COLOMBO – Sri Lanka on Sunday said the US should reconsider its decision torefuse entry to the island’s army chief over his alleged war crimes andwarned that relations were being “unnecessarily complicated”.
The US Friday said the travel ban for Lieutenant General Shavendra Silvaand his family was imposed over what it called credible evidence of humanrights violations in the 2009 finale to the civil war.
US ambassador Alaina Teplitz was summoned by Sri Lanka’s Foreign MinisterDinesh Gunawardena on Sunday, officials said.
He said Colombo was “disappointed” with the decision, the first against aSri Lankan military officer.
“The minister said this action unnecessarily complicates the US-Sri Lankarelationship,” his office said in a statement shortly after the closed-doormeeting.
Silva was unfairly barred on unverified allegations, Gunawardena added.
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The foreign ministry quoted Teplitz as saying the US would continue itscooperation with Sri Lanka, including in defence, despite the ban on Silva.
Silva’s appointment in August sparked international outrage because of hislinks to alleged war crimes, and the UN briefly suspended the recruitmentof Sri Lankan troops for peacekeeping duties.
Silva headed the army’s 58th division in the final months of the battleagainst Tamil Tiger rebels. The military claimed victory in May 2009, butit also sparked allegations that up to 40,000 civilians were killed bytroops.
There was no immediate comment from Teplitz or the US embassy in Colombo. -APP / AFP
