Lankan Opposition demands release of ex-army chief Fonseka

Colombo: Thousands of activists of Sri Lankan opposition parties on Tuesday held a protest rally in the capital, seeking the release of former army chief Sarath Fonseka, who has been sentenced to a 30-month rigorous jail term for corruption in defence deals.

Opposition cadres in black attire gathered outside the Welikda prison in the capital, where the former army chief is held, demanding his release.

Opposition parties, including the supporters of the JVP, jointly demanded the government release the 60-year-old Fonseka, who appeared in the high court over his alleged statement to a newspaper that the military had ordered the shooting of the surrendered LTTE cadres in the final stages of the ethnic war in May 2009.

They claimed President Mahinda Rajapaksa jailed him because the "war hero" had tried to unseat him in the January 26 presidential election last year.

"We will not give up our struggle until he is released," said Fonseka's wife Anoma.

Fonseka was arrested exactly a year ago and later convicted by two military court martials on separate charges for doing politics while in uniform and also for misappropriation in military procurement.

His rank was stripped and pension was suspended after the first court martial, followed by a 30-month jail term with hard labour last September.

With the conviction, he was unseated from parliament which he won in the general election in April after his unsuccessful attempt to unseat the incumbent President.

Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) plans another protest rally tomorrow for the release of the former top general, who played a key role in the defeat of separatist Tamil Tigers in May 2009.

The LTTE waged a bloody three-decade civil war for a separate state for the Tamils of Sri Lanka, alleging discrimination against the minority community at the hands of the majority Sinhalas.