Retired military officers facing war crimes allegations have said they are still awaiting the release of recommendations of a committee that inquired into targeted sanctions imposed on General Shavendra Silva, General Jagath Jayasuriya, Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, and former LTTE field commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna.
The newly formed committee, chaired by Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath, includes Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara and Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara.
The UK announced the sanctions on March 24, 2025 claiming that the aforementioned former military officers were responsible for serious human rights abuses and violations during the war, including extrajudicial killings, torture and/or perpetration of sexual violence.
A former military officer emphasised the pivotal importance of releasing the NPP government’s findings during United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s visit. Foreign Ministry announced Türk would undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka today (23) to 26 June This marks the first visit by a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Sri Lanka since February 2016.
Responding to The Island query, the retired officer pointed out the government couldn’t delay its formal response as the Geneva-based UNHRC was stepping up pressure on the war-winning military.
The Foreign Ministry has announced that Türk is scheduled to call on the President and the Prime Minister. He is also scheduled to meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, several other Cabinet Ministers, members of Parliament, senior government officials, religious leaders, representatives of civil society, members of the diplomatic community, and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.
“We believe Türk can meet us because his schedule includes visits to Jaffna and Trincomalee and paying homage to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and calling on the
Chief Prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters.
The retired officer noted that Nagalingam Vethanayagam, the Governor of the Northern Province and Professor Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera, Governor of the Eastern Province were scheduled to meet the visiting UN official.
Referring to sanctions imposed on selected officers as well as former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa by the US, Canada and Australia, the ex-military officer said that they expected the NPP to do better than previous governments.
Noting that Mullivaikkal hadn’t been included in the High Commissioner’s itinerary in spite of the British Tamil Forum (BTF) specifically requesting him to visit the area where the LTTE was defeated in third week of May 2009, the ex-serviceman said that they didn’t see any need to impose restrictions on the visiting team. “There is no harm in the High Commissioner visiting even the spot where the Army killed Velupillai Prabhakaran,” the spokesman said, urging the government to counter unsubstantiated war crimes allegations, blaming the Yahapalana government for having co-sponsored an accountability resolution against the Sri Lankan military in Oct 2015.
The ex-official recalled all predominantly Tamil speaking northern and eastern districts overwhelmingly voted for war-winning Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka at the 2010 presidential election.
by Shamindra Ferdinando 