Following the sanctions imposed on Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Commander of Sri Lankan Army General Shavendra Silva by the US in 2020, the Labour Party in the UK has pressurised the UK Government to take a similar stance.
Last week in the House of Commons, Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh questioned the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (FCDO), Elizabeth Truss MP, about the implications for her policies considering the sanctions imposed by the US on General Silva.
Minister of State (FCDO) Amanda Milling said that they regularly engage with the US and other partners regarding issues relating to Sri Lanka.
She said, “The UK government keeps all evidence and potential designations under the UK Global Human Rights sanctions regime under close review, guided by the objectives of the sanctions regime. We would not normally speculate about future sanctions targets, as to do so could reduce their impact.”
During the final stages of the battle against terrorism in 2009, General Silva was accused of shelling “no-fire zones”, where thousands of civilians took refuge after a safe assurance from the Sri Lanka Government. General Silva was the commander of the army’s 58th division at the time.
The West accuses Sri Lanka of killing up to 70,000 Tamil civilians which has been denied profusely by the Government of Sri Lanka.