Sarath Fonseka
Field Marshal Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP (Sinhala: ගාර්දිහේවා සරත් චන්ද්රලාල් ෆොන්සේකා, Tamil: சரத் பொன்சேகா; born 18 December 1950), commonly known as Sarath Fonseka, is a retired Sri Lankan army officer and politician. He was the eighteenth Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, and under his command the Sri Lankan Army ended the 26-year Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009, defeating the militant group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam; he thereafter briefly served as the Chief of Defence Staff.[1] After retiring from the Army with the rank of General, he entered politics as the common opposition candidate in the 2010 presidential election contesting against President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
This article is about a Sri Lankan army officer. For other people, see Sarath (disambiguation).
Sarath Fonseka
Office Established
Office Established
110,555 Preferential Votes (2020)
98,456 Preferential Votes
New Democratic Front (2009–2010)[a]
Democratic National Alliance (2010–2013)
Democratic Party
(2013–2016)
United National Party
(2016–2020)
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (since 2020)
Aparna & Apsara
1971–2009
Following his controversial defeat in the presidential election he was elected to Parliament in the general election that followed. Soon after he was made a political prisoner and lost his parliamentary seat.[2][3][4] Fonseka supported Maithripala Sirisena in the 2015 presidential election and following his victory, the newly appointed President Sirisena gave Fonseka a full pardon reinstating his civic rights, military rank and decorations. Later he was promoted to the newly created rank of Field Marshal on 22 March 2015 becoming the first Sri Lankan Army officer to be promoted to the rank.[5][6][7]
On 9 February 2016, he was appointed to Parliament as a national list candidate and served in the Cabinet of Ministers from 2016 to 2018 as Minister of Regional Development and thereafter as Minister of Wildlife and Sustainable Development until the 2018 Sri Lankan constitutional crisis.
Fonseka had joined the Ceylon Army in 1970 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in June 1971 and rose through the ranks while completing training stints across South Asia and in the United Kingdom. He saw extensive action throughout the 26-year civil war and over the years acquired a reputation as a tough battlefield commander and was often in the thick of the action in fighting against the Tamil Tigers, culminating in a term as Commander of the Army from 6 December 2005 – 15 July 2009.[8][9][10] As commander, he oversaw the final phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War, which resulted in the total defeat of the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. He also survived an assassination attempt when an LTTE suicide bomber attacked his motorcade in April 2006.[11][12][13] Following the end of the war Fonseka was promoted to a four star rank in the Sri Lanka Army, becoming the first serving army commander to hold a four star rank.[14][15] He has been described as Sri Lanka's most successful army commander.[4][16][17][18]
A few months after the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, Fonseka was appointed
Chief of Defence Staff by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. While his new post was of a higher rank, Fonseka saw the move as an attempt to sideline him. Amid rumours of his desire to enter politics, he subsequently retired from the post on 16 November 2009.[19][20] On 29 November 2009, Fonseka formally announced his candidature in the 2010 Sri Lankan presidential election. His candidacy was endorsed by the main opposition parties, and Fonseka became the main opposition candidate challenging President Rajapaksa. He campaigned under the sign of a swan, and the slogan Vishvasaniya Venasak (A Credible Change).
