Sacrifices of soldiers should not used for political gain: Gen. Fonseka

( December 22, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) General Sarath Fonseka said yesterday that he had always attributed the victories gained in the battlefield to the soldiers who fought in the front by sacrificing their live and limb. During a visit to Anuradhapura, the General said that he considered it an honour to have been able to command such a fighting force. “However, we do not approve of such sacrifices by the soldiers being used to rule the country in a corrupt manner or to achieve political objectives.

“What we expected to happen after the war victories was the development of the country, with peace being re-established and making the country safe for all nationalities to live in harmony and safety.

“Unfortunately, that is not the direction the country is being taken. The country is being fleeced and led to destruction setting aside development goals.

“We have saved the nation from a terrorist leader and today I have retired from military service and have taken on the task to save the nation from a dictatorship,” said the General.

During his visit to the sacred city, the General first visited the chief incumbent of the Atamasthanaya, the venerable Pallegama Siriniwasa Thero and obtained his blessings.

Thereafter, he paid homage at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi and engaged in a special pooja.

Thereafter, the General visited the Sarananda Pirivena in Anuradhapura, where he received the blessings of the chief incumbent of the Pirivena, the venerable Girambe Ananda Thero, the Anunayake Thero of the Ramanna Maha Nikaya.

The General also visited the Ruwan Weli Maha Seya and met the chief incumbent of the temple, the venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thero.

A group including the JVP leader Somawanasa Amarasinghe and UNP general secretary Tissa Attanayake also accompanied the General, who also visited the Mihintale Raja Maha Vihara to obtain blessings.
kahagalle said...

SF can be hilarious at times though he has a dull face. After leveling an unsubstantiated allegation against Gotabhaya and Sharvandnda De Silva, this man has a foul mouth to talk like this. Unlike SF, Sharwananda is a well loved ground commander who fought the war with conviction. He is recorded for not shaking hands with the enemy when Ranil agreed to handover vast tracks of land to the tigers. He is the one who is bragging about the Army victories all the time and seek a crack at the Presidency. He is the one who always maintain that he won the war and the contribution of others service chiefs are marginal. SF conveniently jumps his thoughts without referring to his unruly Army conduct which debarred him from obtaining highest decoration by successive Army commanders. However, when he ascends to the office of Army commander he changes the rule book for himself to award the decorations. One way Gotabhaya and MR is responsible for not seeing the venom of this man in advance and continue to shower him with promotions and make him the CDS though he was not the most qualified according to the seniority list. The JVP who is now shouting about democracy never had an interest in democracy and twice attempted to overthrow otherwise elected government by force. UNP is famous for their stance of obstructing the war. Now they have become the friends of SF. I wish this alliance of opposing views will work together in dream government they are forecasting.