War hero now prisoner No: 0/22032
Courtesy: Sunday Times – Pix: Getty Images
* Fonseka sleeps on ground and stands in queue for meals
* Ranil faces new issues, including Ameratunga’s embarrassing trip to US
It was close upon midnight Thursday when former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka was escorted into an isolated cell in Ward “S” at the high security Welikada Prison. Fonseka, now Prisoner No: 0/22032, changed from a national dress into an ill-fitting jumper, the regular attire for convicts and slept the night on a mat on the cement floor. He had only one pillow.
He was woken up at 5 a.m on Friday, like all other inmates in the block. His cell had a toilet but he complained the flush was not working. He had to walk to a water tank outside the ward. There, he had to use a bucket to draw water to wash or bathe. Later, with a metal jug on one hand and a metal plate on the other, he stood in the queue with other convicts to be served breakfast. It was rice and Pol Sambol. As a prelude to Prison officials assigning him his daily chores, a doctor examined him. Tailors at the prison also took his correct measurements to provide him more jumpers to suit his size.
For lunch on Friday, he joined the queue again with the metal cup and plate. Lunch was rice, a watery cucumber curry, dhal, a vegetable Mellun (dry curry or condiment made of minced leaves or fruit and scraped coconut) with a small piece of fish and gravy. Immediately thereafter, he was back in his cell until 2 p.m. After a short break outside with more chores, he returned to the cell at 7 p.m. The lights go out at that time and he would have to sleep in the darkness until dawn next morning.
That will now be the daily routine for Fonseka, the former Commander of the Army, who led troops for the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas in May last year. Promoted to become the only serving General in the Army’s 61 year history, he earned many plaudits from UPFA leaders. He was dubbed the “best Army Commander in the world.” Public ceremonies were held in temples and schools countrywide to felicitate him. There is little or no doubt, that Fonseka’s rich military acumen contributed in no small measure to the victory. There is also little or no doubt that Fonseka’s ruthlessness; his cantankerous behaviour coupled together with unbridled arrogance won him a larger share of enemies both within and outside the military establishment. He also sent shudders down media personnel whom he disliked.
Exactly two weeks after he was stripped of his rank, his titles, his medals of decoration and his pension forfeited, Fonseka was sentenced to two and half years of rigorous imprisonment. The first punishment came on September 17 after a General Court Martial (GCM) found him guilty of “dabbling in politics.” As exclusively revealed in our political commentary last week, a second GCM recommended the sentence of two and half year’s rigorous imprisonment after he was found guilty of “disgraceful conduct” over military procurements. Details connected with this inquiry were revealed last week.
Fonseka was charged on four counts on the grounds that he was “in the knowledge of the fact that your son-in-law Danuna Tillekeratne had an interest or concern with M/S Hicorp (Pvt) Ltd.” This relationship, the charges said, if disclosed, “would have required you to dissociate yourself from the tender process” in accordance with Procurement Guidelines of 2006. The charge said Fonseka “concealed the said relationship” until his retirement and thus committed a “fraudulent act.”
However, during the GCM proceedings, the Registrar of Companies, P. D. T. Panditha Sundara, a witness called by the defence, said Danuna Tillekeratne was not a Director of Hicorp (Pvt). Ltd. He said his name did not appear in the official documents in his Department.
On Wednesday, soon after his return from New York, President Mahinda Rajapaksa signed a proclamation confirming the recommendations of the second GCM. A source at the Presidential Secretariat said that was by placing his official seal in English and his signature in Sinhala on a 12-page document. This document is the appropriate Army form used by the Convening Officer of a court martial. It is dated September 29, 2010. In this instance, the Convening Officer was the Commander of the Army, Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya.
The fact that he was sentenced to two and half years rigorous imprisonment was conveyed to Fonseka in an official document. It was delivered to him at Navy Headquarters by Lt. Col Clifford Soysa, Commanding Officer of the first battalion of the Sri Lanka Corps Military Police (SLCMP). Later a prison official visited him to inform him that he should be ready to move to a cell.
The leak of the signing of the proclamation via SMS news alerts by mobile phone operators on Thursday morning was to thwart some plans made by the authorities. They had planned to shift Fonseka from the “married quarters” he occupied within Navy Headquarters to the Welikada Prison in the morning. It was only thereafter an official announcement was to be made. After the news broke, media personnel armed with cameras had taken up position outside the prisons. Reports that the JVP was planning to obstruct the convoy carrying Fonseka led to security in the City being tightened. Armed soldiers were placed outside the prisons. Plans were called off until nighttime.
Yet, the media braved the intermittent showers to wait outside the prisons. So did the former General’s wife, Anoma. It was only hours earlier, she had visited Navy Headquarters to deliver her husband what turned out to be his last home made meal. It was past 10.30 p.m. Police officers moved into to form a cordon outside the main entrance to the prisons at Baseline Road. A prisons bus lay parked across the road. A few minutes later, around forty men in civvies, said to be Army soldiers assigned for security duties whilst Fonseka was in custody bolstered the police strength.
At this point, a deception plan went into effect. Whilst all attention was on the main entrance, a van with tinted windows drove into the prisons through another gate. It was only when the deployment outside the main entrance was dismissed did those waiting for Fonseka to turn up realise he had already gone in. Ms Fonseka made a request to meet her husband but was advised to come over the next morning.
On Friday afternoon, Ms Fonseka visited her husband in jail. When she came out, she held his national dress that was returned to her by prisons staff and declared to reporters “this is what he (Fonseka) has received for defeating terrorism.” If the first GCM had literally removed Fonseka’s uniform, the second removed his national dress. Earlier, on Thursday afternoon, Ms Fonseka addressed a hurriedly summoned news conference at the Solis Hall in Kotte. She said: “The jail sentence is the gift my husband has got for ending the 30-year-old war and giving the opportunity to the public to move about freely. This verdict is a disgrace for the armed forces. I am appealing to them not to accept this verdict. The President has written this verdict and it has been given according to his wishes.
