Colombo (AsiaNews) - The new government of Sri Lanka has rehabilitated the former army chief, Gen. Sarath Fonseka, yesterday declaring him innocent of all the accusations that had been leveled by the former regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Acting under the art. 34 of the Constitution, the new president Maithripala Sirisena restored Fonseka his military ranking and his civil rights, including the right to vote and to stand for election.
Shortly after
the announcement of the amnesty, the General held a press conference: "It
is true that, in the end, the truth wins. The cruelest leader of this country
has tried to uproot me from history. But the people have always been with me. In
2010 I said goodbye to my uniform to save the south of the country from state
terrorism, just as I had saved the north of the country from terrorists [as
army chief]".
"Now - he added - I have been
given all what I had been deprived forcefully and unjustly by that most
cruel leader. For that, I go forward for this country and its people, till the people
gain the victory they deserve."
Along with
former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Gen. Sarath Fonseka led Sri Lanka to win
against the rebels of the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE, Tamil Tigers), ending the long civil war in
2009. Rajapaksa had stated that he is "the best army commander worldwide
".
A few months later, they fell out. In 2010 Fonseka left his office and decided
to run for president against Rajapaksa, who nevertheless amid allegations of
rigging won. Two weeks after the vote (26 January), the government arrested
the former general for "irregularities" committed during the
conflict. In 2012 was
released.