Politicisation of the military, Rajapaksa politics and Fonseka-Jayasuriya feud

THE United Kingdom (UK) has imposed sanctions on four Sri Lankans allegedly responsible for serious human rights abuses and violations committed during the war between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

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The UK-sanctioned quartet are former Army commander Jagath Jayasuriya, Ex-Navy commander Wasantha Karannagoda, former army commander Shavendra Silva, and Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias 'Karuna', the former LTTE eastern regional commander.

Sri Lanka's one and only field marshal and former army chief, Sarath Fonseka has publicly aired some comments about the three service chiefs who were schooled, all aiming to rise in reports. Field Marshal Fonseka has stated that sanctions imposed on Shavendra Silva were "unreasonable". However the ex-army chief has stated that the sanctions against Wasantha Karannagoda and Jagath Jayasuriya were "reasonable".

Fonseka went on to allege that Karannagoda and Jayasuriya had abused their powers while in office and that there was crucial evidence available to prove that. I have spoken in Parliament about these two said Fonseka. The former army commander further said that he had even initiated an inquiry into Jayasuriya who had served under him earlier.

Sarath Fonseka's criticism of Karannagoda and Jayasuriya is seen as intervention by the then Army commander Lt. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake. The army chief went public saying that personal rivalries should not be allowed to tarnish the Sri Lankan army's reputation. He said that even if a single officer was criticised openly, it affected the entire army's image. The army chief also clarified that only an allegation had been made in a foreign country against Jagath Jayasuriya and nothing else.

The Army commander's response was widely welcomed. Mahesh Senanayake's public comments along with private efforts at peace making by senior political leaders paid dividends. There was an understood resolve to keep the Field Marshal and the Lt. General. The vocal artillery fell silent.