Colombo: Sri Lankau2019s ruling and opposition parties have strongly opposed the US move to impose a travel ban on the countryu2019s Army chief Lt Gen Shavendra Silva, saying Americau2019s decision was based on independently unverified information.
The US last week imposed travel restrictions on Silva and his family over alleged human rights violations during the final phase of the island nationu2019s Civil War in 2009.
u201c Silva was only conducting a war against a designated terrorist group which was the LTTE. The US themselves named many organizations terrorist after 9/ 11 attacks,u201d Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said. Other opposition figures also said that Silva was doing his job as a battle commander and should therefore not be punished for fighting the LTTE. He was appointed as the Sri Lankan Army Commander last year and previously headed the Armyu2019s 58th Division in the final battle against the LTTE. Agencies Sri Lankan government and opposition slam US travel ban on army chief Lt Gen Shavendra Silva. FILE PIC The US last week imposed travel restrictions on Silva and his family over alleged human rights violations during the final phase of the island nationu2019s Civil War
