Sri Lanka forms committee to address UK sanctions

THE Sri Lanka government on Wednesday (2) formed a committee to recommend measures regarding the UK's decision to impose sanctions on three former military commanders who led the campaign that crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.

Health minister Nalinda Jayatissa told reporters that foreign minister Vijitha Herath, justice minister Harshana Nanayakkara and deputy minister of defence Aruna Jayasekara would comprise the committee that would consult experts for the purpose.

A UK Foreign Office statement last month said Sri Lanka's three military commanders — former Army Commanders Gen Shavendra Silva, Jagath Jayasuriya and former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda — were among those sanctioned and subjected to UK travel bans and asset freezes.

British government also sanctioned Vinyagamurthy Muralidaran, the deputy leader of the LTTE, who later turned a rebel of the group and became a deputy minister in the national parliament.

They were described as people responsible for serious human rights abuses and violations during the conflict with the LTTE.

The current National People's Power (NPP) government led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake faced criticism from opposition parties for its lukewarm response to the UK decision. The government blamed the UK for taking action unilaterally.

The UK government's sanctions on General Silva follow a similar action against him by the US State Department in 2020.
In 2023, Canada sanctioned two former presidents, Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The two Rajapaksa brothers led the military campaign which crushed the LTTE, ending their three decades of armed struggle to create a separate Tamil homeland in the north and east regions.

General Silva and Karannagoda were key commanders in the three-year campaign.

The conduct of the government troops during the final military battle became the subject of four UN rights resolutions since 2012.
Blaming both the military and LTTE for alleged war crimes, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) called for international independent investigations.

The LTTE ran a parallel state in the north and east regions of Sri Lanka in their bid to set up a separate homeland for the minority Tamils, claiming discrimination at the hands of the Sinhalese.

On May 18, 2009, the Sri Lankan Army declared victory with the discovery of the body of the dreaded LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran.

According to Sri Lankan government figures, over 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts, including the three-decade war with Tamil militants in the north and east, which claimed at least 100,000 lives.

(PTI)