UK Sanctions Sri Lankan Officials for Wartime Abuses — A Vital Step, But More Must Follow
The Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice (SLC) welcomes the UK Government’s announcement of targeted sanctions against senior Sri Lankan military officials involved in serious human rights violations during the final stages of the civil war. This action marks a significant milestone in the long-standing campaign for accountability and justice in Sri Lanka. The sanctions target the former chief of staff of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, Shavendra Silva, former commander of the Navy Wasantha Karannagoda, former commander of the Army Jagath Jayasuriya, and former military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan. Also known as Karuna Amman, he subsequently created and led the paramilitary Karuna Group, which worked on behalf of the Sri Lankan Army.
The sanctions, announced by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), are the result of years of determined advocacy by civil society, survivors, and human rights groups in the UK and around the world. Since the launch of the #TimeToSanction campaign in 2022, SLC – in partnership with British Tamils, International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), and backed by British parliamentarians – has worked to ensure that perpetrators of war crimes and other violations are held accountable through targeted Magnitsky-style measures.
“This is a moment of long-overdue recognition that accountability matters — and that impunity must have consequences,” said Ingrid Massagé, Chair of SLC. “It is a powerful message to survivors who have waited far too long for justice.”
Earlier this year, SLC joined other organisations in submitting a joint letter to the UK Foreign Secretary, urging the government to restore Britain’s reputation as a global leader on human rights and international development. We are heartened that the UK has now acted, and we acknowledge the courage it takes to call out abuses wherever they occur.
However, while this marks a significant step, it is only a beginning. SLC urges the UK to expand the sanctions list to include other officials implicated in war crimes, including those named in credible international reports and investigations. Justice cannot be selective, and accountability must extend to all those responsible — not just a few.
SLC’s renewed push for sanctions included direct engagement with UK parliamentarians and the FCDO, as well as public campaigns during Magnitsky Month that brought international attention to impunity in Sri Lanka. Through a widespread social media campaign, briefings, and press coverage in NewsReport, The Leader, and Ceylon News, we continued to highlight the UK’s responsibility to respond. Our call was simple: isolate those responsible, support victims, and prevent future abuses.
“The survivors of Sri Lanka’s war, and particularly the families of the disappeared, have waited 16 years for signs that the world is paying attention,” said Yvonne Schofield, SLC’s Campaign Director. “This is a step forward — but our campaign continues. We will not stop until every name on our list is held to account.”
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