The travel ban imposed by America was first imposed on former Army Commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka prior to the ban on current Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva. The ban on Fonseka is still active, it is reported.
During the tenure Sarath Fonseka held the post of Provincial Development Minister, he had applied for a visa to travel to the US, but his visa had been denied.
His visa application was rejected based on allegations that serious war crimes had taken place during his tenure as Commander in 2009.
In 2015 when Fonseka had applied for a US visa to visit his daughter, his application was rejected. On every occasion that he applied for a US visa it was rejected without a clear or valid reason, it is reported.
However, Shavendra Silva’s travel ban had been issued by the US Secretary of State, through a special statement.
(Mirror)