Only UN Security Council Sanctions are Binding : UK Sanctions Don’t Apply Here

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has asserted that the sanctions recently imposed by the United Kingdom on certain Sri Lankan individuals hold no legal force over the country, describing them as unilateral actions taken under UK domestic law rather than internationally binding measures.

Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath stressed that such sanctions differ fundamentally from decisions made by the United Nations Security Council under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which alone carry international legal authority. 

According to him, Sri Lanka is under no obligation to recognise, enforce, or cooperate with these UK sanctions, nor accept any allegations or conclusions that underpin them. He emphasized that criminal accountability can be determined only by Sri Lankan courts or by legitimate international courts with the proper mandate.

The Minister explained that Sri Lanka retains the right to formally challenge or object to external sanctions through diplomatic channels, reaffirming the principles of sovereignty and non‑interference. He noted that while theoretical international mechanisms exist, they have little practical effect unless the targeted country voluntarily agrees to be bound by them. As a result, the legal impact of the UK sanctions remains confined solely to the United Kingdom, with their broader implications being political rather than legal.

Herath referenced the broader context of unilateral sanctions imposed on Sri Lankan citizens over the years. He pointed out that the UK’s action is not unprecedented, noting that the United States first imposed such measures in February 2020 against General Shavendra Silva during the administration of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. This was followed by U.S. travel bans on former Presidents Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa in December 2021. Canada, in January 2023, imposed sanctions on the two former Presidents along with Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake and Navy Officer Chandana Hettiarachchi, citing alleged wartime human rights violations. Most recently, in December 2024, the U.S. issued sanctions on former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunge and ex‑SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena over corruption‑related allegations.

Herath underscored that these actions form part of a pattern, making it inappropriate for the UK’s move to be treated as a standalone event or precedent.

Reiterating the government’s position, the Minister stated that Sri Lanka does not accept unilateral sanctions imposed by state or non‑state actors. 

He clarified that only sanctions imposed by internationally recognised mechanisms, such as the UN Security Council, are binding on member states.

The government’s long‑held stance, including at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, is that any allegations of human rights violations against members of the armed forces must be addressed through domestic processes, which the current administration has taken steps to strengthen.

Sri Lanka, he said, firmly rejects international accountability mechanisms, including the external evidence‑gathering system established under UNHRC Resolution 51/1 in 2022.