Suspend Deployment Of Sri Lankan Peacekeepers: ITJP

FEBRUARY 2, 2021

The United Nations Peacekeeping department should suspend all deployments from Sri Lanka following the latest report of the UN human rights body which warns that the independence and credibility of the body tasked with vetting the troops had been fundamentally eroded. 

“The UN Department of Peace Operations has a legal duty to ensure due diligence before deploying troops,” said the Executive Director of the International Truth and Justice Project, Yasmin Sooka. “The report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights confirms that New York is not in a position now to certify that the Sri Lankan troops have been properly vetted and screened and must urgently take steps to move the screening process back to Geneva.”

Under the current arrangement the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka carries out the vetting of troops in Colombo. As Michelle Bachelet has pointed out, the Human Rights Commission has been politicized and its independence undermined by the appointment of a former government Minister as its chairperson. 

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michele Bachelet, also said she was particularly troubled by the appointment of two men alleged by the UN to be implicated in war crimes to head the Sri Lankan Army and run the Defence Ministry. The appointment of Shavendra Silva to Army Commander in 2019 triggered the UN’s  announcement that it was suspending deployment of all Sri Lankan peacekeepers, except where operations could be endangered.The UN later clarified that its suspension would affect a quarter of Sri Lankan peacekeepers – namely those deployed in Lebanon who would be replaced by troops from other countries.

In addition, departing Sri Lankan contingents were photographed repeatedly saluting an alleged war criminal, Shavendra Silva, at farewell parades. This is in spite of the widespread international criticism of the appointment of Shavendra Silva to Army Commander in 2019. A group of UN experts called the appointment of Shavendra Silva an affront to his victims and a move that defied understanding. This view was echoed by the US Government, Canada and the European Union. 

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