The State Department of the United States has designated two members of Sri Lanka’s security forces over their “involvement in gross violations of human rights”.
According to a statement issued by the department on Friday (Dec. 10), Sri Lankan naval intelligence officer Chandana Hettiarachchi and former Staff Sergeant of Sri Lanka Army Sunil Ratnayake have been barred from entering the U.S.
Further, their immediate family members have also been designated publicly or privately and are ineligible for entry into the U.S., it read further.
The State Department said Hettiarachchi is involved in the “flagrant denial of the right to liberty of at least eight ‘Trincomalee 11’ victims, from 2008 to 2009, while Ratnayake is linked to “extrajudicial killings of at least eight Tamil villagers in December 2000.”
In addition, 12 military officials from Uganda, China, Belarus, Bangladesh and Mexico were also designated under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriation Act, 2021.
The State Department said the U.S. looks forward to continuing its partnerships with allies, partners, and civil society alike in defending human rights and promoting accountability and good governance.
In February last year, the State Department designated Sri Lanka’s Army Commander, General Shavendra Silva “due to credible information of his involvement in gross violations of human rights”.
Source: www.adaderana.lk
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