New Delhi: Sri Lanka has shrugged off widespread international criticism to its appointment of a commander, accused of grave human rights violation during the country’s 26-year civil war, as its Army chief.
Earlier this week, on 19 August, Sri Lanka confirmed the appointment of Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, who headed the Sri Lankan Army’s 58th Division in the final battle against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels in the final stages of the civil war in 2009.
The very same day, the US and the UN expressed disapproval over the move citing war crime allegations against Silva. Six European Union countries echoed the condemnation the next day.
However, Sri Lanka took no time in reacting to the backlash. Its Ministry of Affairs said the appointment is a “sovereign decision” and labelled the efforts of “foreign entities trying to influence the decisions” as “unwarranted and unacceptable”.
The statement only continued the Sri Lankan tradition of disregarding international scrutiny on its wartime activities.
To the Western world — and Sri Lanka’s Tamil politicians — Silva is a war criminal. But to Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese power circles, led by the Rajapaksa clan, Silva is a war hero who enforced the plans of brothers Mahinda Rajapaksa (then president) and Gotabaya Rajapaksa (then defence secretary) to put a definitive end to the long war.
Who is Shavendra Silva?
Prior to his appointment as Army Commander, 55-year-old Lt General Shavendra Silva was chief of staff of the Sri Lanka Army — the number two position.
Over his decorated 35-year military career, Silva became the youngest commanding officer during the war against LTTE in 1995 when he commandeered an infantry battalion to regain the Jaffna peninsula in the country’s north. During the final phase of the civil war in 2009, Silva commanded the 58 Division, which wrested the largest mass of land and inventory controlled by LTTE.
According to the Sri Lanka Army website, Silva rescued over 100,000 civilians from the LTTE’s “cruel clutches”.
Ironically, Silva’s 58 Division was part of the ‘Wanni Humanitarian Operation’ — a mission which the UN sees differently.
A UN probe report, looking at the years 2002-2011, alleged that the Silva-commanded division was responsible for repeatedly shelling and attacking “facilities protected under international humanitarian law, such as hospitals, United Nations hubs and food distribution areas”. It added that “unarmed members of the LTTE and others may have been killed after surrendering to, or being captured by, Government forces at the end of the armed conflict. They include Balachandran Prabhakaran, the 12 year old son of the LTTE leader”.
But the government rewarded Silva for his wartime efforts by making him the youngest major general in the Sri Lanka Army in 2009. The following year Silva was appointed ambassador and deputy permanent representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations.
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Refusal to probe charges
Over the years, despite UN’s repeated calls for a probe into the war crimes, Sri Lankan leaders have refused to bow. Lt Gen. Shavendra Silva himself has denied the allegations against him.
In 2014, reacting to a UN Human Rights Council resolution to investigate human rights violations during Sri Lanka’s war, President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the UN General Assembly, “Post-conflict Sri Lanka has also become an unfortunate victim of ill-conceived agendas of some in the Human Rights Council”.
Countries like the UK and the US had voted for the resolution to investigate war crimes; India had abstained from voting.
The government which took over from Rajapaksa didn’t cooperate with the UN either.
In the aftermath of Silva’s promotion as Army chief of staff, a January 2019 statement by South Africa-based human rights group International Truth and Justice Project said, “…in 2015 Sri Lanka’s new Government co-sponsored a UN resolution backing an ambitious transitional justice programme…which it then refused to implement.”
Reactions to appointment of a ‘war criminal’
After Lt Gen. Shavendra Silva’s appointment was announced, the US embassy in Colombo Monday issued a statement to say that it was deeply concerned.
“The allegations of gross human rights violations against him, documented by the United Nations and other organizations are serious and credible,” the statement said.
Statements from UN and an EU delegation representing embassies of Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and UK High Commission reflected similar concerns a day later.
The Tamil National Alliance, a political party in Sri Lanka, too tweeted its dismay over Silva’s latest promotion. “…an individual who stands accused of grave crimes, as Army Commander is a serious affront to the #Tamil People,” it said.
The Rajapaksa angle
What makes the appointment even more interesting is the possibility of Gotabaya Rajapaksa being the next president after national elections are held towards end of this year.
On 11 August, Gotabaya announced his candidacy for presidential polls. His brother and former president Mahinda hopes to be the next prime minister.
The Rajapaksas stand a chance to be the country’s premier leaders again. And the return of these two nationalist hardliners also means that international expectations of a trial against Silva as a war criminal diminish further.
Also read: By giving a ‘war criminal’ the top Army post, Sri Lanka proves Tamil lives don’t matter
You see it in another perspective., but for the people of Sri Lanka army officers who killed this terrorist are heroes. If you talk about these allegations, then what about the innocent people killed with bombing by these LTTE terrorists. As for you they are good and the people who saved the country are terrorists, what a joke!