“The members of the court martial were puppets dressed in military uniform. That too is a disgrace to the armed forces. We will not be appealing to the President for pardon on this sentence, but we will follow the legal procedures. Even the most venerable Maha Nayake Theras had appealed to the President not to sentence him. That plea too has not been accepted by the President.”
However, earlier Thursday, government spokesperson and Media Minister, Keheliya Rambukwella, told a news conference, “the GCM judgement has been given in accordance with the country’s existing laws.” He said Fonseka had imposed the same law (conduct of Courts Martial) on 4,500 soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army. He said Fonseka would lose his seat in Parliament in accordance with provisions of the Constitution. However, he did not elaborate. His remarks have given rise to speculation that President Rajapaksa, who is “Confirming Authority” under military law, would intimate to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, the GCM verdict and the sentence imposed. Such a move may stymie efforts now being made by Fonseka’s lawyers to challenge the GCM findings and the subsequent sentence in courts.
In the event of the Speaker ruling that Fonseka is no longer an MP, the seat will go to the next Democratic National Alliance (DNA) candidate, Lakshman Nipunaratchchi. Others in the line up are Jayantha Perera, Sanjiv Kandanaratchchi, Ajit Cooray, Sunil Watagala and more than 18 others from DNA. It is only if all these candidates decline in unison from being named could the DNA appoint a successor. Otherwise, a slot in Parliament for Ms Fonseka, to replace her husband, would be possible only with the resignation of their other DNA parliamentarian, Tiran Alles.
JVP sources say though their party is the main constituent partner in the alliance, they would not forfeit their only seat in the National List which is held by Anura Kumara Dissanayake. “They (Fonseka and Alles) formed the new Democratic National Front as a political party and wanted to remain within DNA. If Fonseka is to lose his seat, it is their party’s slot that has to be filled,” said a senior JVPer who did not wish to be named. He added “that is the only way they can ensure Ms Fonseka is brought to Parliament to prove that her husband has not been politically destroyed. She can speak for him there.”
This has gained added significance since Ms. Fonseka will now be allowed to see her husband only once in a month. However, MPs are granted the privilege of making daily visits until 6 p.m. President Mahinda Rajapaksa met with chief monks of the Polonnaruwa district at the Sudu Araliya Hotel in Polonnaruwa to discuss the problems faced by the temples.
One of the monks, Ven Habarana Rathana Dhamma, the chief incumbent of Shri Priyadharshanaramaya in Polonnaruwa told Rajapaksa they had no objections over the sentence passed on the former Army Commander Sarth Fonseka. “The decision is correct. If Fonseka was heading the country we know what would have happened to the Rajapaksas”, he said.
Rajapaksa promptly responded: ‘I am not a person who engages in revengeful politics. Whenever revengeful things were told against me on political stages during the election campaign, I have never spoken in a revengeful manner. I have only acted in the capacity of the head of the armed forces in maintaining discipline of the army. These are legal acts.”
Rajapaksa added: “Constitutionally there is a manner how pardon could be given. If there is plea for pardon I am ready to consider it.” On September 17, the three-member GCM headed by Major General Milinda Peiris unanimously delivered a guilty verdict. On that day, the Military Secretary Major General B.C.K. Peiris Goonetilleke was called upon to produce Fonseka’s personal file. Then the following dialogue took place. This is how the official record says it:
“Judge Advocate Rear Admiral Shavindra Fernando: Mr (Rienzie) Aresacularatne , do you have….. No questions?
“Defence Counsel Aresacularatne: No, Your honour.
“Judge Advocate Rear Admiral Shavindra Fernando: Mr. Aresacularatne, do you wish to make any submissions in mitigation of sentence?
“Defence Counsel Aresacularatne: The accused wants to say something, Your Honour.
“Judge Advocate Fernando: The accused may stand and say what he wishes to say.
“Accused Sarath Fonseka: Today I need…… I will say, I said in the last so called Court Martial, I don’t agree with the verdict. I don’t think justice was done and justice was never done here. It was disgusting; the whole process of justice was never done here.”
After making those remarks in English, Fonseka switched to Sinhala to make a lengthy statement. He said there was no fair play and was bitterly critical of some officials. He said he was being accused of “disgraceful conduct” when some senior officers of the Army had appeared on state run television during the presidential election campaign and openly engaged in politics. Their conduct were disgraceful, he said.
He told the GCM that 5200 soldiers were killed during Eelam War IV and 27,000 injured. He said 23,000 Tiger guerrillas were killed and a further 11,000 were taken into custody. The figures in respect of the guerrillas contradicted what Fonseka had declared in many media interviews during the last stages of Eelam War IV. He said their numbers did not exceed 4,000. Now, the total of those dead and injured, according to his submission to the GCM is a staggering 34,000. That is five times the strength of the Sri Lanka Army when the separatist insurgency began.
Fonseka said, “I would be frightened to go to jail after doing wrong. However, without doing wrong, I am not frightened to be in jail. All should know that without fear I would even go to 100 jails.
I am willing to spend a long time in jail. My commitment to kill Prabhakaran and destroy the LTTE helped me achieve it. The same way, though I am in jail, I will fight against injustice. I will fight and I will win.”
On Friday, Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe telephoned Anoma Fonseka. He was to tell her that the UNP was launching a religious campaign in Dompe beginning today. Participants are to chant Seth Kavi (benedictory verses) to invoke the blessings of gods to release Fonseka.
She agreed to take part in the event. UNP parliamentarians Jayalath Jayawardena and Akila Viraj Kariyawasam have flown to Italy to take part in a protest by Sri Lankans there seeking the release of Fonseka. The DNA’s Arjuna Ranatunga has also left for the same event. It was Ms Fonseka who was to take part earlier. Italy has a large Sinhala expatriate lobby. Both the UNP and the JVP have sought to fight their campaign largely overseas.
