Sri Lanka threatens to execute General and opposition MP for treason

[Wildcat]

Sri Lanka threatens to execute the popular General and opposition MP that led Sri Lanka to victory over the Tamil Tiger's, for treason. He has substantiated claims the Govt was involved in war crimes against the civilian Tamil population.

 

The Sri Lankan Govt has become a corrupt family business.

 

Mr Rajapaksa responded with an extraordinary tirade. "He can't do that. He was the commander," he said. "That's a treason. We will hang him if he do that. I'm telling you… How can he betray the country? He is a liar, liar, liar."

 

Political fallout

 

The suggestion that Gen Fonseka could be executed is likely to cause a political storm in Sri Lanka. Fonseka is an elected MP and he garnered 40% of the vote in the presidential election. Capital punishment has not been used on the island for 34 years.

 

Defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa also ruled out any possibility of an independent, third-party investigation of alleged war crimes committed by both the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tigers in the final phase of the war.

 

"We are an independent country, we have the ability to investigate all these things," he said.

 

Colombo insists that no civilians were killed by the army during their final assault on the Tiger's last redoubt, despite evidence from the UN and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which points to thousands of civilian deaths.

 

With a strong electoral mandate and a big majority in Parliament President Mahinda Rajapaksa seems intent on ruling post-war Sri Lanka without heed to critics at home or abroad.

 

Powerful family

 

He has turned his administration into something of a family business. As well as his brother who is the defence secretary, another brother is minister of economic development, another is speaker of the parliament, and his son is a newly elected MP.

 

In all, the Rajapaksas are responsible for spending more than two-thirds of the state budget.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/hardtalk/8725899.stm

 

The Tamil's were certainly no angels, but they represented a minority population that has sufffered years of being treated as second class citizens. They may now be broken and living in internment camps but when they are returned to their devastated homelands their political desire for a voice and to be treated with respect will not go away.

 

I guess from the Sri Lankan Govt.s perspective the truth and reconciliation that might have brought a political end to the struggle for independence is not about to happen. So whilst the Tamil's are defeated militarily now. It will only be a matter of time before they assert themselves again.