Fonseka warned against speaking to international bodies on ‘war crimes’

*Fonseka warned against speaking to international bodies on ‘war crimes’:PTI
*Mahinda Rajapaksa: Unwise Actions Could Endanger Democracy: B.Raman
*No link between Fonseka arrest and run for prez: Lanka envoy
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News » International
Colombo, February 11, 2010
Fonseka warned against speaking to international bodies on ‘war crimes’ PTI
Sri Lankan government has warned the detained ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka against providing “evidence to certain international organisations” on alleged war crimes during the final battle with LTTE as it took strong exception to his remarks that he would “reveal the truth“.

“He has reportedly spoken regarding certain things that took place during the war. He also said he is going to provide evidence,” Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene said.

“If he (Fonseka) is going to give evidence to certain international organisations regarding incidents that have taken place after the war was initiated then I believe that the army has the right to question such a military officer,” he told reporters, without naming the global bodies.

Wimal Weerawansa, the chief of the National Freedom Front, a partner of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), also cautioned Gen. (Retd.) Fonseka on the issue.

“Why is a doubt being created in the world? He (Fonseka) was not the one who commanded all the forces,” Mr. Weerawansa said on Wednesday, implying that the General was only responsible for army that time as its head, and not for Air Force and Navy.

“The state leader or someone in the political arena can say this. If something has taken place and you are revealing it, then we will make inquires about it. However, for a former army commander, who was there during the war, to make these revelations, it is a betrayal,” he said.

Prior to his detention, Gen. (Retd.) Fonseka had said on Monday that he was “not going to save anyone who has committed war crimes,” according to BBC Sinhala service.

International human rights organisations as well as the U.S. State Department had alleged that Sri Lankan security forces committed war crimes during the final phase of the war against Tamil Tigers.

"I am definitely going to reveal what I know, what I was told and what I heard. Anyone who has committed war crimes should definitely be brought into courts," Gen. (Retd.) Fonseka, who was trounced by incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa in the January 26 Presidential polls, had said.
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Paper no. 3660
11-Feb-2010
Mahinda Rajapaksa: Unwise Actions Could Endanger Democracy
By B. Raman
After having won an impressive victory over Gen.Sarath Fonseka, his former Army chief, in the prematurely called Presidential elections on January 26, 2010, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has got the Parliament dissolved before it had completed its term so that fresh elections to a new House could be held. The new elections are scheduled to be held on April 8, 2010.

2. It seems to be his hope and calculation that his party and others supporting him would win an equally impressive victory in the elections to the Parliament by taking advantage of the confusion prevailing in the ranks of the opposition after the defeat of Fonseka in the Presidential elections. If his hopes are realised, this will enable him to undertake a programme for finding a solution to the grievances of the Tamils and putting Sri Lanka back on the road to economic recovery.

3. Mr.Rajapaksa was within his rights in calling for premature parliamentary elections and nobody could have objected to his action. What is, however, highly objectionable is the manner in which the President and his two brothers----Mr.Gothbaya Rajapaksa and Mr.Basil Rajapaksa---- have been trying to humiliate Gen. Fonseka and intimidate his supporters apparently in order to ensure that the votes, which Fonseka got in the Presidential elections, do not get translated into votes against Mr.Rajapaksa's party and its electoral allies.

4. A campaign of intimidation and vendetta was started against Fonseka and his supporters after the Presidential elections. Over a dozen officers of the Armed Forces----three of them Majors-General---- have been sacked on national security grounds without specifying the reasons in detail. They were apparently suspected of being loyal to Fonseka and not to the President.

5. The purge of Fonseka's supporters in the Armed Forces was followed by the arrest of Fonseka himself in an undignified manner despite the fact that he was the chief of the Army and had displayed commendable leadership qualities in having the LTTE crushed. Fonseka himself once narrowly escaped being killed by the LTTE. This showed how the LTTE considered his elimination important for achieving its objective.

6. While many people-----including the President himself and his two brothers-----played an important role in the elimination of the LTTE, the role of Fonseka and his come-back after almost having been killed by the LTTE fired the imagination of the officers and other ranks in the Armed Forces and made them fight as a team with determination against the LTTE. When the history of the victory over the LTTE is written, Fonseka's generalship would stand out in any account.