Wickremesinghe told the Sunday Times, “locking up a man without a fair trial is a gross travesty of justice”. He said his party would continue to agitate both in and outside Parliament for Fonseka’s release. The JVP appears to have planned its own campaign at district level by holding meetings. A campaign to collect signatures to be sent to President Rajapaksa seeking Fonseka’s release and a poster campaign are among other measures planned by the party.
For Wickremesinghe, there were several new issues to face. John Ameratunga (UNP- Gampaha District) met him after his return from a trip to Washington D.C. to meet his daughter. He confessed to Wickremesinghe that he and his wife had flown to the US capital on business class air tickets provided by the Government. He had explained that he had asked his daughter to come over to Washington D.C. on a particular date and hence the visit could not be postponed. On Wickremesinghe’s advice, Ameratunga agreed to refund the full cost of the tickets to the Government.
Yet, the issue was gross embarrassment to both Ameratunga and the UNP. Here was the Chief Opposition Whip, tasked to maintain discipline in his own party, taking a free ticket from the Government to travel to the United States. That is in addition, to being the first signatory to a vote of no-confidence against External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris. It will be debated in Parliament on Thursday October 7.
The Sunday Times learnt officials of the Protocol Division of the External Affairs Ministry had helped the Ameratunga couple for their travel to US. It was only last week; Ameratunga disclosed in a letter to the Sunday Times that he had received an invitation from the Government to serve in the UN delegation. He said he accepted it and later informed Wickremesinghe. The latter had advised him not to go. Now, it transpires that instead he has accepted fully-paid business class air tickets from the Government for a trip to Washington D.C.
Another move by Wickremesinghe this week was to initiate disciplinary action against Dayasiri Jayasekera (UNP-Kurunegala District). He directed party secretary Tissa Attanayake to write to Jayaskera calling for his explanation over two issues. Our front-page news report today gives the details.
On Friday, a senior UNPer walked into Wickremesinghe’s office room at Cambridge Terrace and asked whether “the party leadership crisis or the deputy leadership crisis is now dead.” He replied, “It is already embalmed.” The UNP leader was alluding to moves by Dayasiri Jayasekera to meet him with proposals to resolve the ongoing crisis within the party.
Wickremesinghe has taken up the position that no meeting with Kabir Hashim, the interlocutor, was necessary. He has said that the party’s Working Committee has accepted the recommendations of the Reforms Committee. They would be incorporated in a new UNP Constitution that is due to be approved by the annual sessions in late November or December, this year. That is all there is to it, said Wickremesinghe.
Though the Fonseka issue has not generated greater public interest so far, it is bound to obscure the internecine problems within the UNP. Yet, the in-fighting would continue to simmer until the party adopts a new constitution. That will be the dividing line between the winners and the losers.
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Do we need to know the daily routine of this criminal who has met his just desserts for crimes through his long career in the army? Other soldiers who committed crimes also paid for their crimes following conviction and sentencing. SF is no different. All this talk about a war hero is hogwash. He betrayed his motherland and the army he served to our enemies in the imperial West for his vested interests. This is unforgivable. He has lost. Now it is payback time. He has committed treason. He is on trial for it in the criminal court. All citizens, high and low, have to pay for their crimes. They cannot be treated differently. Then there would be no justice. So all those who shed crocodile tears for SF let them realise the truth and shut their faces.
Dear President,
OK, we agree there may be some misconduct and misuse of power by SF while he is in duty. But president should forgive him as thinking the major contribution of SF to win the war. Make a comparison of way victory and the future saving of war expenditure and also lives saving against SF’s crimes, definetly the benifits are more from war victory against his crimes. So Mr. President please grant him forgiveness as you have given to some LTTE active members who are very verst that SF, thanks.
Mr.nicholas i am sorry to say you.
Mr. nicholas i am sorry to say you.
Because of your fallacy you are all ways reproach and disgrace to our unique paladian exceptional war hero.
Why are you all ways barking like mad dog…..?
I would like to outline these word for your disgusting comm.
Nicholas name wise you are not sri lankan.you are a colonial parasite ungrateful cynical bastard.
allso you are hoggish menial illegitimate barbarian brutal snarl slander.
Enough for you and your farrows.
WE ARE READY TO SACRIFICE OUR LIFE ONBEHALF OF OUR WAR HERO
Dear Sameer
I am neither a ‘colonial parasite’ nor a ‘bastard’ as you wrongly assume.
I do not want to boast, but I descend from ancient royalty who ruled Gampola Kingdom in the 15th C. I am not going to disclose my real name. My ancestor is Kiravelle Maha Ralahami. His sister was second queen of Vijayabahu II. Their sons are Bhuvanekabahu, Mayadunne and Raigam Korale. When the first queen of Vijayabahu II, who is a Dravidian princess and had no children, wanted her nephew to be brought from South India to be made heir to the throne, she plotted to kill the 3 young princes. They fled to their uncle in Gampola and grew-up with their 6 cousin brothers. They then raised an army and marched into Kotte to dethrone their father. I descend from the third son of Kiravelle Maha Ralahami. My ancestor served under Bhuvaneka Bahu in Kotte and was the Commander of the army. He is mentioned in ‘Kusathantinu Hatana’ for his military prowess when they vanquished Portuguese Captain General, Constantine de Saa’s army. My ancestor was converted to Christianity and was given the name, Don Simao Dias, when he was baptised. It was the name of the Portuguese Captain General, who was the godfather of my ancestor.
So, Sameer, I am not a colonial bastard as you assume. Royal Sinhala blood runs in my veins. On the other hand, I assume you descend from Moors who traded with SL from the 14th C. Some settled here.
Our ancestries do not really matter. What matters is we all serve our motherland to re-build the country as one nation on a fast-track economic development under the magnificent, Mahinda Chintanaya.
