Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Coalition to Stop Child Soldiers have called for Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to investigate whether Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, also known as Colonel Karuna, a former Tamil Tiger warlord, who entered the UK on a forged passport, to be prosecuted for war crimes.
The Tamileela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), Karuna's pro-government paramilitary faction that broke away from the Tamil Tiger rebels, has been condemned by United Nations for hostage taking, torture and using child soldiers.
He is alleged to have entered the UK on a false Sri Lankan diplomatic passport under a false name as the "director general of wildlife conservation".
The Foreign Office yesterday said that officials on Monday had "expressed concern" to Kshenuka Senewiratne, the Sri Lankan high commissioner, about how Colonel Karuna obtained a diplomatic passport.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Coalition to Stop Child Soldiers have called for CPS to investigate whether Karuna can be prosecuted in the UK for war crimes.
Such crimes can be tried in this country under UK war crimes legislation. The Crown Prosecution Service said: "We have received preliminary reports from the police and are liaising with them."
Sri Lanka’s high commission in London said yesterday: "The government of Sri Lanka is unaware of any issuance of a diplomatic passport to Colonel Karuna. The [Tamil Tigers] are well known for forging passports."