'Do not disgrace the uniform'; Field Marshal tells Public Security Minister

COLOMBO (News 1st): "Just because one is in uniform and goes to war, one has no right to commit murder," said Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka in Parliament on Wednesday (05).

In response to Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr. Sarath Weerasekara, the Former Army Commander told Parliament that anyone who commits murder must be prosecuted and executed, be it Sunil Ratnayake or even Karannagoda. These comments were made after the Public Security Minister accused Sarath Fonseka of making statements that betray the nation and the military. Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka slammed Rear Admiral (Retd) Weerasekera not to disgrace the uniform. Sarath Weerasekera went onto say that Sarath Fonseka is not suitable to be a Lance Corporal in the military, let alone the post of Field Marshal, and accused the former Army Commander of making statements against the military by obtaining money from the Tamil Diaspora. Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr. Sarath Weerasekara further accused the Former Army Commander of having dealt with the LTTE and the Tamil Diaspora when Fonseka contested the Presidential Election and won areas with a majority-Tamil population. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa called on the Speaker to remove the comments made by the Public Security Minister from the Hansard. "I assume Sarath Fonseka had to face a suicide bomb attack because he took money from the diaspora," remarked Premadasa condemning the statements by the Public Security Minister. Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka snapped back at the Public Security Minister stating that the military should never show mercy to soldiers who committed murder, including Sunil Ratnayake. "You claim to be a person who fought in the war. You were only in charge of the Civil Defence Force. You were not even a member of the Security Council. When you left the Navy and was looking for a job it was I who spoke to then Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and got you a position," Fonseka told Weerasekera in Parliament. The Tamil population voted for an Army Commander because we fought the war by protecting human rights, said Sarath Fonseka. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1frJ41abSRw[/embed]