COLOMBO: Newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena, who had promised in his election manifesto to restore to former army commander General Sarath Fonseka all that had been unfairly taken away from him by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, kept his pledge on Wednesday.

Gen Fonseka, who led the Sri Lankan army to victory against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009 but who was tried, imprisoned and stripped of his rank, medals, pension and civic rights by the Rajapaksa government, has now got it all back.

The Defence Ministry announced that Mr Fonseka was now entitled to his rank of Four Star General and other entitlements taken away in 2010, after he was sentenced to imprisonment by two army tribunals.

Though Fonseka contested and was defeated in the 2010 presidential election, Mr Rajapaksa charged him with plotting a coup and indulging in irregularities in army procurements.

Two courts martial were set up to try him.

He was prematurely released in May 2012, following international pressure, but his rank, other entitlements and civic rights were not given back to him.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2015

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