We are fortunate to have such a noble and wise President who is a model for the whole world. He is a righteous spiritual man. However, he is also a pragmatic man who knows who his enemies are and how to deal with them. SF has become not just a personal enemy but also the enemy of the nation. The truth is he has a long criminal history in the army. He got away scot-free. He cannot be allowed to get away scot-free this time for his treason above all. Even in the imperial West, treason is a capital offence. HE the President must not go soft in his head but deal with treason according to our Constitution. Otherwise, this evil criminal will escape to the imperial West to mobilise paradesi kotiyas and JVP anarchists locally, to launch an even more serious destructive war with the help of imperial West, to capture power for a military despotic rule in the model of Saddam Hussein.
This man should not be pardoned but condemned to the gallows as in USA. I for one do not shed tears for him. We know who the real heroes are.
Hello all I’m not good in English but this person Nicholas dias one of them who eating our money in a Government unsecessary ways, balanna me basted keyana katha, meekata an awella mooda haraka ,
We don’t care about SF or ranil or even MR, eath meeka apee “nedahas” rata wal koteyagen passé thawa senhala kotee paalana kramayak meeka
This is singhales tiger government after the LTTE war
Harischandra is blind as a bat. Open your eyes and see for yourself the fast-track development taking place in this country, especially at village level, which were neglected by previous governments through laziness and lack of vision.
Today our stock market has risen to be the best in the world. People from around the world are flocking in to invest in SL, as we can given them best returns for their money. This has been made possible only under the uncorrupt and incorruptible Rajapaksa administration. Even US government has officially sanctioned US businesses to invest in SL for better yeilds. Leading US businesses are visiting SL in the coming months with their venture capital. The hotel industry is developing fast to meet the demand of an influx of tourists in the years to come. Tourism will be a big foreign income genrator for us. Our infra-structure is being built fast. This programme is being extended to the villages. People have to be patient however, as development can only take place slowly but surely. It cannot be done overnight like by waving a magic wand. This is an essential requisite for the country’s development. One day we will even have electricity from nuclear energy, like in the developed world. SL will indeed be the shining Star of Asia, a model for the whole world.
The Mahinda Rajapaksa clan is a blessing on our land, blessed by the Holy Buddha. In the coming celebrations of the Sambuddha Jayanti year, the country will be blessed even more. SL will become the spring board for a Buddhist revival of the fundamental message of Buddha’s Enlightenment. The message or gospel of Buddhism has to be spread around the world for everyone to learn and be enightened, to live in peace and joy, the Holy Buddha’s Way. We can then hope for a world free of war. The only wars we need to wage, as one human family, are against hunger, disease, poverty, ignorance, famine, natural calamities etc. We have to join hands to prevent greenhouse gas effect by enforcing reduction of our carbon footprint the world over, and by growing trees to cover the whole of the planet’s landmass. Laws should be enacted and strictly enforced to prevent forests being cleared for timber for livestock farming and agriculture. We have to improve methods of cultivation for better desease-resistent yields. I call on the Rajapaksa government to lead the way in the world to make this a reality in the next 10 years. Let SL lead the way in the world in forest preservation, cultivation and management to save our planet from destruction through man-caused greenhouse gas effect which has upset our climate around the globe. Do not wait for the West to lead the way. Let us make it happen in SL, for a start to be an example/model for the whole world. It will be the best service and message we can give the world in the coming year of Sambuddha Jayanthi, to care for our planet, our forests, nature, plant and animal life, to save the human race from self-destruction.
For whatever reasons, in Sri-Lanka, politics has come down to personal vengience other than constititional rights of people.
I fully support the current President, but that doesn’t mean I have to shake my head for everything going around. SF was the first ‘General’ the Country had…though I do agree the atrocities this man would have committed in light of all the stories published in the eyes of the Public through the News Articles, I don’t agree imprisonment of an Army Servant in this manner.
Firstly, no matter what, SF should not have listened to dying politicians like Ranil…who made him the scape goat in running against the President.
Secondly, SF should not have stepped in to Politics, as he knows nothing about it…(hopefully now he understands..what it is..)
Thirdly, I wonder, if this guy (SF) is going to be the next “Asif Ali Zardari” of Sri-Lanka who spent many years in the Prison in Pakistan…and now the current President. (Personally I never dreamt of him to be the President of Pakistan where now it’s evident what our third world countries reward the common man with this kind of killings and revenge).
Forthly, leave racist remarks and ur ancestral talks…cos. it doesn’t matter us a damn….”Call us Sri-Lankan” – and that’s a wise way of uniting people than calling ur self and your ancestors decendence.
British should own “America” today cos. Columbus discovered the Land first… if every tom dick & harry talks about what blood and royalty they have…then Indians should own this country Cos. Prince Vijaya decended to “Thamennawa” from India….
I hope any guy would not cliam “Kuwaeini” was his great, great, great, great grand moother…
Give me a break brother…”WE ALL ARE SRI-LANKANS” at the end of the day…I have the same patriotism like anyother Sri-Lankans though I am a Muslim today.
Educated “block heads” have divided our country by Religion, Language, Ethnicity and cultural values where our Motherland suffered decades of bloodsheds.
Enough is enough…
Let us live in peace.
Whatever SF did or didn’t do this whole thing has created very bad feelings and divisions. MR should have handled this more carefully. Because it was handled so badly and hastily I don’t think we are getting the full story.
I have heard some people saying that Sinhala Royalty are really Tamil Pandya Royalty, which is where the “pandu” part of some of the Royal names comes from. So maybe Nicholas Dias’s ancestors are really Tamil. But Tamil or Sinhala who cares as long a the person is honest and good.
Too much corruption in SL for SL to lead the way to a better world. More than one year has passed since the end of the war and still only problems.
it brings tear on to my eyes. nicolas, we dont care whatever the fu….whole u were came. brag ur self to some idiots, not to us, idiot. though u can bark in english it doesnt mean that u are intelligent , u sound more moronic and pimp to me. hva snakke du idot. det du snakker er veldig rart, drytt, bitch we also can speak several languages. ur royal blood line other rubbish keep with u. and if u willing put them up in ur a…..,
Educated, intelligent and spiritual people do not resort to verbal abuse as some respondents have done in this column. If they held opposing views they will present their case calmly and rationally without bursting into a stream of verbal abuse and even physical threats in uncontrolled burst of emotions. Those who resort to such behaviour are probably dinosaurs with pea-size brains.
