Fonseka starts prison journey
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Finally, Sri Lankan former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka was locked up in a gloomy prison cell, with the word of "imprisonment" written in his fate. A new chapter of saga of the general who has been endorsed as a hero for defeating Tamil Tiger rebels began.
Today, the general, Sri Lanka's ex-Army chief from December 2005 to July 2009, is languishing in the country's main Welikada Prison in the capital Colombo.
Having been detained in the Naval Headquarters since February, soon after he was defeated by incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the presidential polls, he was arrested for "dabbling in politics" while in uniform.
He faced two courts martial and the second court found Fonseka guilty on four charges of "disgraceful conduct" in military procurement.
After the final verdict of the military court and when Fonseka was permitted to say what he wished, he disagreed with the verdict and said he never expected justice from the Court Martial.
"I would be frightened to go to jail after doing wrong. However, without doing wrong, I am not frightened to be in jail. All should know that without fear I would even go to 100 jails. I am willing to spend a long time in jail. My commitment to kill Prabhakaran and destroy the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) helped me achieve it. The same way, though I am in jail, I will fight against injustice. I will fight and I will win," Fonseka told the court.
The prisoner bearing the number 0-22032 commenced his 30-month stay in the prison from the midnight of Sept. 30. Being stripped all military ranks and decorations, the country's first four-star general shed his favourite dress -- the National suit wore as a parliamentarian and got into the white shaggy "jumper", the prison suit for convicts.
He was issued an old straw mat, a pillow, a bucket and a metal plate from the stores. They will be the wealth of this Sri Lanka's once most decorated war hero in the prison. He was herded to the cell, with no lights but full of mosquitoes, where he had to sleep on the cement floor.
Fonseka is imprisoned in a separate cell in the "M" ward to isolate him from the other prisoners to ensure his security. The cell has a toilet without a tap. He has to fill water to the bucket in the toilet and also get water to a plastic mega bottle to drink when the prisoners are allowed to get water from the tanks in the morning and evening.
However, it is reported that the veteran soldier has no worries about the zero facility.
He likes to enjoy the prison life and wants the authorities to treat him as just a normal prisoner, sources said.
His wife, Anoma Fonseka, clad in black to protest him giving a jail term, rushed to Welikada Prison carrying the last home cooked meal on the day he was brought to the prison but turned away and was permitted to see him the next day.
Fonseka, with a very strong determination, did not complain about the way he was treated. The only request he made was a packet of mosquito coils.
But he asked Anoma to be strong to face the challenge as she is the only person to look after the family. They met at the waiting room for prisoners and he said he enjoyed the meals.
The convicted prison inmates are given three meals a day. The breakfast is rice or bread with pol sambol or dhal curry, the lunch and dinner are rice, one curry and one meat or fish. All the meals will be served to him from the prison kitchen.
Anoma Fonseka said the general would not request a pardon as he did not commit any crime or engage in illegal activity.
"The only crime he did was being a true soldier and destroyed the LTTE. He did his service genuinely. This is the gift he got for his tireless contribution, so why he should request for a pardon?" she said.
Anoma said Fonseka family was not discouraged by the ill- treatment and it was more noble to stand up and die rather that having to live on bended knees.
"This is nothing else. It is revenge. Rally around us to free him," she said requesting all Fonseka's supporters to join her to free her husband who liberated the country from 30-year-old terrorism.
Vijitha Herath, parliamentarian from Fonseka's Democratic National Alliance (DNA) said the imprisonment of Fonseka was a "degrading form of revenge."
Fonseka is allowed to wear a national suit issued by the prison department and visitors are permitted to see him once a month.
When he was under military detention his wife was allowed to bring meals thrice a day but at the prison he has to eat the same normal meals given to all other prisoners.
"There are over 4,500 prisoners in the Welikada Prison and no way to cook food for him separately. If a doctor of the prison hospital recommends so he will get a different menu. He was referred to the doctor but nothing was recommended," Prisons Commissioner General V. R. Silva said.
Silva said special security personnel were assigned for Fonseka 's security as there are LTTE detainees in the Welikada prison.
"My responsibility is to provide maximum security for him as he was the former Army Commander," he said.
Fonseka is given a 30-month rigorous imprisonment. In the past the prisoners sentenced for rigorous imprisonment had to engage in hard labor but now it has converted to vocational training and other activities like cleaning. Most political prisoners are kept in cells with no work.
A prison official in the welfare unit said when he informed the general about the library facilities for prisoners, Fonseka was happy and he requested the officer to take him to the library.
"Good if I can spend more time reading," the general was quoted as saying.
The war hero is now adjusting to prison routine where he has to get up by 6 a.m. and line up for a wash to draw water from the tank with the bucket given to him for a wash or a shower, then be in the queue to get his breakfast served by the prisoners, who are imprisoned for minor offences.
After a head count of all the prisoners in each ward, Fonseka has to idle in his cell until the bell rings them to line up with the metal plate to get lunch. After 6 p.m. all the prisoners are locked up in their cells and wards with no light until next morning.
This routine will not be the same for Fonseka as he is not yet free to mingle with other prisoners. Soon he will be given vocational training.
"Life seems not rosy for him but he does not show it and has taken it as a challenge," said a senior prison official.
