Gen. Shavendra Silva speaks out on ‘Aragalaya’ controversy after retiring

.

The former Army Commander and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Shavendra Silva, has officially retired from the service yesterday (31), concluding a remarkable 41-year career dedicated to safeguarding Sri Lanka’s security and sovereignty.  

A formal ceremony marking his retirement was held yesterday afternoon (31) at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).  

In a detailed statement issued ahead of his retirement, General Silva reflected on certain significant events that transpired during his tenure, including the civil unrest of 2022, also known as the ‘Aragalaya’ protest movement.  

“The civil unrest in the country in 2022 was a complex process in my military career that revealed who my true friends and true enemies are. The state army is an official armed force that stands ready to protect the people in the event of a threat to the state, whether external or internal,” he stated.  

“The 2022 uprising was an internal civil unrest. I ordered the army to use only minimal force to control the protesters. I did not want any ordinary innocent citizen to die from a military bullet.”  

“I was not eager to become a fanatical mass murderer wielding official authority against an unarmed population. The result is that the country did not descend into anarchy. An example of this is the negative consequences of military operations currently being carried out to suppress popular protests in neighboring states,” he said.