As for SF enough has been said. The man who wasted tax payers money by air lifting his daily meals from Hilton Hotel to his base in the North, has to content himself with prison grub and sleep on floor on pedura now, courtesy of the Welikada prison. But he brought it on himself. He is the architect of his own destiny. Perhaps his karma from sins of a past life have caught up with him now. Whatever it is, SF and his supporters, should blame him and not the President nor the military tribunal who found him guilty on all counts after a more than fair hearing. The criminal court hearings are still pending. He is on trial for more serious crimes. The sentence for these if found guilty is the capital punishment. I for one do not shed a single tear for him, so would millions of others across the country, the majority. He made his bed now let him lie on it. Similarly, any other criminal found guilty of serious crimes such as murder, should blame himself for it and not society he grew-up in. Fair enough SF was appointed the army commander on the recommendation of the Defence Secretary, and he served the nation well. But so would any other person had he been appointed army commander at that time. SF went astray when his ego took over and he deluded himself that he alone won the war against the LTTE single handedly. He was a monkey praising his own tail, beating his own drum. He was intoxicated like having drunk some strong alcohol. He became a pawn in the hands of the sly JVP who used him to try to capture power by hook or by crook. It all went pear shape for SF.
So my point is, please do not blame HE the President for SF predicament. Blame SF himself, JVP and the other hangers-on who aspired for power and wealth through SF. He got what was coming to him. Let justice prevail. Neither the President nor religious leaders should intervene, even were he to beg mercy. He has to anwer to the nation for his great betrayal. It is the nation’s will that justice is meted out to him, no differently from any other criminal.
At death’s door only God can forgive him if SF were to beg forgiveess and mercy from God for his past sins. He cannot deceive God. My advise to him is to take your punishment like a man, you know well enough your guilt. Even if it means capital punishment you should accept it as just desserts, and not try to wriggle out of it. You have to pay the price for treason. It is your motherland and your nation you betrayed to the imperial West and to paradesi kotiyas. All that is left for you now is to spend your last days in repentance and ask God for forgiveness so that on death, at least your soul is saved for all eternity from hell, where VP and his cronies are now languishing.
I have been quiet on this debate where tempers flared emotions ran riot. Rtd Gen Sarath Fonseka is a hero and will remain a hero to all Sinhala Buddhist Citizens of the Sinhala Buddhist Republic of Sri Lanka. This fact cannot be taken away by incarcerating him in prison and humiliating him to an extreme. These actions will only make Rtd Gen Sarath Fonseka stronger in his resolve to liberate our beloved motherland from the clutches of idiots who ride on the glorious victories earned by the sweat and tears of the valiant sinhlala buddhist sons and daughters, just as he did to liberate our pure Sinhala land from the clutches of terrorist tamils.
Presidents came and presidents went but nobody was able to defeat the LTTE. That is because they succumbed to corruption of the imperial West, the disinformation from the paradesi kotiyas and the cunning strategies of the sly Viking dogs who openly supported the LTTE in their objectives to gain autonomy.
However, HE Mahinda Rajapaksa was of a different mettle. He is a courageous leader. He gave political leadership as well as military leadership, like a great noble Buddhist king of yore. He is afterall the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces. Without such courageous leadership the LTTE would never have been defeated. Even in the throes of succumbing to utter defeat, LTTE who boasted of invincibility resorted to their last trump card. This is the support of Norway, Britain and USA. They came to his rescue, the very terrorists they named and banned in their own countries but supported secretly for their vested interests. Courageous MR, like a valiant noble Buddhist king of ancient SL, sent packing home Milliband and Kutchner to their countries with their tails between their legs, to lick their wounds and take revenge by stopping the GSP plus. Do we care! Today we have foreign capital pouring in.
CBK (my relative unfortunately) was a pawn of Norway, so was Ranil. I wonder how much they were paid to betray the nation. R Premadasa succumbed to VP and Viking deceit. He ultimately paid the price. Damn good, for ordering 600 valiant Sinhala soldiers to surrender in Baticalao to LTTE, to be slaughtered wholesale!
Our noble and valiant MR is a different man. It was his courageous leadership with the help of his brother, the Defence Secretary, who defeated the LTTE. If not for their astute leadership, sagacity and military strategy the LTTE would never have been defeated. In fact they would have captured the whole of SL today. Even General Kobbekaduwa could not defeat the LTTE despite all his victories in battles, because he did not have the political backing of JRJ and R Premadasa. These men let Kobbekaduwa down and the army and the nation by ordering the troops back to the barracks on the face of threats of India, to save VP and the LTTE. Premadasa and R Gandhi were assassinated by VP at the end. They paid the price for their stupidity. Hence without the correct political leadership the LTTE could not have been defeated. So please do not give sole credit to SF for having vanquished the LTTE. He has a big ego. He gave sole credit to himself for the ultimate defeat of the LTTE. It were the valiant officers and soldiers in the front lines who defeated the LTTE while SF and his family and a few buddies were enjoying a luxury holiday in China, in the final phase of the war. What was he doing in China? He was plotting a military coup, like a Saddam Hussein, with the secret backing of JVP. He was ordering ship loads of heavy and light weapons from China without sanction of the President and the Defence Secretary. He planned to increase the size of the army. All these efforts were his military build-up for a coup d’etat and miltary rule by assassinating the president and his family and other VIPs. SF was on a huge ego trip. He is an evil man. He is another Saddam Hussein. Imperial West make use of such evil egoistic corrupt men to capture power in 3rd world countries for their vested interests.
So for all those well meaning but misled people I have only to say, look at what is happening around the country in leaps-and-bounds. In a decade we will indeed be the shining Star of Asia. HE Mahinda Rajapaksa should remain our king for a lifetime as his well deserved reward for having saved the nation from the LTTE, for uniting the nation, for re-building its economy on fast-track, and for revival of Buddhism in SL as a spring board for spreading the Buddhist gospel around the world in the coming Sambuddha Jayanthi.
