UK sanctions Sri Lanka’s former military commanders and deputy LTTE leader

The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on four Sri Lankans, including three former military commanders, who led the campaign that crushed the LTTE in 2009, for human rights violations.

A UK foreign office statement on Monday said General Shavendra Silva, former Head of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, Wasantha Karannagoda, former Navy Commander, and Jagath Jayasuriya, former Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, were among those sanctioned and subjected to UK travel bans and asset freezes.

The statement said the UK government also sanctioned Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan, the deputy leader of the LTTE who later turned a rebel of the group and became a deputy minister in the national parliament.

“The UK government has imposed sanctions on 4 individuals responsible for serious human rights abuses and violations during the Sri Lanka civil war, including extrajudicial killings, torture and/or perpetration of sexual violence,” the statement said.

Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, David Lammy, said: “The UK government is committed to human rights in Sri Lanka, including seeking accountability for human rights violations and abuses which took place during the civil war, and which continue to have an impact on communities today.”

He said the sanctions would ensure that those responsible for past human rights violations and abuses were held accountable.

“The UK government looks forward to working with the new Sri Lankan government to improve human rights in Sri Lanka, and welcomes their commitments on national unity,” Lammy said.

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 the 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 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (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 LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran.