After months of speculation, a change of guard in the Sri Lanka Army took place on August 18 with decorated war veteran Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva taking over the reins from his predecessor Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake as the new Commander of the Sri Lanka Army.
The first Army Commander to hail from the Gajaba regiment, Silva on his appointment became the 23rd Commander of the Sri Lanka Army since its establishment in 1949.
Listing his many achievements during a 35-year career which began in 1984, a release by the Sri Lanka Army credited its new Commander for his military leadership during the last stages of the war.
“He commanded the victorious 58 Division along with the Commando Brigade which recorded the highest number of successful achievements during the Vanni Humanitarian Operation that liberated the country from terrorism. His Division made the longest journey during this operation and fought over 200 kilometres until its final victory and captured the single largest landmass ever captured by any formation, including the largest quantity of LTTE military hardware, weaponry and other equipment. His Division also conducted the largest ever hostage rescue mission at Puthumathalan, liberating over a hundred thousand civilians from the cruel clutches of the terrorists” the release said.
Silva was the youngest Army Officer to be appointed as a Major General when he was promoted in 2010. He is also considered to be the youngest Commanding Officer ever produced by the Sri Lanka Army when he commanded an infantry battalion during the “Operation Riviresa” in 1995 to liberate the Jaffna Peninsula.
Most recently Silva served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and as the Colonel for both, the Gajaba and Commando Regiments.
A retired military colleague and a former Major General described Silva as “a straightforward military man who does not tolerate nonsense,” adding that he is known within rank and file for treating his men right. “He is the most suited for the position from among the senior officers currently in service,” he added.
Releasing a message to the troops and the public after taking up office, the new Commander vowed to protect the country from all possible security threats. Silva announced that he would reorganise military intelligence. Promising to ensure the welfare of his troops, he assured that the Army would be groomed to become more mature and efficient through constant training, enabling them to face any challenge.
However, his appointment has not been without controversy. Since the end of Sri Lanka’s long-drawn conflict in 2009, allegations of war crimes and human rights violations have dogged the celebrated General.
Commanding the 58 Division of the Sri Lanka Army, Silva, along with his troops was in the frontline of the battle during the last phase of the war, taking part in almost every major battle at the time. The 58 Division headed by him along with the 57 Division captured Kilinochchi, a stronghold of the LTTE, in January 2009 while the battle for the last patch of land held by the LTTE in Vellamullivaikkal was also led by Silva.
But the allegations against him have since been numerous. From shelling humanitarian facilities such as hospitals in Kilinochchi and Pudukuduirippu to attacking Ampalavanpokkanai located in the second no-fire zone (NFZ 2), perhaps the most serious allegation is that the surrendered LTTE cadres including LTTE military and political leaders were subjected to enforced disappearances on his watch.
These allegations resulted in two Tamil plaintiffs filing a case of torture and wrongful killings against him in a New York court in 2011, which could not proceed due to him having diplomatic immunity at the time.
He was also barred from a top United Nations Peacekeeping advisory committee the following year due to the same allegations. Silva has, however, denied these charges over the years. In his statement this week he once again addressed them emphasising that just like any Army in the world, the Sri Lankan Army protected the inalienable rights of the country’s citizens.
“During past humanitarian operations, we adhered to those guidelines, acceptable to any State and acted in keeping with international humanitarian laws and rights, I must recall at this juncture,” he said.
While these accusations against Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva have not been proved, and despite denials, his recent promotion has drawn widespread criticism and concern last week prompting several organizations to release statements following the announcement.
On Monday (19), the US Embassy in its statement on Silva’s appointment said the United States is deeply concerned by the appointment of Silva as the Army Commander. “This appointment undermines Sri Lanka’s international reputation and its commitments to promote justice and accountability,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, also releasing a statement the United Nations High Commissioner, Michele Bachelet expressed similar concerns. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said, “the promotion of Lieutenant General Silva severely compromises Sri Lanka’s commitment to promote justice and accountability in the context of Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1”, which promotes reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.
She added that the promotion “undermines reconciliation efforts, particularly in the eyes of victims and survivors who suffered greatly in the war. It also sets back security sector reform, and is likely to impact on Sri Lanka’s ability to continue contributing to UN peacekeeping efforts.”
The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) in a release said Silva’s appointment signals the end of the road for reconciliation efforts of the Sri Lankan Government. “Shavendra Silva’s appointment as the Army Commander is a test for the international commitment to accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka,” the release said.
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Spokesman and MP M.A Sumanthiran called the appointment “A serious affront to the Tamil people” while Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW) taking to twitter said it would “hurt victims that trusted accountability pledges made”.
Fears have also been stoked that Silva’s appointment to the Army’s top post would jeopardise Sri Lankan troop deployments for the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions which over the years have been beneficial to the Sri Lanka Army. There have also been concerns that the United States and several other countries may limit their military ties with Sri Lanka.
However, speaking to the Sunday Observer, Military Spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said the UN has not communicated an intention to refrain from requesting Sri Lankan troops for missions abroad. He clarified that at present no new UN Peacekeeping Missions have been announced which would require troop deployments in the near future.
As for the concerns expressed by various groups, including foreign governments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to go on the offensive. Releasing a statement, it declared that the appointment of the Army Commander of Sri Lanka is a sovereign decision by the Head of State. “Foreign entities trying to influence the decisions and internal administrative processes of public service promotions in Sri Lanka are unwarranted and unacceptable,” the release said, adding that articulating a position of concern by certain bilateral partners and international organisations, based on allegations, is regrettable and contrary to the principles of natural justice.