After no-arrest assurance, Lanka prez arrives in UK - Times of India

LONDON: After calling off his trip a month ago, Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa is now visiting London on an assurance that he will get diplomatic protection against any attempt to arrest him under the "principle of universal jurisdiction" which applies in respect of war crimes and human rights violations.

This law can lead to prosecution in Britain regardless of where the offence may have occurred. The British foreign office said "he will have immunity like that of any diplomat".

Rajapaksa arrived on Monday and was whisked away by police through a VIP exit while hundreds of Sri Lankan Tamils demonstrated at the terminal building, shouting "war criminal go back" and waving Tamil Eelam flags. Rajapaksa's government is accused of excesses against minority Tamil civilians in the final stage of war against LTTE.