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.