Former Sri Lankan Navy Commander and Admiral of the Fleet, Wasantha Karannagoda, has lashed out at the United Kingdom and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, following the decision to impose sanctions on him and two other senior military officials over their involvement in human rights violations.
Speaking to the [Daily Mirror](https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Hypocrisy-is-that-Britishers-ignore-their-own-atrocities-Karannagoda-on-UK-sanctions/108-305278#), Karannagoda accused the UK of hypocrisy and claimed the move was politically motivated.
Karannagoda’s remarks follow the UK government’s announcement of targeted sanctions — including travel bans and asset freezes — against himself, former Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya, and former Chief of Defence Staff Shavendra Silva. All three held senior positions during the final phase of Sri Lanka’s armed conflict in 2009, which witnessed the mass killing of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians. Sanctions were also imposed on paramilitary leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, also known as Karuna Amman.
In his comments, Karannagoda criticised the UK for failing to address its own historical record. “British colonial atrocities in Sri Lanka and India remain unaddressed,” he said. He also asked why the British government remains “silent” on conflicts in Gaza, Syria, Afghanistan, and Libya.
Karannagoda also alleged that the Tamil diaspora in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and Europe were behind the sanctions. He claimed that “LTTE sympathisers remain active in Western countries” and are raising funds to influence foreign politicians to target Sri Lankan military leaders who “played a key role in defeating the LTTE”.
His comments mirror long-standing attempts by the Sri Lankan state to dismiss international accountability efforts as the result of lobbying by Tamil diaspora groups — a tactic consistently used to undermine calls for justice from victims and survivors of the genocide.
Karannagoda warned that the UK sanctions could be “just the beginning,” and that further punitive measures may follow due to external pressure.
“The British Prime Minister, a former human rights lawyer, is using this issue to gain majority votes. This is very unfair,” he added.
Calling the UK’s actions “unfair,” Karannagoda urged the Sri Lankan government to stand firmly by the military leadership. He stated that those targeted by sanctions were responsible for “ending the war against terrorism” and should be defended by the state.
Karannagoda, along with others sanctioned, has long been accused of involvement in war crimes during the final stages of the Mullivaikkal genocide. In 2023, the United States also imposed sanctions on him over his alleged role in the abduction and extrajudicial killing of 11 youth between 2008 and 2009.
The UK sanctions have been welcomed by Tamil victim-survivors and human rights groups as a long-overdue step towards accountability. However, Sri Lankan state officials have repeatedly condemned such international measures and continue to promote impunity for those accused of some of the worst atrocities committed during the war.