Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka has publicly accused politicians of cynically exploiting the country’s 2009 military victory for political gain, naming former National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa among those he described as opportunists, NewsFirst reported on Monday night.
The former Sri Lanka Army Commander said politicians had “repeatedly misled the public” while portraying themselves as saviours of the nation, and that people had at various times fallen victim to such narratives. He referred specifically to Weerawansa and others sharing similar platforms, NewsFirst said.
Fonseka argued that during the height of the Eelam War IV campaign, while soldiers were engaged in intense fighting and their families were enduring significant hardship, the figures he criticised were largely absent from the battlefield. He framed his remarks as a warning that certain groups were once again attempting to “create instability in the country.”
The intervention lands the night before the 17th National Victory Day ceremony at Battaramulla on May 19, which is being held under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. It follows a tense Monday afternoon in which police said legal action would be taken against Weerawansa and a group of around 35 supporters after a confrontation at the National War Hero’s Monument during rehearsals.
Fonseka commanded the Army during the final stages of the war against the LTTE that ended on the banks of the Nandikadal lagoon in May 2009, and has long resisted attempts by politicians to claim credit for the military outcome. His remarks also coincide with renewed friction over the symbolic ownership of the day, after a public dispute over former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s invitation status and Amnesty International’s parallel Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day call on the same anniversary.
Source: NewsFirst — Fonseka Slams ‘Opportunists’ Exploiting War Victory.
