‘Travel ban on Shavendra insult to entire country’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Top spokesperson for the Federation of National Organisations (FNO), Dr.Wasantha Bandara, has asked whether the government raised during Under Secretary for Political Affairs, US Department of State, Victoria Nuland’s high profile visit to Colombo, the categorisation by the US of Army Chief General Shavendra Silva, who is also the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), as a war criminal

The government certainly owed an explanation, Dr. Bandara said.

Referring to the statement issued by the President’s Media Division (PMD), and the joint communiqué issued by the Foreign Ministry and the US Embassy, which dealt with the so-called fourth Partnership Dialogue, Dr. Bandara pointed out there hadn’t been any reference to humiliation of Sri Lanka on the basis of unsubstantiated war crimes allegations.

“How could Sri Lanka engage in partnership dialogue with the US when its war-winning armed forces are vilified in this manner?” Dr. Bandara asked.

Dr. Bandara said that Sri Lanka should be ashamed of failing at least to make its position clear when the US delegation raised a range of concerns, as well as those of the European Union (EU).

Shavendra Silva commanded the celebrated 58 Division that played a pivotal role during Sri Lanka’s biggest offensive (2007-2009) on the Vanni front.

The Joint Statement dealt with the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and cooperation on maritime security in the Indian Ocean, and other concerns, Dr. Bandara said. “Sri Lanka cannot be silent on the war crimes issue,” the civil society activist said, adding that those who wielded political power today should realise that the labeling of General Silva as a war criminal was an affront to the entire country.

The previous US administration announced the travel ban on Gen. Silva, in early Feb 2020, soon after the last presidential election.

Dr. Bandara said that the government should be concerned about some members of the British Parliament pushing for punitive measures against Gen. Silva on the basis of the US travel ban on the Sri Lankan military leader.

The FNO spokesperson said that Lord Naseby, who provided Sri Lanka ‘ammunition’ to counter war crimes accusations, way back in 2017, must have been quite disappointed that the country never used available information to counter the US-led war crimes campaign against Sri Lanka. Dr. Bandara said that he expected Lord Naseby, who is here to launch ‘Sri Lanka: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained’ tomorrow (29) at the BMICH, to comment on the failure on the part of successive governments to exploit information provided by him.

Dr. Bandara said that since the Yahapalana administration co-sponsored an accountability resolution at the Geneva-based Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Oct 2015, Western powers had acted on unsubstantiated allegations against the military. In addition to General Silva, several others, including Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, and Maj. Gen. Udaya Perera, had been denied visas by the US, whereas Australia had refused visa to Maj. Gen. Chagie Gallage, Dr. Bandara said.

Dr. Bandara said that those who repeatedly promised to take up false war crimes accusations with Western powers, in the run-up to the last presidential and parliamentary polls, in Nov 2019 and Aug 2020, respectively, had been conveniently silent.

The FNO official said that those who had voted against Sri Lanka, at the UNHRC, wanted the government to back the US stand on the ongoing war in Ukraine. The government seemed unable to cope up with the US-led coalition undermining Sri Lanka as the country struggled on the economic front, he added.