{"id":229,"date":"2011-09-24T09:09:43","date_gmt":"2011-09-24T09:09:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/colombotelegraph.com\/?p=229"},"modified":"2012-10-27T11:36:04","modified_gmt":"2012-10-27T11:36:04","slug":"sl-general-war-crimes-case-filed-shavendra-in-trouble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sl-general-war-crimes-case-filed-shavendra-in-trouble\/","title":{"rendered":"US court serves summons on Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva"},"content":{"rendered":"

Colombo Telegraph<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Summons had been delivered to Maj. Gen. Silva’s residence in New York.\u00a0A 19-page plaint filed in the District Court on behalf of Vathsala Devi and Seetharam Sivam (plaintiffs) seeks a jury trial against Major General Silva. This is over the death of Vathsala Devi’s husband Thurairajasingham Devi (Colonel Ramesh). Seetharam Sivam is described as the legal representative of his father Siththar Sivaram who was reportedly killed in the alleged Army shelling of Puthukudiyiruppu during the final stages of the separatist war.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The subpoena (or summons) had been delivered to Maj. Gen. Silva's residence and has been accepted, as required by the US law,<\/p><\/div>\n

American University Washington College of Law\u2019s UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic filed the lawsuit in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) against Sri Lankan General Shavendra Silva, who currently resides in New York City yesterday (23). General Silva was the commander of the 58th Division of the Sri Lankan Army during its brutal counter-insurgency campaign that costs the lives of up to 40,000 civilians in spring 2009. General Silva currently resides in New York City, and is Sri Lanka\u2019s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations. As the United Nations General Assembly is ongoing, this lawsuit shines a spotlight on a war criminal in its midst.<\/p>\n

As commander of the 58th Division, General Silva was responsible for conducting Sri Lanka\u2019s bitter and brutal war against Tamils in northern Sri Lanka, and directly caused the untold suffering of thousands of Tamil civilians. Under the auspices of \u201cfighting terrorism\u201d, General Silva led the Army\u2019s campaign of war crimes and crimes against humanity across northern Sri Lanka. In particular, protected persons \u2013 civilians \u2013 and protected places \u2013 hospitals \u2013 were deliberately attacked by General Silva and his forces, which violates Sri Lankan law, American law and international law. General Silva is also responsible for the torture and extrajudicial executions of surrendering members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in clear contravention of the laws of war.<\/p>\n

\"General

Diplomatic immunity in questions<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThese egregious violations of international and domestic law have gone unanswered for over two years now, as survivors continue to suffer in suffocating silence on the island. Finally, after years of waiting for someone to answer for the loss of loved ones, the voices of Tamil victims and survivors have been granted their day in court. Today, U.S. courts provide a forum for justice and accountability, where there would otherwise be continued impunity for Sri Lanka\u2019s crimes against Tamils,\u201d said Ali Beydoun, lead counsel on this case, director at American University Washington College of Law\u2019s UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic, and a Senior Partner at SPEAK Human Rights Initiative.<\/p>\n

Up to 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the final months of Sri Lanka\u2019s military onslaught against Tamil regions in 2009, according to a report from a United Nations Panel of Experts. However, over two years later, there have been no investigations or prosecutions of those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. \u201cThis lawsuit is one small yet substantial step towards accountability for Sri Lanka\u2019s bloodbath on the beach. We will continue pursuing these cases until justice is served,\u201d Beydoun said.<\/p>\n

This lawsuit seeks damages for violations of international, Sri Lankan and domestic law under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA). These statutes grant jurisdiction to U.S. courts over human rights violations committed abroad, and serve to ensure that the U.S. does not become a safe haven for war criminals.The day will not be getting any easier for Sri Lanka\u2019s President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as massive protests greet his arrival in New York for the 66th U.N. General Assembly. This day marks a uniquely perfect storm for justice, as demands for accountability begin to echo throughout New York and the world.<\/p>\n

Ramesh was captured and later killed. watch the\u00a0video here.<\/p>\n

[youtube=http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mgHP9I-eB7M]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":233,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,53,31,57,1,26],"tags":[1134,1183,1132,1184,6983],"class_list":["post-229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disappearance","category-global-politics","category-judiciary","category-law-and-order","category-news","category-war-crimes","tag-human-rights","tag-shavendra-silva","tag-sri-lanka","tag-usa","tag-war-crimes"],"yoast_head":"\nUS court serves summons on Maj. Gen. 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