killing Fields: War Crimes Unpunished , which detailed evidence implicating the President and his Ministers in the shelling of civillians in designated 'No Fire Zones', extra-judicial killings of unarmed prisoners of war, and the use of torture. But in spite of all this, he will join the Queen and other heads of state at this prestiguous taxpayer-funded occasion .

The international community and the UN have been calling for an independent war crimes inquiry with increasing regularity in recent months. However, the Sri Lankan government has stubbornly resisted these calls, and instead has stepped up its persecution of Sri Lankan journalists and human rights workers. At this crucial time, it is imperative that the UK government and the Queen herself are not seen to validate President Rajapaksa's determination to prevent justice by honouring him as a guest at this important event .

Please sign this petition to ask David Cameron to withdraw President Mahinda's invitation to dine with the Queen , and show the Sri Lankan government that the international community will no longer stand for Sri Lanka's refusal to investigate the events of 2009.