Impunity is a perennial problem in Sri Lanka. The lack of accountability for crimes has eroded the social fabric of the country. However, impunity is also intertwined with themes of truth, memory and knowledge. Drawing on diverse sources, from international treaties to private interviews, the author argues that to act with impunity means not only to act without legal consequences, but also to deny truth, memory and knowledge to those whom it is owed. Conceptualizing the many faces of impunity enables us to see how it is connected with other phenomena, such as nationalism, identity and reconciliation.