Nicholas Dias is both naive and confused:
The war against the LTTE was won in MR’s and SF’s time because of the help of the Vikings who trapped the LTTE in talks. Norway, USA and Britain fully supported SL over the LTTE and the Indian navy and intelligence played a very very invaluable role. USA, Britain, Norway, India and all of them wanted the LTTE under Parabakaran to be finished off. This is the only reason why in the present global climate the SL forces won over the LTTE. The LTTE was completely tied up and trapped by those other powerful countries. And also Karuna’s help played a very important part as well.
So truthfully speaking neither MR nor SF can really take much credit the winning the war with the LTTE. It was a global effort.
We now live in a globalised world. MR and GR and SF simply rode on global support, but they can take some credit for not spoiling it.
Miliband and Kouchner were concerned about the Tamil civilians who were trapped in the war zone but did not want to save the LTTE.
In Kobbekaduwa’s time SL did not have the same support from the USA and India. And within SL a lot of people were jealous of him and his integrity.
It was Ranil who split the LTTE and weakened it.
In Buddhism we cannot speak of God. So how can SF beg for mercy and forgiveness from God? Also there is no such thing as a Buddhist gospel.
How is it that Karuna the murderer of the 600 soldiers now occupies such a high position? And it was MR who appointed him.
Whether SF has a big ego or not does not matter at all in this. Whether SF is really guilty of all the accusations we don’t know because there is no proper information available.
Agree with Gemba. These pack of thieves will loot all the wealth including that controlled by KP. Our Hero will emncipate us in 6 years time.
sameer,ganesh(even tamil)Kamal Nawaz,gemba
I’m a not a English speaker but Thank you very much for all of you bean real sri lankan and standing our self, I have even my family has support to current president & the blue party over 30yers , but his whole team has loss the trust of sri lankan who has vote for him, if any sri lankan has good open mind there never gona voting or never involving to politicks issue again , we are getting losing the real sri lankan deaders who we have expecting, to day we starting to getting monkeys with mirror “the example in front of you today”
And the amazing things is peoples like Nicholas dias(the free salary person-pin pade ) still in our country to blast all over the island
I wonder what the true identity of this ‘gemba’ is. Is he shy of revealing his identity? Anyway, shame on you gemba for croaking that Norway, Britain and USA really helped to totally destroy the LTTE by their strategy! Isn’t it strange that they took 30 years then to do so! They are the powerful West with their military might. How come they took so long to defeat the LTTE? Gemba your name should rather be aliya or even koti betta. You are spreading ali boru disinformation, propaganda. The country knows the truth. That is why the people elected MR with a resounding victory over the aliya. Even SF had to find a bolt-hole, the Cinnamon Hotel, to hide in out of shame. If the people thought SF was the hero who is the architect of the victory over LTTE why did they not elect him as President? They rejected him totally. Infact, Ranil secured more votes than SF when he contested at the previous Presidential election. Gemba, your claim that Ranil split the LTTE and weakened is utter tosh. Are you trying to give Ranil credit for the defeat of the LTTE?
Ranil, to his utter shame, betrayed the nation by signing away one third of our country to the LTTE for their so-called eelam kingdom. His own cabinet, the Parliament, the President CBK and the people were kept in the dark. No details of the agreement were ever released to the nation through the media. Ranil did all this in an underhand way as he was a traitor. Like all traitors he kept everything secret. His treachery was in the guise of a peace treaty. The peace treaty was devised by the LTTE and Norway and was heavily in favour of the LTTE. They were allowed to build their military might. Container loads of heavy and light weapons were imported duty free through Colombo port. Our security forces were relegated to the barracks and were further depleted in military strength. This was a deliberate ploy of Norway and LTTE to assist LTTE to attain their true objective, which is to capture the whole of the country in a huge blood bath. Ultimately, the LTTE would export their ploy to Tamil Nadu for an insurrection there for autonomy to build an empire for the Tamil nation. The imperial West gave subtle support as they wanted to destroy India from becoming a superpower.
Norway, Britain and USA supported LTTE all along. Their banning the LTTE as a terrorist organisation is hogwash. It was business as usual for the LTTE with the support of the West. That is why Hilary Clinton said not all terrorists could be put in the same basket. For the imperial West, LTTE are good terrorists as they are pawns of the West against India and China to help USA control SE Asia. When the LTTE committed such vile atrocities, human rights abuse, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, not a wimper was heard from the imperial West and UNSG (the US puppet). These very people are now rallying aginst our brave security forces, the Defence Secretary and the President calling for investigations into alleged war crimes. These false allegations were concocted by SF, the JVP and TNA for their vested interests.
When the Tamil hostages of the LTTE fled to the safety and the warm welcoming embrace of the Sri Lankan army across the lake, the LTTE suicide bombers and cadres bombed and sprayed bullets, killing and maiming many Tamil hostages. These events were watched by the world through satellite and spy plane cameras as the drama unfolded on our screens. This talk of ‘white flag’ waving cadres were shot by our troops were concocted lies by SF under the instigation of the JVP and the TNA to tarnish the image of the army, the Defence Secretary and the President. SF is now on trial for treason. The truth will always come out. Ofcourse there are bigots like gemba who are blind to truth, who think SF, India, Britain, Norway and USA actually won the war against the LTTE for SL. Their hate and envy have blinded them all. However, the people are not blind. That is why they voted overwhelmingly to elect MR as President. SF got even less votes than Ranil at the previous election! It was the military and political strategy of MR and Gotabaya that won the war. The defence forces carried out the strategy to the full making them share the glory of the victory and the heroism. Ofcourse, this is a bitter pill hard to swallow for SF and MR-Gotabhaya detractors.
Prince Siddhartha became the enlightened Gautama Buddha when he led a spiritual life of total renunciation and detachment from desire to find peace and joy. This is truly heaven within oneself. He preached his dhamma far and wide. Even after 2600 years his dhamma is gathering strength and spreading fast around the world, as people find peace and joy through detachment from desire.
