Sri Lanka calls for food aid – The Island
“Travel ban on Shavendra insults the whole country”
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Federation of National Organizations (FNO) Chief Spokesperson, Dr Wasantha Bandara, asked whether the government had raised during the high level visit of Victoria Nuland in Colombo, during the high level visit of the Deputy U.S. State Department political affairs secretary, the U.S. categorization of Army Chief General Shavendra Silva, who is also the Chief of the Defense Staff (CDS), as a criminal of war
The government certainly owed an explanation, Dr. Bandara said.
Referring to the statement issued by the President’s Media Division (PMD) and the joint statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United States Embassy, which discussed the so-called Fourth Partnership Dialogue, Dr. Bandara stressed that there was no reference to the humiliation of Sri Lanka on the basis of unsubstantiated war crimes allegations.
“How could Sri Lanka engage in a partnership dialogue with the United States when its victorious armed forces are reviled in this way? asked Dr. Bandara.
Dr Bandara said Sri Lanka should be ashamed of itself for not at least clarifying its position when the US delegation raised a range of concerns, as well as those of the European Union (EU).
Shavendra Silva commanded the famous 58 Division which played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s biggest offensive (2007-2009) on the Vanni front.
The joint statement addressed the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean, as well as other concerns, Dr Bandara said. “Sri Lanka cannot remain silent on the issue of war crimes,” the civil society activist said, adding that those in political power today should realize that labeling General Silva as war criminal was an affront to the whole country.
The previous US administration announced a travel ban on General Silva in early February 2020, shortly after the last presidential election.
Dr Bandara said the government should be concerned that some British members of Parliament are seeking punitive action against General Silva based on the US travel ban imposed on the Sri Lankan military leader.
FNO spokesman says Lord Naseby, who supplied Sri Lanka with ‘ammunition’ to counter war crimes charges, in 2017, must have been quite disappointed the country never used the information available to counter the US war crimes campaign against Sri Lanka. . Dr Bandara said 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 of successive governments to exploit information provided by him.
Dr Bandara said since the Yahapalana administration co-sponsored a resolution on accountability at the Geneva-based Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in October 2015, Western powers have acted on unsubstantiated allegations. against the army. In addition to General Silva, several others, including Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and Major General Udaya Perera, have been denied visas by the United States, while Australia has refused Major General Chagie Gallage’s visa, said Dr. Bandara.
Dr Bandara said those who had repeatedly promised to bring false war crimes charges to Western powers, ahead of the last presidential and parliamentary polls, in November 2019 and August 2020, respectively, had kept the silence.
The FNO official said those who voted against Sri Lanka at the HRC wanted the government to support the US position on the ongoing war in Ukraine. The government appears unable to cope with the US-led coalition undermining Sri Lanka as the country struggles on the economic front, he added.