7. In its long history, the Sri Lankan army had not produced many heroes to whom the soldiers can look up to for inspiration. Fonseka was an exception as a professional soldier. Apparently blinded by political ambition after the victory over the LTTE, Fonseka conducted himself in an erratic and irresponsible manner and tried to play down the role of the President and his brothers and others in the victory.

8. His over-sized pride in himself and in his role and the bad advice which he received from those around him made him cross the limits of decency and loyalty and make wild allegations against the President and Mr.Gothbaya, who, as the Defence Secretary, co-ordinated the operations against the LTTE.

9. Mr.Rajapaksa had valid reasons to be angry against the General, but he has allowed the anger to get the better of him. His post-election actions against the General---including the circumstances of his arrest in an undignified manner not under the ordinary laws of the land, but under the special laws governing the Armed Forces and his plans to have him court-martialed under charges relating to violations of national security when he was a serving General have given rise to suspicions of a vendetta against the General for having dared to criticise the President and his brothers and for letting himself be used by the opposition in an attempt to have Mr.Rajapaksa defeated in the Presidential elections for a second term.

10. One could also discern an attempt by Mr.Rajapaksa and his brothers to make it difficult for Fonseka to influence the forthcoming Parliamentary elections by keeping him in detention fighting cases started against him by the Government. Mr.Rajapaksa does not seem to realise that his actions could not only create public revulsion for his style of functioning, but could also sow the seeds for the politicisation of the Sri Lankan Army and make it go down the way of the Armies of Pakistan and Bangladesh.

11. The political leaders of Pakistan and Bangladesh cannot escape their share of responsibility for politicising their armed forces and facilitating the military dominance of the political life of their countries by actions which were exploited by the Army to project the political class in a bad light.

12. If democracy has till now survived and flourished in Sri Lanka, an important contributing factor was the wisdom shown by the predecessors of Mr.Rajapaksa in maintaining the professionalism of the Army and keeping it politically neutral. By deviating from the path of wisdom followed by his predecessors and by conducting himself in the manner he has been doing due largely to sheer spite, Mr.Rajapaksa has already broken the healthy traditions which had won Sri Lanka the respect of the international community.

13. If Mr.Rajapaksa does not pull himself back and refrain from such vindictive actions, there is a danger of Sri Lanka meeting the fate of Pakistan and Bangladesh due to the unwise actions of Mr.Rajapaksa and his brothers.
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No link between Fonseka arrest and run for prez: Lanka envoy
Sachin Parashar, TNN, 10 February 2010, 03:54am IST
NEW DELHI: A day after the arrest of former army chief Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lankan high commissioner to India Prasad Kariyawasam said the development would have no adverse effect on the island nation’s stability as the charges against Fonseka are not linked to his status as the main opposition candidate in the January presidential elections. Fonseka’s arrest is being looked upon by many as a crackdown on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s opponents in the run-up to parliamentary elections.

"It is important to not see a link between his candidature in the presidential polls and the arrest which is a part of a separate process altogether. There are serious allegations of misconduct as a military officer against him and the investigations into these are bound by military rules," said Kariyawasam in an exclusive interview to TOI, adding that only the investigations will determine the exact form of charges to be pressed against him.

While Kariyawasam said the process of devolution of power to Tamils is already underway, he admitted it could be delayed by the fact that there is no real leadership currently among the Tamils.

"We and India are on the same page over empowering people in the north and east. However, the fact is that we need a new Tamil leadership to emerge. We can’t work with diaspora groups who are enamoured by the idea of separatism," said Kariyawasam, adding Sri Lanka needed more time as the war was just over. He was responding to a query on how seriously Rajapaksa would take his commitment on devolution in the face of his resounding win over Fonseka who was backed by the Tamils.

As for the resettlement, he said there were only about 70,000 refugees living in military camps now. "Even among these there are many who are living there because the camps have good facilities," he said.

Kariyawasam also sought to allay India’s concerns over the growing Chinese influence in Sri Lanka and that the firmly entrenched Rajapaksa might use the proximity with China as a leverage against India. He said India will always be the most important country for Sri Lanka. "There is a misperception. Our friendship with China is not at India’s expense. Sri Lanka will never do anything which will harm India’s strategic interest," he said.

"We have a commercial and profitable partnership with China which should make India happy too because it will lead to overall development which, in turn, will help Indian firms who are investing in Sri Lanka," he added.