General Fonseka arrived in Sri Lanka ending a furore

Chief of Defense Staff General Sarath Fonseka arrived in Colombo this morning at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo.

According to an airport source, he was immediately driven away under tight security.

Earlier, Sri Lanka’s US Embassy in a statement revealed that General Fonseka left the United States for Colombo Tuesday night.(November 03, 2009). He did not take part in questioning prior to his departure by the Department of Homeland Security or any other agency of the US Government.

Fonseka, who holds US permanent residency, had travelled to Oklahoma to visit his two daughters.

General Fonseka, who was then in the United States, received a phone call from an official of the Department of Homeland Security requesting an interview. Subsequently he received a letter from the department requesting that he present himself for the interview on the 4th of November in Oklahoma City, Okla.

This development was then conveyed to US Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya and to his immediate superior Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Afterward, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his capacity as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and the Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the senior most official of that Ministry, made it clear that the President and the Government of Sri Lanka would stand firmly behind the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff of Sri Lanka. There would be no room allowed for that high post to be devalued or made vulnerable, the Foreign Ministry noted in a statement.

Accordingly, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama immediately invited US Ambassador in Colombo to his office. During the meeting, he noted that any information General Fonseka may have become aware of during his service with the Government of Sri Lanka and in the course of his duties is privileged.

The Sri Lankan Embassy statement further said, The US Department of Homeland Security was asked to desist from any endeavour to interview General Fonseka. A similar representation was made to the US State Department through Ambassador Wickramasuriya.

These representations in both Colombo and Washington were followed by further diplomatic contacts to emphasize the position of the Government of Sri Lanka. The US State Department then assisted in General Fonseka's departure Tuesday (November 03, 2009).

According to the airport source "He arrived this morning in a commercial flight and was escorted out of the airport by his security convoy."

- Asian Tribune -