Gen. Fonseka arrest has elicited a range of reactions from different fractions; local and international. It is interesting to see that the hysteria of the opposition protests is directly proportional to the political impact, this arrest is having on their particular parties.
As I indicated on my earlier blog, the UNP leadership, who stand to gain most from the incidence has resided to issuing statement on the legality of the arrest, while JVP, the party that stand to loose most are carrying out violent protest. While the opposition is crying foul, the NGO's and INGOs have joined the band wagon, United States is concerned, even the usually calm Ban Ki-Moon is alarmed.
I pointed out in my previous blog that the government would not gain any political milage from arresting the already unpopular General, instead government stand to suffer some political damage as the opposition protests mount. Even foreign governments have expressed their displeasure. The public also seems to be divided on the issue, some argue that arresting Gen. Fonseka is the correct move as he has vilolated the law, some claim his crimes are not severe for such treatment.
These factors show that the government is actually suffering some political damage for the arrest. Before this incident the topic discussed on most news media was, " How would the opposition contest in the fourth coming parliamentary elections". The disagreements had even begun to get so sour that some fractions of the opposition were even starting to balme other parties as doing governments dirty work by resisting a common opposition alliance. By arresting Gen. Fonseka governmnet has changed the topic and has made the environment unfavorable to themselves. Why would the government do this? Specially on the brink of a parliamentary election, where the government is expecting a massive 2/3 mandate from the people, and at a time the opposition seemed to be committing harakiri, why would the government give them a point to coalesce.
Many observes seems to have missed this point. The reason presumably lies with certain statements Gen.Fonseka made immediately after the election. After the election, when the government was arresting , those who were believed to be associated with military coup, Gen Fonseka challenged the government to arrest him instead, he further claimed that he is aware of the illegal orders of high ranking government officials and if any harm is to come to him these sensitive secrets would be released.
Gen. Fonsekas "Gota ordered them shot" story even after being retracted publicly, draw huge attention form international agencies, that Minsiter Mahinda Samarasinghe had to brief the UN highcommision explaining the falsity of the statement. In this context the latest claim by Fonseka would have ellicited much more pestering from international agencies , forein governmneta and LTTE lobby. Fonseal would have surely made that one of his campaign slogans as he did in his presidential campaign. This continuous babbling of government commiting illegal actions would have made the LTTE lobby and foregin governmnets to call for a fresh round of investigation on the final phase of war.
Government by arresting Gen. Fonseka has effectively nullified this "illegal action" claim , and has prevented exasperating actions by international bodies that would destabilize the country.
Any other previous governmnet would have choosen the politically correct path of , letting Gen. Fonseka be and postponed facing the repurcussions of his irresponsible statements. This governmnet is not like any other, specially Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksha, when he sees a problem he faces it head on, by doing so on this matter he has averted another adversity that would have hurled upon the government and war heroes.
As I indicated on my earlier blog, the UNP leadership, who stand to gain most from the incidence has resided to issuing statement on the legality of the arrest, while JVP, the party that stand to loose most are carrying out violent protest. While the opposition is crying foul, the NGO's and INGOs have joined the band wagon, United States is concerned, even the usually calm Ban Ki-Moon is alarmed.
I pointed out in my previous blog that the government would not gain any political milage from arresting the already unpopular General, instead government stand to suffer some political damage as the opposition protests mount. Even foreign governments have expressed their displeasure. The public also seems to be divided on the issue, some argue that arresting Gen. Fonseka is the correct move as he has vilolated the law, some claim his crimes are not severe for such treatment.
These factors show that the government is actually suffering some political damage for the arrest. Before this incident the topic discussed on most news media was, " How would the opposition contest in the fourth coming parliamentary elections". The disagreements had even begun to get so sour that some fractions of the opposition were even starting to balme other parties as doing governments dirty work by resisting a common opposition alliance. By arresting Gen. Fonseka governmnet has changed the topic and has made the environment unfavorable to themselves. Why would the government do this? Specially on the brink of a parliamentary election, where the government is expecting a massive 2/3 mandate from the people, and at a time the opposition seemed to be committing harakiri, why would the government give them a point to coalesce.
Many observes seems to have missed this point. The reason presumably lies with certain statements Gen.Fonseka made immediately after the election. After the election, when the government was arresting , those who were believed to be associated with military coup, Gen Fonseka challenged the government to arrest him instead, he further claimed that he is aware of the illegal orders of high ranking government officials and if any harm is to come to him these sensitive secrets would be released.
Gen. Fonsekas "Gota ordered them shot" story even after being retracted publicly, draw huge attention form international agencies, that Minsiter Mahinda Samarasinghe had to brief the UN highcommision explaining the falsity of the statement. In this context the latest claim by Fonseka would have ellicited much more pestering from international agencies , forein governmneta and LTTE lobby. Fonseal would have surely made that one of his campaign slogans as he did in his presidential campaign. This continuous babbling of government commiting illegal actions would have made the LTTE lobby and foregin governmnets to call for a fresh round of investigation on the final phase of war.
Government by arresting Gen. Fonseka has effectively nullified this "illegal action" claim , and has prevented exasperating actions by international bodies that would destabilize the country.
Any other previous governmnet would have choosen the politically correct path of , letting Gen. Fonseka be and postponed facing the repurcussions of his irresponsible statements. This governmnet is not like any other, specially Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksha, when he sees a problem he faces it head on, by doing so on this matter he has averted another adversity that would have hurled upon the government and war heroes.
