Human Rights Watch (HRW) on August 20 said the appointment of Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva as Sri Lanka Army commander negates all the Government's pledges toward accountability, reconciliation, and reform, reports Colombo Page. The HRW said Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena has appointed a General whose forces have been credibly accused of war crimes as the commander of the national army confirming the fears of those like Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who, back in March, supported the United Nations Human Rights Council's extension of its 2015 resolution on Sri Lanka. The extension, which Sirisena and other top officials openly opposed, seeks justice and accountability for violations committed during the 26-year civil war that ended in 2009. "The sad reality is, then, that there are those who oppose any measure to achieve accountability and reconciliation, because they don't want justice," HRW quoted Mangala Samaraweera. "They want victor's justice." The appointment of Major General Shavendra Silva as army commander suggests he was right, HRW said.
Meanwhile, a Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Sri Lanka expressed concern that the appointment of Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva as the new Army Commander sends a worrying message to the victims and survivors of the war, reports Colombo Page on August 20. Issuing a statement in agreement with the Embassies of Germany, Italy, Netherlands, the UK High Commission, the Embassies of Norway and Switzerland, the EU delegation shared the serious concerns expressed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet over Sri Lanka's commitments to the UN Human Rights Council.
Separately, responding to the international concern mounted over the appointment of the new Army Commander, Sri Lanka on August 20 said the appointment of the Army Commander of Sri Lanka is a sovereign decision by the Head of State, reports Colombo Page. Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement said "Foreign entities trying to influence the decisions and internal administrative processes of public service promotions in Sri Lanka are unwarranted and unacceptable. Articulating a position of concern on this appointment by certain bilateral partners and international organizations, based on allegations, is regrettable and contrary to the principles of natural justice espoused by all responsible members of the international community."