Sri Lanka's Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva, a man accused of war crimes and sanctioned by the United States for gross violations of human rights, received a colourful farewell from the troops of the Gajaba Regiment on 29th December 2024.
Silva led the 58th Division of the Sri Lankan Army that took part in the final battle with the Tamil Tigers. Units under his guidance carry allegations of unlawful acts of extrajudicial killing and torture. He was accused of ordering firing on ‘no-fire zones’, designated as such by the Sri Lankans themselves, where ten of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed. Hundreds of LTTE fighters who surrendered to Silva's troops disappeared without trace.
In February 2020 the United States imposed travel sanctions on Silva and his immediate family members due to his involvement in war crimes during the final stages of the conflict.
In a statement accompanying the sanctions announcement, the then US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said: “We urge the Sri Lankan government to promote human rights, hold accountable individuals responsible for war crimes and human rights violations, advance security sector reform, and uphold its other commitments to pursue justice and reconciliation.”
Read more in our feature: US bans Sri Lanka’s army chief from entry over war crimes
At the end of the armed conflict Silva was promoted to various key positions, including as Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and Colonel of the Gajaba Regiment, the Special Forces Regiment, and the Commando Regiment.
During his farewell address Silva spoke casually about his actions during the ‘Aragalaya’ protests of 2022, claiming that he had directed the military to use only minimal force in response to the civilians. He said that "I had no desire to become a ruthless murderer wielding official authority against unarmed civilians", in stark contrast to his track record of war crimes and extra judicial killings.
Ignoring all the crimes he is accused of committing against Tamils, sufficient to make him one of only a handful of Sri Lankans banned from the United States and Canada, Silva instead nonchalantly expressed pride for his actions, saying that his aim was only to serve with honour and integrity - "I leave with no regrets, having done my duty to the best of my ability”.