‘Gospel’ means ‘Message or teaching of a religious teacher’. It means, ‘glad tidings, good message’. Buddha’s dhamma is therefore a Gospel. When we say, ‘It is gospel truth’ we mean it is, ‘absolutely true’. Hence the word ‘gospel’ has a wide use and acceptance. It is not confined to mean the Christian doctrine or sacred books about the life of Christ and his teachings.
Lord Buddha has not taught there is no God. In fact he believed that there is a spirit world of good spirits as well as an evil world of evil spirits. It is my belief that there is a Supreme Being who is eternal and is the creator of the universe. This Supreme Being is loving, merciful and forgiving to those who seek mercy and forgiveness. It is our goal in life to seek and become one with the Supreme Being by being righteous as God is righteous, be loving as God is loving etc. In this way we realise God in our selves. When we die we become one with the Supreme Being forever in peace and joy. This is heaven.
Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohamed are all children of God as we all are. We must strive in our lives to become one with God by being righteous. We must seek detachment from worldly desires. In this way we will have peace and joy forever in this life and in the life hereafter.
I wonder, what some articulte people whom ever it may be..come up with hillarious conclusions about winning the war….and I also wonder which news channels or sources these people have been involved for the past 30 years say “USA – Norway – UK & India” has lent their hands to eradicate LTTE.
Brother or Sister…in this instance I have to fully and unconditionally agree with “Nicholas” apart from absusive language; the facts he had talked about are very logical and true.
Did you know who supported and gave Sri-Lanka the cover in the UN Security Council during last few years of the War…wast it US? UK or your so called friend Norway…or India…? And on how many instances these contries with LTTE lobbying, attempted to include the Sri-Lanka War as a genocide within the Security Council’s Agenda? and then who supported us? (China, Russia, Pakistan and so on…) If not for China & Russia…I believe the Situation in the UN Security Council would have been worse…cos. this is where countries lobby the Big-Five Nuclear Nations to bully smaller Nations to deprive in so many areas.
I advice “few block heads” to read and analyse what made us victorious after 3 decades of war…
SF was the Army Commander…no hesitation on that, But what about the Air-force? Navy? Police? or other intellience units? – he talked as if Army is the only Force that liberated us..and he undermined the importance of the Air-force, Navy and other units’ role in this struggle over the years.
Mind you…The Leadership is the most important factor of winning this struggle…and the Diplomatic Cover we received from China, Russia and few other Countries…the Control of the Government the President had by his Brothers and few Ministers…Karuna’s allegience/break-away from the LTTE, The conviction and determination of the President, The Leaderships of Army, Navy, Air-force + other units and our Public patience and support over the years have been the factors collectively helped us win this War…
The essence of peace and safety we have today…is becos. this man eradicated the War..
The fear of getting torn apart is no more in me……
The fear of my childrens safety is no more in me…..
The fear of my country breaking into pieces is no more in me…..
And I have no fear….indeed…
Cos. we all have been liberated….
Well said Kamal Nawaz. You are absolutely right. However, there are a few individuals (fortunately in the minority) who try to claim the imperial West (our enemies) won the war against LTTE terrorists for us. This is utterly untrue and deliberate disinformation. I wonder whether these individuals are NGOs in the pay of the imperial West, and the enemies of SL, to spead such false propaganda. We have to fight such propaganda. I am glad that you are such a patriotic son of SL dedicated to work with MR government to uphold truth for the good of our country and the future of our children and citizens. We are all one nation. I denounce those who try to create divisions by holding such extreme views such as saying SL is for Buddhist Sinhalese only. This is utter nonsense. We are all one family though of diverse religions, races and cultures. It is a rich diversity which will make SL truly great.
Nicholas Dias and Kamal Nawaz please go and carefully investigate for yourself (as the Buddha taught). You will find that I am right about how the LTTE was really defeated and who was involved and at what levels.
It is important not to live in delusion, otherwise the world cannot be made a better place.
I do not see MR or GR as war heros, because the war against the LTTE was won through a global effort.
For the same reason I do not see SF as a war hero either. But I feel he has been treated very unfairly.
If what SF is saying is false let us hear it all properly so that we can make up our own minds.
Kobbekaduwa was a true hero and a good man.
Ranil even though he helped split the LTTE and strengthen the SL forces during the CFA period is not a hero but a selfish opportunist. (Ranil and the other R’s are not so different).
The Buddha did not preach glad tidings or good news. He simply said and explained what he had discovered about existence. This is not news it is simply the way things are.
If someone says to you not to play silly games with a sharp knife, or to eat green vegetables for good health, or not to worry about the moon faling down on your head tonight or that flowers are beautiful etc will you call that glad tidings?
All good and evil spirits keep on taking rebirth until they get a chance to have human birth. The human birth is an extremely auspicious one because it is from this birth-form that we can obtain nirvana.
God is outside this scheme. But you are right Buddhism does not deny God with certainty. But Buddhism does not require God in the same way Catholicism teaches.
Also the middle path is not the same as total renunciation.
I doubt very much if MR and GR and all the other R’s will get us any closer to Nirvana or God.
But are they taking SL in the opposite direction?
sameer, harescandra n gemba Muuta gal Gahanna oone machan tawmata genath, ata nathe pin pade kaaraya, this person has bean brought for coroption people in the parliament not a good people , there for to day all of world can see what his trying to typ , Nicholas pls be a man, not like a faget,we have a balls we can stad up our self pls fallow us, i’m not a SF,MR,RANIL OR ANY WE ARE SRI LANKAN LIONS
dont cridet for corrouption nicholaas buuruwooo
I am afraid gemba is like a man who sees a white wall as black. It is useless to try to convince such a man if he is colour blind. Gemba is blind to truth. He is a diye inna mediya. There are such individuals but fortunately they are in the minority. However, we live in a democracy. We do not force our views on others who hold contrary views. We have to respect others’ views.
