The head of the Sri Lankan army said he recalled with “great pride” his role in the military offensive of 2009, in which he oversaw a unit accused of executions and committed atrocities that have barred him from entry to the USA.

Shavendra Silva, who stands accused of committing genocide, released a statement to mark ‘Victory Day’ this morning.

“It is with great pride that I recall the pioneering role of the victorious 58 Division which liberated the country as the then General Officer Commanding of the 58 Division,” he said.

The 58 Division in particular stands accused of the most egregious of crimes. 

In 2011, Channel 4 News interviewed an army officer on the front lines of the offensive, who told of the crimes committed by troops from the unit. He stated,

“They shot people at random, stabbed people, raped them, cut out their tongues, cut women’s breasts off. I have witnessed this with my own eyes. I saw the naked dead bodies of women without heads and other parts of their bodies. I saw a lot of small innocent children getting killed in large numbers. I saw people soaked in blood. 

They could do whatever they wanted there. It was their empire.”

One of the most disturbing crimes that Silva is accused of directing is the mass murder of surrendering Tamil civilians and LTTE cadres, since dubbed the “White Flag” incident. The officer quoted Silva as telling troops on the frontline;

“This is a very decisive day for us because last night I got a call from the defence secretary. He told me that we only have a small chunk of land left to capture. Do whatever it takes, however it is done… finish it off the way it has to be done.”

Dozens of LTTE leaders, injured cadres and Tamil civilians were massacred by the military as they attempted to surrender. Photographs taken by Sri Lankan troops show Silva standing before the bodies of killed Tamils.

Read more in our feature: US bans Sri Lanka’s army chief from entry over war crimes

Silva’s message however, went on to state that he believes “all Sri Lankans would continue to remember forever with deep respect the noble dedication and commitment, largely contributed by Army War Heroes for defence of the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty after defeating the LTTE”.

He went on to claim that the military was “able to rescue a large gathering of besieged Tamil civilians” and repeatedly referred to the massacres as a “humanitarian operation” parroting the terminology of the Sri Lankan state.

His statement comes as the military announced it had promoted hundreds of Sri Lankan soldiers.