Protest held in Colombo against Sarath Fonseka court martial

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 March 2010, 16:33 GMT]
Hundreds of supporters of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Monday held a protest in Fort in Colombo demanding the scrap of military tribunal appointed by President Mahinda Rajapakse to charge the defeated common opposition presidential candidate General (retd) Fonseka.

Protestors carried placards and shouted slogans against the government’s move for appointing a court martial against General Sarath Fonseka.

Meanwhile, former Chief Justice Sarath N. Siva at a press briefing Monday said that Sri Lanka has become an undemocratic country. It has unleashed violence betraying human rights principles and conventions with international organizations such as United Nations, he said.

He added that the arrest of Fonseka had gone against the Universal declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

He maintained that the government should have dealt with Fonseka under civil law as Army Act did not apply on Fonseka as Army Commanders were not commissioned officers or enlisted soldiers.