DNA to inundate President with messages for SF’s release
October 3, 2010 05:32 pm
The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) under its ‘Campaign for Democracy in Sri Lanka’ is to inundate President Mahinda Rajapaksa with messages demanding the release of its leader Sarath Fonseka from prison.
The party will urge its supporters to send petitions, telegrams, letters, emails etc demanding the release of former Sri Lanka Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. Apart from this, the DNA was also holding protests country-wide on the same issue. One such protest at Hambantota this morning (October 03) was dispersed by police, said DNA Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath.
“We will not be cowed by the government’s tactics to suppress the protests. We will continue to mobilize the masses. We staged protests at Galle and Kurunegala this morning. We will raise public awareness by distributing leaflets near the Fort Railway Station and collect signatures for a mass petition for the release of Mr. Fonseka,” said Vijitha Herath addressing a media briefing at the Solis Reception Hall at Koswatta in Nawala.
Addressing the same briefing, Ven. Dambare Amila Thera said that Sarath Fonseka has been imprisoned due to political jealousy.
“We have to begin the second humanitarian operation. To do that we have to get the brave leader out from the prison. This is not to send Sarath Fonseka into the care of Anoma Fonseka or their children. It is to have the leader to lead the operation to restore democracy,” the Ven. Amila Thera.
Imprisoned DNA leader Sarath Fonseka’s wife Anoma told journalists that she hoped all political and other parties would join their attempt to seek the release of Mr. Fonseka. She added that the media had a huge responsibility in this regard.
Senior lawyer Karunaratne Herath said that this was not a case of taking into custody of a single opponent. It was a suppression of the freedom of expression. “This is happening to Sarath Fonseka and the same may happen to you tomorrow,” he told the media.
When Adaderana reporter Chaturanga Karunanayake asked Ms. Anoma Fonseka whether they would respond to President Rajapaksa’s offer yesterday that if an appeal is made for a pardon, he was willing to consider it, she said they did not know what sort of appeal the President had meant.
“There is no reason to beg for a pardon. My husband has not done any wrong other than fight and win a terrorist movement which had been troubling the island for the last three years. So, what is the pardon they are mentioning? We don’t know of any such procedure,” Ms. Fonseka reiterated. “But we will file an appeal in civil courts,” she added.
