A Sri Lankan diplomat and former military official whom many accuse of war crimes spoke at Edwards Church yesterday, denying the claims against him and asking Sri Lankans to move forward.
Former Sri Lankan Major Gen. Shavendra Silva was appointed Sri Lanka's permanent deputy United Nations representative in August, a decision that angered human rights groups that allege Silva played an important role in the killings of as many as 40,000 civilians near the end of the country's 30-year civil war in 2009.
The country's populace is made up of two ethnic groups, the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils. From 1983 to 2009, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam fought an on-and-off war against the government, hoping to create an independent state for Tamils.
Winchester resident and native Tamil Suba Suntharalingam and a handful of others protested Silva's visit, holding signs at the intersection of Maplewood and Elm streets before going inside to listen.
Controversial Sri Lankan official speaks in Framingham - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News
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