Few weeks ago commenting against the 18th Amendment on constitutional reforms that passed with two thirds majority and enabled President Rajapaksa to contest for a third term, Fonseka said "this legislation is the last nail in the coffin of democracy. " — Xinhua
Today, the general, Sri Lanka's ex-Army chief from December 2005 to July 2009, is languishing in the country's main Welikada Prison in the capital Colombo.
Having been detained in the Naval Headquarters since February, soon after he was defeated by incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the presidential polls, he was arrested for "dabbling in politics" while in uniform.
He faced two courts martial and the second court found Fonseka guilty on four charges of "disgraceful conduct" in military procurement.
After the final verdict of the military court and when Fonseka was permitted to say what he wished, he disagreed with the verdict and said he never expected justice from the Court Martial.
"I would be frightened to go to jail after doing wrong. However, without doing wrong, I am not frightened to be in jail. All should know that without fear I would even go to 100 jails. I am willing to spend a long time in jail. My commitment to kill Prabhakaran and destroy the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) helped me achieve it. The same way, though I am in jail, I will fight against injustice. I will fight and I will win," Fonseka told the court.
The prisoner bearing the number 0-22032 commenced his 30-month stay in the prison from the midnight of Sept. 30. Being stripped all military ranks and decorations, the country's first four-star general shed his favourite dress -- the National suit wore as a parliamentarian and got into the white shaggy "jumper", the prison suit for convicts.
He was issued an old straw mat, a pillow, a bucket and a metal plate from the stores. They will be the wealth of this Sri Lanka's once most decorated war hero in the prison. He was herded to the cell, with no lights but full of mosquitoes, where he had to sleep on the cement floor.
Fonseka is imprisoned in a separate cell in the "M" ward to isolate him from the other prisoners to ensure his security. The cell has a toilet without a tap. He has to fill water to the bucket in the toilet and also get water to a plastic mega bottle to drink when the prisoners are allowed to get water from the tanks in the morning and evening.
However, it is reported that the veteran soldier has no worries about the zero facility.
He likes to enjoy the prison life and wants the authorities to treat him as just a normal prisoner, sources said.
His wife, Anoma Fonseka, clad in black to protest him giving a jail term, rushed to Welikada Prison carrying the last home cooked meal on the day he was brought to the prison but turned away and was permitted to see him the next day.
Fonseka, with a very strong determination, did not complain about the way he was treated. The only request he made was a packet of mosquito coils.
But he asked Anoma to be strong to face the challenge as she is the only person to look after the family. They met at the waiting room for prisoners and he said he enjoyed the meals.
The convicted prison inmates are given three meals a day. The breakfast is rice or bread with pol sambol or dhal curry, the lunch and dinner are rice, one curry and one meat or fish. All the meals will be served to him from the prison kitchen.
Anoma Fonseka said the general would not request a pardon as he did not commit any crime or engage in illegal activity.
"The only crime he did was being a true soldier and destroyed the LTTE. He did his service genuinely. This is the gift he got for his tireless contribution, so why he should request for a pardon?" she said.
Anoma said Fonseka family was not discouraged by the ill- treatment and it was more noble to stand up and die rather that having to live on bended knees.
"This is nothing else. It is revenge. Rally around us to free him," she said requesting all Fonseka's supporters to join her to free her husband who liberated the country from 30-year-old terrorism.
Vijitha Herath, parliamentarian from Fonseka's Democratic National Alliance (DNA) said the imprisonment of Fonseka was a "degrading form of revenge."
Fonseka is allowed to wear a national suit issued by the prison department and visitors are permitted to see him once a month.
When he was under military detention his wife was allowed to bring meals thrice a day but at the prison he has to eat the same normal meals given to all other prisoners.
"There are over 4,500 prisoners in the Welikada Prison and no way to cook food for him separately. If a doctor of the prison hospital recommends so he will get a different menu. He was referred to the doctor but nothing was recommended," Prisons Commissioner General V. R. Silva said.
Silva said special security personnel were assigned for Fonseka 's security as there are LTTE detainees in the Welikada prison.
"My responsibility is to provide maximum security for him as he was the former Army Commander," he said.
Fonseka is given a 30-month rigorous imprisonment. In the past the prisoners sentenced for rigorous imprisonment had to engage in hard labor but now it has converted to vocational training and other activities like cleaning. Most political prisoners are kept in cells with no work.
A prison official in the welfare unit said when he informed the general about the library facilities for prisoners, Fonseka was happy and he requested the officer to take him to the library.
"Good if I can spend more time reading," the general was quoted as saying.
The war hero is now adjusting to prison routine where he has to get up by 6 a.m. and line up for a wash to draw water from the tank with the bucket given to him for a wash or a shower, then be in the queue to get his breakfast served by the prisoners, who are imprisoned for minor offences.
After a head count of all the prisoners in each ward, Fonseka has to idle in his cell until the bell rings them to line up with the metal plate to get lunch. After 6 p.m. all the prisoners are locked up in their cells and wards with no light until next morning.
This routine will not be the same for Fonseka as he is not yet free to mingle with other prisoners. Soon he will be given vocational training.
"Life seems not rosy for him but he does not show it and has taken it as a challenge," said a senior prison official.
Few weeks ago commenting against the 18th Amendment on constitutional reforms that passed with two thirds majority and enabled President Rajapaksa to contest for a third term, Fonseka said "this legislation is the last nail in the coffin of democracy. " — Xinhua