The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has demanded former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka to clarify his stance on the existence of military camps in the North and East.
JVP politburo member K.D. Lal Kantha made the demand in reference to Fonseka’s recent remarks that military camps should be removed from the North and East.
“Earlier, British High Commissioner in Colombo John Rankin demanded the government should take steps to remove military camps from the North, which is completely out of his mandate. It is breeching diplomatic protocol to intervene in internal matters of a country. Though it was demanded he be sent out of the country, the government did not do so. This was followed by the Australian High Commissioner apparently inquiring about the number of camps and soldiers in the North from the Northern Security Commander,” he said.
He said it is understandable that the likes of the British High Commissioner, Australian High Commissioner or TNA Leader R. Sampanthan, to demand military camps to be removed from the North.
“One should not forget that the government is maintaining these camps within its territory and not on some other foreign land for these diplomats to make a fuss about. Well, one can understand TNA making a fuss about it as they are for a separate state. In this context, we believe that Former Army Commander Fonseka should clarify on what basis he said so,” Lal Kantha opined.
He said, the JVP too have a stance on this, and that is, the government should take immediate steps to reduce the military presence in civilian life and should ensure civil administration before it is too late.
“What we want to know is whether Fonseka wants civil administration established in the North, or otherwise,” he added.
