Sri Lankan human rights activist and chairman of Families of the Disappeared, Brito Fernando, shared harrowing allegations of torture and abuse committed by retired Sri Lankan army commander and accused war criminal Major General Shavendra Silva during his tenure at the Matale Vijaya torture camp.
Speaking to the media earlier this month, Fernando detailed the testimony of a fellow detainee who was previously imprisoned at the Matale facility and was not present at the event. He alleged that Silva had forced his comrade and another detainee to duel with weapons.
"They were both beaten for not using the weapons. At the end, the other person had been beheaded and he [comrade] was told to drink the other’s blood,” Fernando recounted.
HORRIFIC DETAILS of former Sri Lankan army chief Major Gen. Shavendra Silva’s criminal activity in the Matale Wijaya College torture chamber emerge following new found interest on Batalanda & Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Listen to the convener of Families of the Disappeared👇 pic.twitter.com/O0RqTbBx7P
— JDS (@JDSLanka) March 19, 2025
In 1989, Shavendra Silva served as a company commander in the 1st Gajaba under the command of Gotabaya Rajapaksa when it was deployed to the Matale District at the height of the 1987–1989 JVP insurrection undertaking counter insurgency operations in the district.
Silva would go on to lead the 58th Division of the Sri Lankan army during the final stages of the Mullivaikkal genocide, has long been accused of war crimes and grave human rights violations, particularly during the 2009 military offensive. Under his command, the 58th Division has been accused of shelling government-declared “no fire zones,” resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians who had sought refuge.
Units under Silva’s leadership were also implicated in extrajudicial executions, torture, and the disappearance of surrendering LTTE cadres. In February 2020, the United States imposed a travel ban on Silva and his immediate family, citing his involvement in war crimes and the execution of Tamil civilians during the final phase of the conflict. Earlier this week, the UK also sanctioned Silva.
Despite international condemnation, Silva was celebrated as a war hero in Sri Lanka and promoted to senior positions, including Chief of Defence Staff, before retiring in December 2024.
The press conference was held amid renewed attention on the Batalanda Commission Report, which is scheduled to be debated in Parliament on 10th April. Formed under then-President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the Batalanda Commission was tasked with investigating illegal detentions, torture, disappearances, and assassinations committed between 1988 and 1990 at an unofficial detention site in Batalanda.
Former president Ranil Wickremesinghe has come under fresh scrutiny following a recent interview with Al Jazeera’s Mehdi Hasan, as the Commission previously concluded that he was aware of the abuses that occurred at the site.
During his address, Fernando referenced the decades-long suffering of Tamil families and the mothers of the disappeared. He highlighted the pervasive fear among survivors and witnesses, many of whom remain reluctant to come forward due to past trauma and threats.
“People should be encouraged to come forward and say what happened to them. If we say how our men were dragged out, how our children were whisked away, the fear that lingers amongst those who survived will also be taken away. The government should strengthen these victims and provide facilities to submit the evidence. The government has no impediment. It has a two-thirds majority that enables the removal of civic rights.”