Sri Lankan opposition leader arrested on conspiracy charge

Submitted by Narayan24 on Tue, 02/09/2010 - 06:01

Retired Gen. Sarath Fonseka led the troops that defeated a quarter-century-long insurgency by the Tamil Tiger rebel movement in 2009. Mano Ganeshan, the head of one of the opposition parties that supported Fonseka's campaign, said the former army commander was "physically dragged" from his office by heavily armed military police during a meeting with supporters.

Lakshman Hulugalle, director-general of Sri Lanka's Media Center for National Security, told reporters Fonseka will face trial before a military court on charges of conspiring to overthrow the government, violate military laws and sow dissension among members of Sri Lanka's armed forces.

There was no immediate response to the charges from Fonseka or his representatives.

Fonseka and Rajapaksa were both considered heroes of the battle against the Tigers, who fought for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority for more than 25 years.

Fonseka challenged Rajapaksa in January's vote and has accused the government of election fraud after losing by a wide margin.

Ganeshan said Fonseka was meeting with leaders of opposition parties that supported his presidential bid when he was arrested. The general broke ranks with the Rajapaksa administration after he was elevated to the largely ceremonial post of chief of defense staff in 2009.

During the campaign, Rajapaksa's supporters sought to disqualify him on the grounds that he was not registered to vote.

Troops surrounded the hotel Fonseka used as his headquarters the day after the election, leading the former general to accuse his onetime ally of "ignoring the constitution to remain in power."

The Tigers fought Sri Lanka's government for decades and controlled large parts of the island's north at the height of its power.

The conflict was blamed for 70,000-80,000 deaths between 1983 and 2009, when Rajapaksa's government reclaimed the rebel-held territories and declared victory.

Source: CNN International