2010-10-08 16:28:56

Sri Lankan bishops appeal for Sarath Fonseka’s release


(October 8, 2010) The Catholic Bishops of Sri Lanka have appealed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to free former General Sarath Fonseka, who was sentenced to 30 months' hard labour last week. “Release Sarath Fonseka in recognition of his valuable service to the nation, even [if it came] at the cost of nearly losing his life,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (CBCSL) said in a statement issued on Tuesday. Sri Lanka's parliament on Thursday revoked the parliamentary seat of Fonseka, who ran unsuccessfully against President Rajapaksa and was jailed after being found guilty of misappropriating funds. Fonseka, who led the army to victory over the Tamil Tiger separatists, ending 25 years of civil war, in May 2009, was earlier stripped of his rank and pension for conducting politics in uniform. The Catholic bishops urged the president to take into account his services to the nation as a soldier and army chief during the difficult and dangerous period of the civil war. Buddhist leader, Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero has also called on the president to free the general. In a press conference held at the National Bhikku Front in Colombo on Tuesday, he said that that he and hundreds of Bhikkus (ascetic Buddhist monks) are prepared to take the general’s place in prison. In the meantime, lawmakers, trade unions, media, social organisations, rights groups and others are issuing statements against Fonseka’s imprisonment and demanding his release.







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