Former Army Commander and Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva has rejected allegations of wrongdoing during the final stages of Sri Lanka’s civil war, saying he is prepared to answer specific accusations against him and questioning the basis on which he has been sanctioned internationally.
Speaking in an interview with India-based “Impact Stories,” Silva said the Sri Lankan military had fought the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) professionally and had sought to minimise civilian casualties during the final military offensive.
Silva, who commanded the Army’s 58 Division during the final phase of the war in 2009, said he had repeatedly sought an explanation for sanctions imposed on him.
“I have been sanctioned by the United States of America, and I was sanctioned recently by the United Kingdom. For what? I have been asking, tell me what I have done wrong,” Silva said.
“I’m not a war criminal. I fought for my country,” he added, arguing that if he had violated military law, he should have been investigated and punished under the appropriate mechanisms.
The United States imposed travel restrictions on Silva and his immediate family in 2020, citing what it described as credible information of his involvement, through command responsibility, in alleged gross violations of human rights during the final phase of the war. The United Kingdom later imposed sanctions on Silva in 2025 over alleged human rights violations during the conflict.
Silva rejected allegations that the military deliberately targeted civilians, while acknowledging that civilian deaths could have occurred during the fighting.
“There would have been deaths of civilians, but those are not intentional,” he said, adding that military planning sought to minimise civilian casualties and that targets were avoided when civilians were observed nearby.
Recalling the final stages of the offensive, Silva said his division rescued more than 123,000 civilians and that more than 75% of approximately 12,000 LTTE members who surrendered at the end of the conflict had surrendered to his division.
He said surrendered LTTE members were subsequently rehabilitated and reintegrated into society, arguing that this demonstrated the military’s approach toward those who laid down their weapons.
Silva also recalled an “encirclement operation” in which he said a large number of LTTE bodies were recovered. He said a senior LTTE northern commander was among those found dead and was dressed in civilian clothes while carrying a weapon.
“One could say a civilian was killed. No, he was the LTTE northern commander,” Silva said, arguing that combatants wearing civilian clothing could subsequently be counted as civilian casualties.
Silva also accused the LTTE of using civilians as human shields, preventing people from leaving areas under its control and positioning military assets near civilian locations during the final stages of the conflict.
He further criticised successive Sri Lankan governments for what he described as a failure to effectively present the military’s account of the war internationally, saying this had allowed allegations against Sri Lankan troops to gain traction overseas.
Silva called on governments and international organisations making allegations against Sri Lankan forces to engage directly with those accused and present specific incidents for explanation.
“Come to a dialogue,” he said. “Tell us, ‘You all had done this on this particular day, at this particular time,’ so that we can clarify.”
“If we have done something, we will accept,” he added.
Silva also rejected claims that the LTTE represented the wider Tamil community, saying grievances should be addressed politically rather than through armed violence. He cited the LTTE’s assassinations, suicide attacks and forced recruitment while arguing that entire ethnic or religious communities should not be blamed for the actions of the organisation or its supporters.
The former Army Commander said the military’s objective had been to defeat the LTTE and free civilians from its control, while maintaining that Sri Lankan troops did not intentionally commit abuses against civilians.
Sri Lanka’s final military offensive remains the subject of longstanding international scrutiny. United Nations investigations and international human rights organisations have alleged serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by both government forces and the LTTE during the final stages of the conflict. Sri Lankan military leaders, including Silva, have repeatedly rejected allegations that government forces deliberately targeted civilians. (Newswire)