REFUGEE

"I did not make decisions from A/C rooms. We destroyed any one connected with the LTTE. That is how we won the war." - General Fonseka

Dec 13, Colombo: Sri Lankan government today totally denied the allegations made by former Army commander General Sarath Fonseka in an interview to the Sunday Leader that the Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa ordered Brigadier Shavendra Silva to eliminate all the surrendering LTTE leaders during the final stages of the war.

Addressing the media briefing held at MCNS today Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management Mahinda Samarasinghe said the statement by the ex-commander who is now a presidential candidate, "is a great betrayal of the nation, of the people and above all, of his colleagues in combat, who fought side by side many of whom paid the supreme sacrifice and were injured and emerged victorious," for a narrow political gain.

Minister Samarasinghe quoting a statement by the former Army Commander at a ceremony to felicitate him in Ambalangoda in July pointed out that General Fonseka claimed of commanding the war during the final phase even though he was under pressure to stop it.

"I managed the war like a true soldier. I did not make decisions from A/C rooms. I was under pressure to stop the war even during the final phase. I got messages not to shoot those who are carrying white flags. A war is fought by soldiers. They do so by putting their lives on the line. Therefore, the decisions about war should be taken by the soldiers in the battlefront. Not the people in A/C rooms in Colombo. Our soldiers have seen in life the kind of destruction carried out by those people before they decided to come carrying a white flag. Therefore, they carried out their duties. We destroyed any one connected with the LTTE. That is how we won the war," Fonseka had said.

Minister Samarasinghe said even the international media cited the contents of his speech which prompted United States to catalogue it in their report to the Senate. The President even appointed a six- member committee of eminent persons to submit a report on Fonseka's claims, the Minister added.

Surrendees like Daya Master and Prabhakaran's parents were carrying white flags and were not targeted, the Minister pointed out.

"It is regrettable that Mr. Sarath Fonseka contradicts his own statement at this crucial hour when the nation is facing new challenges," said Minister Samarasinghe.

"Now that Mr. Sarath Fonseka is a presidential candidate, he thinks it fit to make this negative statement which is very damaging to the image of Sri Lanka. This is a great betrayal of the team who conducted the war in a professional manner without violating international standards. No one has been able to prove any allegation of war crimes," he added.