‘I haven’t sought US visa for more than 15 years’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda yesterday (27) said that he had not applied for a visa to visit the US and was not planning to do so. He said so when The Island sought his response to him being designated by the US State Department.

The action is the first since the US designation of the then Commander of the Army General Shavendra Silva in Feb 2020.

Sri Lanka’s most successful Navy Commander said that his designation over 12 years after the eradication of the LTTE had come as a shock because the US provided the much-required intelligence to hunt down some of the LTTE’s floating arsenals.

“In fact, I haven’t visited the US since 2007,” Karannagoda said. The US owed an explanation as one time US Ambassador in Colombo Robert O Blake, who was instrumental in providing US intelligence in 2015––six years after the conclusion of the war––didn’t have any hesitation in solidly standing by the Navy.

Blake, who served as US Ambassador in Jakarta in 2015, is on record as having said that he facilitated help for two reasons, namely the Navy hadn’t been responsible for gross human rights violations and it was their interest to thwart weapons transfers to any terrorist group.

Referring to the US State Department announcement on the latest designation, the former Navy Chief said that it was difficult to believe a senior retired officer or any person for that matter could be designated simply on the basis of ‘a gross human rights violation documented by NGOs and independent investigations is absurd’.

The Admiral of the Fleet responded to the US statement as the Foreign Ministry declared that such unilateral action by the US without following due process is counter-productive to the holistic approach that Sri Lanka has taken on addressing national unity and reconciliation.

In January, this year, Canada imposed sanctions on former presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake and Lieutenant Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi over “gross and systematic violations of human rights” during armed conflict. In all these instances Sri Lanka hasn’t done anything other than regretting such actions.

Regretting the US decision to target Karannagida, the Foreign Ministry said that Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, expressed grave concerns to US Ambassador Julie Chung.

The FM stated: “As a longstanding bilateral partner of Sri Lanka, such unilateral action by the U.S. without following due process is counter-productive to the holistic approach that Sri Lanka has taken on addressing national unity and reconciliation. It is also unfortunate that the announcement emanates against the backdrop of tangible progress made by the Government in strengthening the country’s democratic governance and reconciliation structures.

Despite these challenges, Sri Lanka will continue in its ongoing efforts to achieve reconciliation, economic recovery and socio-economic development.”

The US State Department has announced Karannagoda has been designated in terms of Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023, due to his involvement in a gross violation of human rights during his tenure as a Naval Commander. “As a result of today’s action, Karannagoda and his wife, Srimathi Ashoka Karannagoda, are ineligible for entry into the United States,” the State Department declared on April 26.

“The allegation that Wasantha Karannagoda committed a gross human rights violation, documented by NGOs and independent investigations, is serious and credible. By designating Wasantha Karannagoda, the United States reaffirms its commitment to upholding human rights, ending impunity for human rights violators, acknowledging the suffering of victims and survivors, and promoting accountability for perpetrators in Sri Lanka.

The bilateral relationship between the United States and the Government of Sri Lanka is based on 75 years of shared history, values, and a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. As we continue to build our bilateral relationship, we are committed to working with the Sri Lankan government on advancing justice, accountability, and reconciliation, including promoting security reform that maintains human rights at the forefront while ensuring Sri Lanka has the resources and training to properly address emerging security concerns”, the State Department said.