Colombo (LNW): The British Tamil Forum (BTF) has welcomed the decision by the US Government to designate ex Navy Commander and current North-Western Governor Wasantha Karannagoda over his involvement in a gross violation of human rights during the war season in Sri Lanka.
Full Statement:
We, the British Tamils Forum (BTF), express our gratitude by welcoming the United States decision of designating Wasantha Karannagoda, the Governor of the North-western province in Sri Lanka for his involvement in a gross violation of human rights during his tenure as a Naval Commander.
On behalf of the victims of the war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide suffered during the thirty- year war that culminated in May 2009, we share our sincere appreciation to the governments of the United States and Canada for duly identifying and sanctioning Sri Lankan human rights violators.
It is prudent to reiterate the list of Sri Lankan perpetrators of serious human rights violations as named by the Report of the OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) released by the United Nations Human Rights Council in September 2015, to include in full for taking prompt action under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime Act in the United Kingdom and applicable Magnitsky acts or similar in other countries.
The titles quoted are as they held in 2015 at the time the OISL Report was released.
1. Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
2. Mahinda Rajapaksa.
3. Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva.
4. Brigadier Sathyapriya Liyanage.
5. Major General Kamal Gunaratne.
6. Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe.
7. Major General Nanda Mallawaratchchi.
8. Colonel G.V. Ravipriya.
9. Brigadier Prasanna Silva.
10. Major General Jagath Dias.
11. Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda.
12. Admiral Thisara S G Samarasinghe.
13. Admiral TSG Samarasinghe
14. Admiral D.W.A.S.Dissanayake.
15. Major General Jagath Jayasuriya.
16. Brigadier Nandana Udawatta.
17. Brigadier Chagie Gallage.
18. SSP C.N.Wakishta.
19. General Sarath Fonseka.
20. Admiral D.W.K Sandagiri.
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/OISL.aspx
We are concerned that the United Kingdom, despite being the penholder of the core group of the UNHRC sessions on Sri Lanka’s Human Rights matters, has not taken necessary actions against the Sri Lankan perpetrators to date, even after fourteen years of the war ended and after eight years of OISL released the names of serious human rights violators, listed above.
We expect the UK to take an immediate tangible action against the perpetrators of atrocity crimes under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Act on Sri Lanka in the same way as the USA and Canada, the members of the Core Group on Sri Lanka in the UNHRC have hitherto acted.
There was enough evidence brought forward at the UNHRC and we have requested the UK Government to apply the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime Act on Sri Lanka since it’s been passed in the UK. We are puzzled to understand why the UK has still not applied the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime Act on Sri Lanka yet but quick to apply on a number of perpetrators in other countries.
When the North Americans – USA and Canada – continue to sanction the perpetrators the Europe and the UK are continuing the GSP+. This will encourage Sri Lanka to continue its genocidal path. UK and EU should lead by example by promoting the values of Human rights, rule of law, transparency and address the unethical trade with Sri Lanka.
We encourage the United Kingdom and the European Union to follow the steps of the United States and Canada and take necessary actions to prevail justice to the victims of the human rights violation.
