COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s new government on Sunday conferred the highest military rank of field marshal on retired army chief Sarath Fonseka, who had been jailed for alleged treason by the previous regime.

President Maithripala Sirisena awarded Fonseka the title at a state ceremony in the capital and said he was unjustly treated by the previous government.

Fonseka was thrown in jail after he unsuccessfully tried to challenge a re-election bid by the then-strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse in 2010.

Soon after Sirisena toppled Rajapaksein a January election, he used his executive powers to clear Fonseka of all the allegations, including treason and dabbling in politics while in uniform.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2015

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