Canada announces sanctions against Mahinda, Gotabaya Rajapaksa

In a decision that could trigger a cascading reaction, Canada on Tuesday (January 10) announced sanctions against former Sri Lankan Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa and two others for widespread rights abuses in the war against the Tamil Tigers. 

Canadian Foreign Minister Melaine Joly announced the decision in Ottawa. The other two were identified as Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake and Lt Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi. 

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Joly said the step was taken over the “gross and systematic violations of human rights during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka”. 

Freezing of assets

The sanctions will effectively freeze any assets the four may hold in Canada, bar them from financial or related services and deem them inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. 

Joly stated: “Over the past four decades, the people of Sri Lanka have suffered a great deal due to the armed conflict, economic and political instability, and gross violations of human rights.   

“Canada is steadfast in its support to attain peace, reconciliation, justice and accountability on the island. Canada has taken decisive action today to end international impunity against violators of international law.” 

The Minister said Canada was ready to support Sri Lanka’s path to peace, inclusion and prosperity through the advancement of accountability, reconciliation and human rights, including international assistance to address the domestic crisis.  

Crushing of LTTE

When Sri Lankan militarily crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009, Mahinda Rajapaksa was the President and his young brother and later President Gotabaya was the Defence Secretary. 

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Rights activists have alleged widespread rights abuses towards the closing stages of the war, particularly in 2008 and 2009, leading to thousands of deaths of innocent civilians besides combatants. Government troops, particularly sections of them, were accused of summary executions, mass rape and indiscriminate shelling of hospitals and government-designated no-fire zones. 

Sunil Ratnayake was sentenced to death in 2015 for the murder of eight Tamils including three children in Mirusuvil town. But he was released in 2020 following a presidential pardon. 

Hettiarachchi alias ‘Navy Sampath’ had earlier evaded arrest over the abduction and forced disappearance of 11 people, predominantly Tamil. He was later released on bail. All 11 were believed to have been murdered. 

The statement by the Canadian Foreign Ministry said Sri Lanka has taken “limited meaningful and concrete action to uphold its human rights obligations”. 

Canada is home to a huge Sri Lankan diaspora. Toronto is widely referred to as Little Jaffna.