Namal Rajapaksa’s Cambridge Union Lecture Cancelled After Diaspora Protests

The scheduled lecture by Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organizer and MP Namal Rajapaksa at the Cambridge Union has been cancelled following protests and objections from Tamil diaspora groups in the United Kingdom.

Namal Rajapaksa’s planned lecture at the Cambridge Union has been cancelled after strong opposition from sections of the Tamil diaspora community in the United Kingdom. Rajapaksa, the National Organizer of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and a Member of Parliament, was scheduled to speak at both the Oxford Union and Cambridge Union during his visit to the UK at the end of February.

Tamil diaspora groups, including the Tamil Student Unions of the United Kingdom and the Tamil Youth Organization of Britain (TYO UK), issued a joint statement demanding the cancellation of the event. They raised objections to Rajapaksa’s participation and urged organisers to withdraw the invitation.

Following protests and increasing pressure, the Cambridge Union organisers decided to cancel the lecture. At the time of reporting, Rajapaksa had not issued an official response regarding the cancellation.

The incident highlights ongoing political sensitivities surrounding Sri Lankan politics among diaspora communities in the UK and the influence of advocacy groups on academic and public forums.