Lord Buddha was born a Hindu. But he saw its failings as it could not answer his fundamental question of why there is suffering. After years of extreme asceticism he disovered the middle way, called Enlightenment through meditation. Freedom from desire through detachment. Most of us do not have to renounce everything to be detached, like a Buddhist monk. One can be detached and still enjoy a quality of life. Such a person will readily share his wealth with the poor in order to bring some comfort to them, as he is not attached to his wealth. There is joy in giving and sharing to make others’ lives better. When one is detached there is peace and joy in the soul.
Lord Buddha’s dhamma far surpasses Christ’s dhamma (teaching). Lord Buddha’s dhamma encompasses Christ’s dhamma. Some people think that Jesus may have learnt Buddhism in his youth, having travelled to India and lived a monastic life. This may be just speculation. The reason for this line of thinking is because of similarities in Christ’s teaching with Buddha’s dhamma, taught 500 years before Christ. This could be because truth is universal and eternal.
However, neither Buddha not Christ had supreme knowledge. Such knowledge is not possible to mere mortal. Only the Supreme Being is all knowing with supreme knowledge. Attempts to acquire such knowledge is like a child’s attempts to fill a hole he has dug in the beach with the mighty ocean. Even the greatest pundit can acquire only a limited knowledge.
HE the President is a righteous man. I trust him. So do I trust his 3 brothers and his son Namal. They are a blessing on our land. We are fortunate to have them as our political leaders to build SL to be the Light of Asia, a beacon of hope to the whole world. Many countries already see in MR a great political leader and a model to the world of good governance. let us therefore rejoice and not try to tear down the man through envy. On the otherhand I see SF as an evil man. He condemned himself by his own words during the election campaigns. He made threats to his political rivals of all the evils he will visit them with when he became President. I am glad he lost by a huge margin. He then had Plan B. Holed up in Cinammon Hotel paid for by suitcases full of crisp US dollars he got from the US Embassy, he plotted to take control of the country by a coup d’etat, aided by the failed revolutionatries of erstwhile, the JVP. The so-called war hero and master strategist, who claimed to have won the war single handedly, could not even pull-off a coup d’etat. His big mouth gave everything away, his vile boasts. He was caught with his pants down. All the misfit soldiers who had deserted the army had been bribed by him to serve him in the coup plot. They were all arrested as they came out of Cinnamon Hotel. They sang like birds to the CID giving evidence of the coup plot. SF is now on trial for the attempted assassination of the President, his family and VIPs. What is the penalty for treason, coup plot and assassination plot? In my book he should hang with all the other traitors, including Ranil. They should not live to see another day, to escape prison and make a come back to ruin our nation.
The debate is getting hotter and hotter but it is not getting anywhere. Uncle Nicholas relies on the Buddhism for defending the misdeeds of the bandits who are in power.
The UNP is a pack of idiots too; if you take out Ranil, the rest of them are mere vultures waiting to loot the common maman’s wealth. The UNP does not offer any hope to the masses too.
The new kid on the block is Rtd General Fonseka. He offers an iota of hope. And win he will, one day.
There are 6 major issues in Sri Lanka that need to be addressed. The issues are:
1. The restoration of democratic rights
2. The assurance of freedom of expression
3. The independance of the judiciary
4. The elimination of corruption
5. An independant public sector with a public service orientation
6. The assurance of equality
I will support any politician who includes the above in its manifesto and outlines an action plan for delivering the above within a set time frame.
Guru Sathyadasa, you are right on the 6 points but I would put point 4. as point one and mark it as very urgent and important.
Even though we can’t be sure, the new kid SF should be given a chance.
If SF also turns out to be corrupt then we can give him to Ganesh and Nicholas. Nicholas will confuse him with his false opinions and Ganesh can stone him and then eat him up.
Nicholas Dias, the middle path is not enlightenment through meditation. You really must do your homework about Buddhism as well as how the LTTE was defeated.
Thank you Gemba, it is not a “chance” with Rtd Gen Sarath Fonseka; it is an “OPPORTUNITY”.
Nicholas, Kamal kiyanne harikathawai.Gemba nam namehetiyata Molenethi aththa terenne nethi kenek. SF Held Kennek nam Sudukodikathawak Patharayata kiyanne neha. SF kalle RAjawenna ballan Janadipathi Paradawanna Boruhadala Patharawalata kiwa. Anunta gehu Gete Den Tamntama thada wela.Den liha ganna beriwa dagalanawa. Jvp Ranil, kibulkadulu hellanne den ellenna wel nethi nisai. Negennahira dinuweth Held Kennek. Eya genna Kawuda katha keruwe. Api kalakam Paladenne melokayemai. Diwyalokayai Narakadiyai thiyenne Melokkemai. SF den Gewanne pahugiyakalle Karapudewalata lebuna Schapayai. Adanna epa Gembo.
Kamal Nawaz and Rani, here are some questions, answer them and then think about what I said.
1) Which countries helped to cut the LTTE arms procurement and financial networks?
2) Which countries provided intelligence on LTTE positions and arms on land and in the sea?
Some right and wrong answers for you to pick: USA, India, China, Russia.
3) Did the USA or India ever protest about the SL forces getting arms from anywhere including from China?
Anwers: yes, no.
4) Did the LTTE use Chinese arms against the SL forces?
Answer: yes, no.
The UN drama was just a game to keep some people happy.
If the USA and the UN are against the government of SL why are they all praising now?
But I think USA and UN like SF better than the R brothers. Maybe the UN drama was to try and replace the R brothers with SF?
But definitely nobody was trying to save the LTTE.
(Rani, this Gemba has a very big brain).
Rani, oya kiyene de hari, Kamal Nawaz ha man wage. Gemba diye inna mediyek. molayak nehe. Hari veradhi therenne nehe. Andhayek. JVP karayek venna athi. Attha vikruthi karanawa. Ohoma gonvahansela ekka kathakaranna thawath one nehe. Pissu veteyi. Sathyadas, anthavadhi sinhalayek venna epa.