US, Switzerland Reject Jagath Dias As Probable War Criminal; Govt. Appoints Dias To Head Weliweriya Military Probe

August 22, 2013 

The Army’s Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jagath Dias who was put in charge of the army inquiry into a violent military crackdown against civilian demonstrators in Weliweriya on August 1 has been rejected by the United States for training programme on account of his implication in alleged war crimes during the final days of the war.

Jagath Dias - Subjected to scrutiny

The military inquiry into Weliweriya was handed over to the Army Chief late last evening after the initial two weeks deadline lapsed and the special board of inquiry said it required more time.

Major Generals Dias and Sudantha Ranasinghe were turned down for US training because of alleged complicity in certain human rights violations during the Wanni battles. The Government has reacted strongly to the move denying the allegations against Dias and Ranasinghe. Chief of Defence Staff General Jagath Jayasuriya who addressed a media conference yesterday said that Ranasinghe had initially been cleared for a US training after he was rejected on a previous occasion. “It is not clear why he was rejected again,” Gen. Jayasuriya said adding that in the case of Dias, he had been refused a training at the National Defence College as well because of his involvement in the 57 Division. “I think until that issue is cleared, that problem for him will keep resurfacing,” the former Army Commander admitted. “With regard to Maj. Gen. Dias a decision has to come from the top,” Jayasuriya added.

Gen. Jayasuriya said that in the case of Maj. Gen. Ranasinghe, he had raised the issue with the US Defence Attache during his tenure as Commander. “There is a problem with his Division – the 53 Division. But he was appointed to head that division very recently, not during the war, but in the case of certain divisions the whole unit is affected” he explained.                          Read More