“General Fonseka Has Committed The Greatest Betrayal To The Nation And Troops” Says Mahinda Samarasinghe
December 18, 2009 —
Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe today commented on a statement made by retired General Sarath Fonseka to the Sunday Leader newspaper in which he made a claim that Defense Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, ordered then-Brigadier Shavindra Silva to carry out the killing of LTTE front-liners, Pulidevan and Nadesan, who had reportedly surrendered with white flags in hand. Samarasinghe describes General Fonseka’s statement as the greatest betrayal based on the untruth ever made in the history of [Sri Lanka].
Minister Samarsinghe was addressing reporters at a media briefing held at the Media Centre for National Security in Colombo. Media and Information Minister, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, chaired the media briefing.
The Director General of the Media Centre for National Security, Lakshman Hulugalle, IGP Mahinda Balasuriya, and DIG (Elections), Gamini Navaratne were also present.
Continuing, Minister Samarasinghe read out a statement made by General Sarath Fonseka on July 10th of this year at a felicitation ceremony held for Fonseka at the Dharmasoka College in Ambalangoda which said the General, on that occasion, had said that the Army never killed any terrorist leader who surrendered with white flags in their hands. “These two statements made by General Fonseka are contradicting each other,” claimed the minister.
Asked whether the Defense Secretary and Major General Shavindra Silva would take legal action on such a serious allegation as was published in the Sunday Leader, the minister said, “The matter is being studied at present to decide on the course of action.”
He pointed out that Fonseka, by his reported statement had not only betrayed the nation, but the very Army that he led at that time, and added that [Sri Lanka] had persons of that calibre recorded in history who had betrayed the nation, and Sarath Fonseka fell into that very category.
The Minister claimed that Fonseka had made that statement for political gain as a candidate, and the contents were malicious though concocted.
He alleged that the episode was a part of the effort to destabilize the country and pointed out that the six doctors, Prabakaran’s parents, Daya Master, and Charles Master who surrendered with white flags were looked after well and were still alive. “Hence, this allegation is done to discredit the government for political advantage with an ulterior motive,” the minister asserted.
Environment Minister, Patali Champika Ranawaka, said it was not only a betrayal by Fonseka, but a damaging statement to the honor of the gallant armed forces who bravely fought the war.
National Freedom Front Leader, Wimal Weerawansa said Fonseka has betrayed his own colleagues in the Army as Judas did to Jesus, and has fallen into the gang of conspirators against the very nation Fonseka claimed to have liberated.
Weerawansa added that it now looked like Fonseka was executing a ‘paid contract’ for the opposition which used international influence to destabilize the country.
Originally published on December 13, 2009 on the Government Information Department website.
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