Final answer:
The situational irony in "Shooting an Elephant" is that the author, as a British police officer in colonial Burma, is expected to believe in imperialism, but he does not.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that best explains the situational irony surrounding the author's position in "Shooting an Elephant" is: We expect a British police officer in colonial Burma to believe in imperialism, but the author does not believe in it.
This is situational irony because the author, as a British police officer, is expected to represent and uphold the ideals of imperialism, which includes the belief in the superiority and rightness of British rule in Burma. However, throughout the story, the author expresses his guilt, moral conflict, and unwillingness to participate in the oppressive acts of the empire. This contradiction between expectation and reality creates situational irony.