{"id":134029,"date":"2014-12-01T00:28:03","date_gmt":"2014-11-30T18:58:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=134029"},"modified":"2014-12-04T15:38:37","modified_gmt":"2014-12-04T10:08:37","slug":"fonseka-is-still-fighting-for-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/fonseka-is-still-fighting-for-justice\/","title":{"rendered":"Fonseka Is Still Fighting For Justice"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Clare George-Hilley<\/span><\/a> –<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"By<\/a>

By Clare George-Hilley<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s rainy season in Sri Lanka. Tropical storms, torrential rain and surprise sunshine perfectly capture the mood of uncertainty and fear gripping the country ahead of the general election set for the 8th\u00a0of January next year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite its physical beauty and wealth of natural resources, Sri Lanka has 5,676 outstanding cases of missing people, more than anywhere else in the world, apart from post-war Iraq.<\/p>\n

Lampposts, schools, shops and crumbling buildings are plastered with colour posters of incumbent President\u00a0Mahinda Rajapaksa<\/span><\/a> from the United People’s Freedom Alliance.<\/p>\n

Despite a controversial record in office, Rajapaksa is seeking a third term in office, and it appears that state-controlled media outlets and government-funded publicity campaigns have already ensured he is likely to succeed.<\/p>\n

One of the other candidates standing against him is\u00a0Sarath Fonseka<\/span><\/a>, a former army General until he was stripped of his title and imprisoned for standing as an opposition candidate in 2010. Foneska is something of a hero in Sri Lanka, credited with ending the bloody 30-year civil war, which crippled the country\u2019s economy, shattered its tourism industry and caused tens of thousands to flee for fear of their lives.<\/p>\n

\"Fonseka\"<\/a>We meet at his campaign headquarters, a small building which houses his operations team off the rain-drenched roads of Colombo. One only has to spend two minutes with Fonseka to recognise he is a man of accomplishment and experience, but he now also bears the emotional scars of his battle with President Rajapaksa.<\/p>\n

Regardless of his previous suffering, Fonseka has found strength through politics and the support of his family to found his own political party, the newly formed Democratic Party of Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

As we discuss the state of play in Sri Lanka, he pauses, speaking in an authoritative but measured tone, listing the reasons why he does not believe the election in January will be either fair or free.<\/p>\n

He talks about President Rajapaksa\u2019s regime and its corruption, its lack of transparency and its total control of state media, which apparently never includes coverage of opposition candidates or their campaigns.<\/p>\n

Fonseka wants external, independent authorities overseeing the elections to ensure votes are counted fairly, and to also end \u2018intimidation at the ballot box\u2019. His frustration at the country\u2019s decline in recent years is evident, \u201cWe have no choice, we cannot allow the system to continue like this,\u201d he says, with a sense of purpose that only an Army General could articulate.<\/p>\n

He hopes that external governments, including Britain, will do more to put pressure on the President to ensure transparency and accountability.<\/p>\n

Turning to his own personal experience of Sri Lanka\u2019s sinister side, he talks frankly about his imprisonment and public humiliation at the hands of the current President. On 10th\u00a0of February he was arrested by Military Police at his office, taken into custody and court-martialed for “committing military offences.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was put into isolation in the prison and was only allowed to see my wife for half an hour every month,\u201d he says with a look of sadness in his eyes. \u201cThey thought I would collapse under the pressure, they took my land, my home, my pension and denied me access to my family.\u201d But Fonseka did not collapse, and is looking to continue his fight for justice for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe President and his government have no agenda for the country,\u201d he states, \u201cThis is Sri Lanka\u2019s last chance to regain its national identity and rid the country of corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n

As I leave, Fonseka is heading to another meeting in his action-packed schedule, and it becomes clear to me just what a challenge he is facing to achieve the free and just Sri Lanka of his dreams.<\/p>\n

But in spite of the odds stacked against him, Fonseka retains the energy and sense of duty that saw him rise to the very highest ranks.<\/p>\n

*Clare George-Hilley is a Contributing Editor to\u00a0The Commentator\u00a0and a former Conservative councillor in Croydon<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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