General accused of war abuses named Sri Lanka’s army chief
Posted August 19, 2019 1:35 am.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A general accused of grave human rights abuses during Sri Lanka’s long civil war has been appointed as the country’s new army chief.
President Maithripala Sirisena’s office announced Monday that Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva has been named as the new army commander.
Silva was in charge of the 58th Division, one the divisions of soldiers that encircled the final stronghold of the Tamil Tiger rebels in the final stages of the civil war in 2009.
Global rights groups have accused the division of violating international human rights laws.
Sri Lankan soldiers and the Tamil rebels, who fought for an independent state for minority ethnic Tamils, were both accused of war abuses. Government soldiers were accused of deliberately targeting civilians and hospitals.
The Associated Press
