LankaWeb Weekly Editorial

October 14th 2010

It is indeed a bit late in the day for the formerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Army Commander and the leader of the DNA, Sarath FonsekaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to realistically expect his sentencing to be overturnedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by way ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  writ application in the Appeal Court challenging the move by the Secretary General of Parliament to remove him from his Parliamentary seat as the judgement has been made well within the jurisdictions and statutes of national law despite his entitlement to appeal as every other situation in the history of Sri Lanka’s Justice System if it involved treason and an attempt to overthrow an incumbent PresidencyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and actions not in keeping with that ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a Military General, Police Head Or any other Law Enforcement leadership over exercising their authorityƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has never met leniency.

It is also a great irony thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a man of his calibre and military stature ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ decided to go against an administration that was and continuesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  be revered by the people of Sri Lanka and tantamount to great follyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and the acceptance of baiting by the opposition whose sole objective was to wrest power from the incumbent party which attempt was a total failureƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and the rest is history with a heavy price paid for by the somewhat misguided bait taker in this case Fmr. Gen. Fonseka.

A once honored General has had to don prison garb and serve out his sentence regardless of the huffing and puffing of those attempting to portray him as a righteous and patriotic son of Lanka which category most unfortunatelyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ he does not fall into as proven in the trial which led to his indictment ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and sentencingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where he has only himself to blame. It is said sometimes that prudence and wisdom often gets compromised by self centered greed and brash arrogance compounded by a defiance which seems worthless and self detrimentalƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to classically exemplify Sarath Fonseka’s demise.

Had he chosen wisely, thrown in his lot with the present Administration and continued in a congenial manner not letting his differences with some of the hierarchy in some instances get the better of him using to the fullest extent his military savvy, undoubtedly he would have basked in the glory of his accomplishments for the role he played in the elimination of the terrorists but perhaps his destiny was to be otherwise, notwithstanding the opportunities he was given by the prudentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  albeit magnanimous President to come clean and make good as part of the Administrative Setup which he spurned and chose to throw in his lot with the conniving Ranil Wickremasinghe and his cronies and look where it has landed him?

In his appeal the Fmr Gen. tries to draw analogy to the circumstances under which former opposition member and now a member of the present cabinet Mr.S.B. Dissanayake and theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ circumstances of hisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ incarceration for breaking the lawƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to a farƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ lesser degree by way of irresponsible political speeches of a seditious and threatening nature ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ but redeemed for being contrite and swearing allegiance to the Rajapaksha Administration in his wisdom where justice was served although being rewarded for his prudent choice where the analogies end to the disfavour of Gen.Fonseka who is insidiously adamant in attempting to justify his wrongs while insisting that the Administration is wrong which does not carry any weight in his favour and never will! as the deck is stacked against him by way of evidence of wrongdoing and his track record thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of a authoritative and vindictive military leader.

There are other analogies certain disgruntled individuals perchance mostly from opposition circles at times attempt to draw and maintain as unjustifiableƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ relative to the likes of Kumar Pathmanathan, Muralitharan ~ also known as Karuna, Pillayan as well as Douglas Devananda who do have privileges not extended to Sarath FonsekaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ but in each case they have openly relented their past errors of judgement, disowned the terror group they were once involved with and have benefitted greatly towards aidingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the terrorist’s demise and continue their obligations towards this with no malfeasance or ulterior motive involving an agenda towards ursurping the Administration at any given time and that then is the difference bewtween them and Sarath Fonseka and theyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ have reaped just rewards! as well as promulgating the healing process between Tamils and the rest of the Sinhala Nation~ part of a clever strategy by the President it is believed by many analysts.

It has therefore to be acknowledged that there exists a vast difference between those who call themselves patiots and sons of the Nation superficiallyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ albeit caught in their attempts to betray the Nation to her enemies yet live sans the incarceration they deserve~ Ranil Wickremasinghe, Jayalath Jayawardena…….. to name some who survive purely by virtue of the rhetoric they spew laced in duplicity and flowery metaphors and of course a degree of Administrative toleranceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ while their transparencies are pitifully and glaringly apparent by their vain attempts to discredit the Administration both within and outside Sri Lanka, and those who sincerely and dedicatedly pledge their undivided allegiance towards the preservation of their Motherland regardless of their ethnicities and past leanings and it is on the faith of such individuals and the rest of the trulyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ patriotic Sri Lankans that the Nation’s future invariablyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ rests. They do indeed deserve their just rewards and something for the incarcerated Fmr. Gen. To work at towrds his own redemption!

In this sense it would be a betrayal of the Nation and everythingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  she stands to gain if the sentencing of someone asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ selfishly motivatedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as Fmr.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Gen.Sarath Fonseka is repuduated on sympathy grounds and coerced corrupt litigation,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ never an impossibility in the land which a certain missionary wrote about many years agoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “where only man was vile” as the release of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ this type of individual ( and there’s more of them around!)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ unless subjected to the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ rehabilitation processƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and anƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ unconditional allegiance towards the smooth functioning of the Nation which is in progress today with the Rajapaksha Administration leading the way,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is obtained voluntarily from him! would be a travesty of Justice!