By Sugeeswara Senadhira/Daily News

Colombo, March 28 – Earlier this week, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on four former Sri Lankan officials over alleged human rights violations during the conflict between the terrorist outfit, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the armed forces. This move has sparked accusations of double standards, as critics point out that the UK and other Western nations often overlook similar or worse violations committed by their allies.

While the UK’s sanctions are framed as a commitment to human rights, the selective nature of their application raises questions about geopolitical interests and hypocrisy. If accountability is truly the goal, there should be consistent enforcement of human rights laws, including against UK allies and its own past actions.

While Sri Lanka is sanctioned, the UK remains supportive of countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, and India, despite allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses. For example, the UK continues arms sales to Saudi Arabia, despite its role in the Yemen conflict. Countries like Myanmar and Ethiopia too have been accused of serious violations, yet the UK has been selective in its sanctions approach, often aligning with broader Western geopolitical interests.

The UK itself has been accused of war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Northern Ireland, yet no similar accountability measures have been imposed on its own officials.

Human Rights Sanctions

On February 7, 2024, the UK government announced sanctions under its Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against former Commander of Defence Forces, General Shavendra Silva, former Navy Commander, Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, former Sri Lanka Army Commander General Jagath Jayasuriya, and former military Commander of the breakaway group of terrorist group LTTE Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan due to alleged human rights violations committed during the country’s civil war. The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans, making it impossible for these individuals to enter the UK or conduct financial transactions there.

Shavendra Silva, who led Sri Lanka’s 58th Division during the final phase of the civil war in 2009, has been accused of serious war crimes, including extrajudicial killings and attacks on civilians. The UK government cited its commitment to human rights and accountability as the reason for these measures.

While announcing sanctions, the UK Government reiterated its commitment to human rights in Sri Lanka, including seeking accountability for human rights violations and abuses which took place during the civil war, and which continue to have an impact on communities today. “I made a commitment during the election campaign to ensure those responsible are not allowed impunity. This decision ensures that those responsible for past human rights violations and abuses are held accountable,” Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs State Secretary David Lammy said. He added that the UK Government looks forward to working with the new Sri Lankan Government to improve human rights in Sri Lanka, and welcomes their commitments to national unity.

Amicus Submissions

The Human Rights Watch has accused UK of double standards on human rights. “The position advanced by the former UK government in seeking leave to make amicus submissions would, if pursued, create an accountability vacuum for serious crimes committed by Israeli nationals in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, fundamentally undermining international justice efforts and the perception of the UK as standing for the rule of law for everyone. The new UK government should resolutely support impartial and independent justice for crimes committed by all parties to be a credible voice for international justice globally.”

Earlier, the UK imposed sanctions on General Jagath Jayasuriya, Chandana Hettiarachchi, former Navy Intelligence Officer, Sunil Ratnayake, former Army Sergeant and Prasanna de Silva, former Special Forces Commander. These officials were accused of war crimes, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture during and after Sri Lanka’s civil war (1983-2009).

Some analysts believe these sanctions are also politically motivated, as Sri Lanka has strengthened ties with China and distanced itself from Western influence. This could be seen as part of a larger strategy to pressure countries aligning with China or Russia.

Sri Lanka has strongly opposed the sanctions, calling them politically motivated and based on unverified allegations. Some local political and military leaders argue that these actions undermine Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and dismiss the sacrifices made by its armed forces in defeating the LTTE.This move by the UK aligns with international efforts to hold individuals accountable for war crimes, following similar actions taken by the United States in 2020 against General Shavendra Silva.

HR watchdog in UK, ‘First Post’ also accused the mainstream media in the United Kingdom and other Western countries of bias while reporting human rights violations in the Global South. “When it comes to the question of human rights conditions in the Western countries, such media play a different tune. While defending the actions or inactions of their respective governments at the time of anti-minorities riots, very little is published on the sufferings of the victims of arson, murder, rape or other types of criminal activities. If some thing of similar kinds happens in the Global South, vivid details are printed, and government inabilities or complicity are emphasised. Content analysis of media reports can easily and clearly bring out this bias,” the First Post stated.

Systematic Dismantling The Amnesty International said that the UK government ‘is bulldozing