JVP: Gotabhaya insulted Fonseka in BBC interview

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2010, 07:37 GMT]
The Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Tuesday condemned the comment made by Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse to BBC Hard Talk interview where he claimed General (retired) Sarath Fonseka, former commander of the Sri Lanka Army would be treated as a traitor and hanged if he gives evidence in the war crime probe.

Vijitha Herath, the general secretary of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by JVP on Tuesday said that three decade old war was the result of wrong policies of the rulers of the island in the past. Fonseka as the commander of the SLA had brought the war to an end last year. But, he is now being detained by the present rulers, who have come out with false charges based on their wrong policies.

The JVP secretary further said the masses should rally against the rulers responsible for the arrest and detention of Fonseka. "No law courts had found Fonseka guilty for any offence. Even the court martial inquiry appointed to inquire charges against Fonseka has been struggling to conduct proper inquiry," he said.

"At this stage how could Sri Lankan Defence Secretary say to a foreign TV insulting the former SLA commander saying he would be hanged," Vijitha Herath questioned while speaking at Adhistana Pooja held Tuesday evening at Colombo Viharamahadevi Park coinciding with the four month detention of Fonseka.

Parliamentarians from the main opposition United National Party (UNP) did not attend the event.