Sri Lanka undemocratic – Former Chief Justice

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 March 2010, 05:34 GMT]
Former Chief Justice Sarath N. Siva charged that Sri Lanka had become an undemocratic country by betraying all its human rights principles which it had signed with the international community over the years, when he spoke to journalists in Colombo Monday. Silva stressed that by arresting Sarath Fonseka the government had gone against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Sarath N. Silva maintained that the Army Act did not apply on Fonseka as Army Commanders were not commissioned officers or enlisted soldiers and if there were any complaints against Fonseka, then the government should try him under the civil law.

“If Fonseka had committed some offence, he should have been arrested under the civil law,” Silva said.

Silva further said that according to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Act, when the Commander of any force relinquishes his position to assume the post of CDS, he shall cease to continue as a member of the regular force to which he belongs.