The Lanka Academic
 
FEBRUARY 9, 2010 EST, USA
 
QUAERE VERUM
 
VOL. 10, NO. 309
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No link between Fonseka arrest and run for prez: Lanka envoy
TOI, Feb 10. NEW DELHI: A day after the arrest of former army chief Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lankan high commissioner to India Prasad Kariyawasam said the development would have no adverse effect on the island nation’s stability as the charges against Fonseka are not linked to his status as the main opposition candidate in the January presidential elections. Fonseka’s arrest is being looked upon by many as a crackdown on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s opponents in the run-up to parliamentary elections.

"It is important to not see a link between his candidature in the presidential polls and the arrest which is a part of a separate process altogether. There are serious allegations of misconduct as a military officer against him and the investigations into these are bound by military rules," said Kariyawasam in an exclusive interview to TOI, adding that only the investigations will determine the exact form of charges to be pressed against him. More...
Published: Tue Feb 9 19:35:28 EST 2010

Wife's fears for general imprisoned in Sri Lanka
The Independent, Feb 10. Supporters of the seized Sri Lankan opposition leader Sarath Fonseka have vowed to take to the streets of Colombo today to protest against his arrest and detention at an undisclosed location.General Fonseka's wife, Anoma, broke down in tears as she revealed how the authorities had still not informed her where her husband was being held, after military police bundled him away on Monday evening. She said she feared for his safety and called on the international community to work to free him.Speaking by phone from Colombo, she said: "They have not told me where he is. I have tried to find out but could not. There are a lot of rumours: some say he is being held at the naval headquarters, some say he is at the army headquarters. Some say he is at an army camp. I cannot find out; nobody can go there." More...
Published: Tue Feb 9 19:38:15 EST 2010 Back to the top
Sri Lanka president dissolves parliament, calls poll
Reuters, Feb 9. COLOMBO, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's newly re-elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa dissolved parliament with effect from Wednesday and called legislative elections, a senior government official said. More...Discuss this story
Published: Tue Feb 9 10:33:35 EST 2010 Back to the top
Related News Stories
·
 Sri Lanka president sacks parliament: spokesman  - AFP
A Frankenstein scares Rajapaksa - Opinion
 ENS, Feb 10. Developments in Sri Lanka have taken a predictable course since President Mahinda Rajapaksa began to view his army commander, General Sarath Fonseka, as a threat to his life as well as his government, in the closing stages of the war against the LTTE and immediately thereafter, last year... Back to the top
Losing Sri Lanka - Opinion
 WSJ, Feb 9. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's wide election victory last month handed him a unique opportunity to put his country on a peaceful, democratic and prosperous path after 26 years of civil war... Back to the top
Editorial: Fonseka’s arrest
 ArabNews, Feb 10. SRI LANKA’S recently re-elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday dissolved the Parliament and as expected called a new general election, to capitalize on his convincing win in last month’s contest for the presidency... Back to the top
Leading article: An unjustified and disturbing arrest
 Independent, Feb 10. Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa has a reputation for toughness and decisiveness, and his latest actions only confirm it... Back to the top
Arrested general "hell-bent" on betrayal: Sri Lanka
 Reuters, Feb 9. COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka's government on Tuesday said defeated presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka was "hell-bent" on betrayal and would be court-martialed on charges of conspiring against the president... Back to the top
Outrage over Fonseka’s arrest
 Hindu, Feb 9. Outraged over the manner in which the military police have detained the former Sri Lankan Army chief and defeated opposition presidential candidate, General (retired) Sarath Fonseka, the opposition parties have urged the people to rise against the injustice... Back to the top
Sri Lanka opposition to strike after leader held
 AP, Feb 9. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka's opposition called Tuesday for countrywide protests after its defeated presidential candidate was arrested for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government while serving as army commander... Back to the top
Sri Lanka crackdown goes beyond arrest of Sarath Fonseka
 CSM, Feb 9. The arrest of Gen. Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s recently defeated presidential candidate and former Army chief, has raised concerns that a wider repression of the country’s political opposition will follow... Back to the top
Sri Lanka under fire over opponent's arrest
 afp, Feb 9. WASHINGTON: Sri Lanka was hit by sharp international criticism after troops arrested the defeated opposition candidate, just two weeks after an election that had raised hopes of turning a new page... Back to the top
Fonseka dragged out of office and arrested
 Telegraph, Feb 9. Colombo Feb. 8 (AP): Sri Lanka’s defeated presidential candidate was hauled from his office by military police today and will be court-martialled for allegedly planning to overthrow the government while serving as the head of the army. Sarath Fonseka, who as the top general helped defeat the Tamil Tiger rebels, was forcibly detained after objecting to his arrest, Opposition politician Rauff Hakeem told The Associated Press... Back to the top
Fonseka arrest could be poll issue
 Hindu, Feb 9. COLOMBO: With the dissolution of the Sri Lankan Parliament expected on Tuesday and the general election scheduled for the first half of April, the arrest of the former Army Chief and consensus Opposition presidential candidate, General Sarath Fonseka, could be one of the main poll issues... Back to the top
Rajapaksa’s political rival humiliated, but at what cost? - Analysis
 Times, Feb 9. By arresting his former army chief and electoral opponent in Sri Lanka, President Rajapaksa appears to be trying to neutralise the threat of a coup... Back to the top
Sri Lankan general held in crackdown
 Guardian, Feb 8. The defeated candidate in last month's tense presidential election in Sri Lanka, General Sarath Fonseka, was arrested today at his office in Colombo and is to be charged with attempting a military coup to overthrow the government... Back to the top
Fonseka to 'testify on war crimes'
 bbc, Feb 8. Sri Lanka's former military commander says that he is prepared to give evidence in an international court on war crime charges against Sri Lanka... Back to the top
UN watchdog to quiz Lankan team over Fonseka's LTTE remarks
 PTI, Feb 8. COLOMBO: The chief of the UN human rights watchdog will quiz a Sri Lankan delegation over the controversial allegation by the former army chief that instructions were given by a senior government official to kill the top Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leaders and not allow them to surrender during the final stages of the ethnic conflict... Back to the top
100 Sri Lankan journalists protest government for alleged moves to suppress media workers
 CP, Feb 8. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lankan journalists who claim the government has stepped up its suppression of the media in recent weeks staged a protest Monday and demanded the release of a detained editor from a pro-opposition newspaper... Back to the top
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