The United States on Friday banned the entry of Sri Lanka's army chief Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva over credible war crime charges of gross violations of human rights, in particular extrajudicial killings during the final phase of Sri Lanka's civil war in 2009.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the allegations of gross human rights violations against Silva, documented by the United Nations and other organisations, are serious and credible.
His designation underscores the importance we place on human rights in Sri Lanka and globally, our concern over impunity for human rights violations and abuses, as well as our support for promoting accountability for those who engage in such acts, he said.
Silva, 55, was appointed as the Sri Lankan Army Commander last year and previously headed the Army's 58th Division in the final battle against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels of the civil war in 2009.
His brigade was accused of attacking civilians, hospitals and stopping humanitarian supplies to trapped Tamil civilians.
Silva's name was mentioned in the resolution passed by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2013, alleging rights abuses by the Sri Lankan Army
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