Sri Lanka has appointed Major General Sathyapriya Liyanage, a man accused of overseeing war crimes a decade ago, as head of the Overall Operational Command in Colombo in the wake of the Easter Sunday attacks last week.
Liyange was head of Task Force 3, during the Sri Lanka military’s 2009 offensive that killed tens of thousands of Tamils and saw the shelling of hospitals, widespread sexual violence and the execution of those who attempted to surrender.
Task Force 3 was “particularly involved in the final weeks of the conflict” said the OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka, a United Nations mandated investigation into the concluding phase of the armed conflict. The unit was also informed of the coordinates of the Vallipunam Hospital, which was directly hit by artillery fire in those final weeks.
See more from the OISL here.
His appointment comes as Sri Lanka ramped up its security presence across the island, with multiple search and raid operations taking place.
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