Fonseka backtracks on LTTE remark

Sri Lanka's presidential candidate former General Sarath Fonseka today said the army never violated any international norm during the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, reports Sutirtho Patranobis.

Presidential candidate former General Sarath Fonseka on Monday said the Sri Lankan army (SLA) never violated any international norm during the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

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In an interview to a weekly newspaper, Fonseka had said on Sunday that defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had given orders to the army to execute LTTE leaders who wanted to surrender. Fonseka added in the interview to the Sunday Leader that, he even as the army chief at that time had no inkling of the order.

On Monday, he backtracked on the statement, claiming that his comments were misinterpreted by the newspaper. He clarified that it was only from another journalist embedded with the army that he had heard about the defence secretary’s alleged phone call and his instructions.

News agencies and websites reported on Monday that Fonseka said that as "far as he was aware, there were no one carrying white flags and attempting to surrender on the night of May 17. Soldiers never killed anyone attempting to surrender. If there are any accusations of Human Rights violations of other actions against them, he was responsible and would answer to those allegations."

Fonseka’s Sunday interview had attracted strong denial from government ministers who had threatened to take him to court. "Betrayal based on untruth," was how one minister described it.