Tamil diaspora groups and international human rights organisations have welcomed the United Kingdom’s decision to impose targeted sanctions on four individuals implicated in grave human rights violations during Sri Lanka’s armed conflict.
The sanctions, announced on 24 March 2025 under the UK’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020, target former senior military officials Shavendra Silva, Jagath Jayasuriya, and Wasantha Karannagoda, as well as former paramilitary leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (Karuna). Measures include asset freezes and travel bans, prohibiting them from entering the UK or accessing British financial systems.
The move was strongly welcomed by the Council of Eelam Tamils UK (CETUK), which issued a letter of appreciation to Foreign Secretary David Lammy. "This commitment to justice and accountability is a significant step toward ensuring that those responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, and sexual violence are held accountable and cannot act with impunity," wrote CETUK Coordinator Ludes Kalituz.
“The UK has long been a champion of human rights, and this latest measure reaffirms its leadership in promoting justice,” the letter continued. “It also provides hope that your government will continue to stand with the people of Tamil Eelam in their pursuit of justice for the genocide.”
The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), which has compiled extensive evidence on the accused, also welcomed the sanctions. “We are delighted that after so many years the truth about these war criminals has finally been acknowledged by the United Kingdom,” said ITJP Executive Director Yasmin Sooka. “We have spent the last decade compiling evidence on them, but it’s the victims who testified who deserve recognition today.”
The British Tamils Forum (BTF) joined in welcoming the move, stating, “We sincerely thank Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy for delivering a part of their promises.”
The BTF commended the longstanding efforts of Tamil victims and campaigners in the UK and beyond, who have worked tirelessly to seek accountability.
“This will encourage many other countries respecting human rights and the rule of law, in particular those countries in the EU, to follow suit”, BTF added.
Despite international condemnation of Sri Lanka’s failure to deliver for the mass atrocities, successive governments have shielded alleged perpetrators. Many of the sanctioned individuals have been promoted or appointed to high office despite widespread allegations of war crimes.
The UK’s move follows repeated calls by Tamil organisations for states to pursue accountability through universal jurisdiction, targeted sanctions, and an international accountability mechanism. It also follows similar sanctions imposed by the United States and Canada in recent years.
