REFUGEE

JVP Leader Somawansa Amerasinghe says serious action would have to be taken if the US oversteps its limit in relation to questioning General Sarath Fonseka in granting US citizenship.

“It is alright to subject Sarath Fonseka to the normal routine questions that are posed when looking at the possibility of granting US citizenship. But serious action will have to be taken if this limit is overstepped. We publicly stated at out meeting held on June 4 after the defeat of terrorism in the country that we would intervene if any military or political head or civilian is accused of war crimes and legal action was going to be instituted against them. If such a situation was going to arise, the JVP will take

steps against it at every possible situation. It has to be defeated locally as well as internationally. We call on the government to seriously look at this situation and to intervene in order to safeguard the rights of the country’s citizens. The government should not act lethargically in this matter like in other instances,” the JVP Leader said.

The JVP Leader made this statement at a hurriedly called press conference to express the JVP’s stance of the decision of the US to question General Sarath Fonseka yesterday (2). Party Secretary Tilvin Silva and Central Committee member and parliamentarian Bimal Ratnayake also participated in the press conference.

Somawansa Amerasinghe also said, “We have received information that General Sarath Fonseka is to be questioned over an application made by him requesting for the green card for citizenship. The Homeland Security Office in the US is going to carry out the interrogation. Every individual who applies for citizenship is subjected to these routine questions. There is no issue about following such rules for the security of the US. We have no problem with the usual questions posed to people requesting for citizenship. But we have to look at it if questions are posed on the basis that he gave leadership in the military offensive against terrorism. The US has not right to pose any questions on that. We call on the US not to carry out such an interrogation.

“There have been thousands who have requested for citizenship in the US before. We do not who have been granted citizenship. But we feel that it is not suitable to make such a noise and discussion about the request made by General Fonseka. A citizen from our country need not be subjected to an interrogation in another country. It poses a problem to our country’s sovereignty.”

JVP General Secretary Tivlin Silva who also addressed the conference said, “The problem here is that the individual who is going to be subjected to an interrogation is a special person. The military leadership given by him played a key role in ending the war that has lasted in the country for 30 years. Therefore, the international communities like the US and EU are displeased because they lost the chance of interfering in our country’s affairs. This issue arises in such a backdrop. That is why we emphasize the need to intervene to defeat any effort taken by the US to overstep its limits. He is still a government officer. He is the Chief of Defence Staff. The government has to officially intervene in this matter. Our problem is that this government has failed in its official diplomatic duties. They have messed up every time there has been a need for official diplomatic intervention. We emphasize that the government needs to intervene without creating a mess of the situation.”