Following his election defeat, Fonseka was arrested on 8 February 2010, and the government announced he would be court-martialed for committing "military offences".[21][22] He was convicted for corrupt military supply deals and sentenced to three years in prison.[23]
After serving more than 2 years in prison, Fonseka was released amidst local and international pressure on 21 May 2012.[7][24] As per the pre-election statement, President Maithripala Sirisena, gave him the complete presidential pardon and acquitted him of all the charges against him on 22 January 2015, restoring his civic rights.[25][26]
Early life[edit]
Fonseka was born on 18 December 1950 in the coastal town of Ambalangoda in the south of Sri Lanka. His father was Peter Fonseka, a school principal and his mother Egodage Piyawathie De Silva was a teacher. He initially attended Madawalalanda Maha Vidyalaya (1955–1957) in Ampara,[27] later receiving his secondary education from Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda (1958–1965) and Ananda College, Colombo (1966–1969). Fonseka represented his alma mater in cadeting, swimming and water polo events. He was the college swimming and water polo captain in 1969 and later represented the defence services and the country in these sports.[1] He was a sergeant of the College Cadet Platoon.[28][29]
Military career[edit]
Early years[edit]
Fonseka joined the Ceylon Army on 5 February 1970 as a cadet officer and after completing his basic officer training at the Army Training Centre in Diyatalawa, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, Ceylon Sinha Regiment on 1 June 1971 during the 1971 Insurrection.[10]
Serving with as platoon commander in the Sinha Regiment, he was promoted to lieutenant in 1973 and was promoted to the rank of captain in 1976. During this time he underwent the Commando Officers Course (1973), Battalion Support Weapons Course (1976) and Counter Insurgency Jungle Warfare Course (1978) in India. In 1980 he was promoted to the rank of major and in 1981 he attend the Company Commanders Course in Pakistan. In the next few years he served as an instructor at the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Ampara Combat Training School and Infantry Training Centre, and later as the Chief Instructor and Deputy Commandant in the same training institutes.[10]
Eelam War I[edit]
In 1987, he graduated from Defence Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur in Bangladesh. On his return was appointed commanding officer, 4th Sri Lanka Light Infantry and participated in the Vadamarachchi Operation.[1][30][31][32] The following year he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment in 1989.
With the on set of the 1987–89 JVP Insurrection, he was appointed as military coordinating officer for Gampaha District.[10] Fonseka reputedly devised the plan which led to the capture of Premakumar Gunaratnam and gained a reputation for his humane treatment of detainees.[33]
Eelam War II[edit]
In 1991, he was promoted to colonel and served as a brigade commander, 3rd Brigade during Operation Balavegaya and distinguished himself as a Brigade Commander. In the First Battle of Elephant Pass, the Sri Lankan armed forces were able to beat back the LTTE owing to the tenacity of the besieged troops led by Fonseka and the grit with which they held on despite the overwhelming odds.[8] Thereafter he was appointed as Center Commandant, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment at Ambepussa and next served as Staff Officer I at the Directorate of Operations at the Army Headquarters.
In 1993, the Jaffna Fort was under siege by Tamil Tiger rebels. Then Colonel Fonseka led troops in the daring Midnight Express operation to relieve besieged troops. Several hundred soldiers were saved due to the operation. Colonel Fonseka was wounded that year in the Yaldevi operation, having been shot through the lung. At the time Fonseka was commanding the 23 Division. After recovering, he was promoted to brigadier in December 1993 and was appointed to the Operational Headquarters in Colombo.[10]
Eelam War III[edit]
Brigadier Fonseka was soon deployed to operational areas serving as Commander - Area Headquarters, Mannar; General Officer Commanding, 5 Division in Mannar; General Officer Commanding, 21 Division; Deputy Commander, Task Force I; General Officer Commanding, 3 Division in Batticaloa; General Officer Commanding, 27 Division in Kilinochchi; Coordinating Officer for Kayts and Mandattivu, Deputy General Officer Commanding, 51 Division in Jaffna, General Officer Commanding, 23 Division in Polonnaruwa; Overlooking General Officer Commanding Vavuniya Task Force - 2; General Officer Commanding, 55 Division at Mirusuvil.
In 1995, Brigadier Fonseka won widespread plaudits for his role in Operation Riviresa - the army's operation to capture Jaffna town from the Tamil Tigers.[29] He played a major role in Operation Jayasikurui.[10] In 1998, he was promoted to the rank of major general. He was appointed Colonel of the Regiment of the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment. Serving as General Officer Commanding, 22 Division and Director General, General Staff at the Army Headquarters.
In 2000, with the imminent fall of Elephant Pass, Major General Fonseka was rushed in as Commander, Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna and successfully defended the Jaffna peninsula from the massive offensive Operation Unceasing Waves III launched by the LTTE.[8][9][34] Thereafter he served as Commander, Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni. From May 2002 to November 2003 after he was again appointed the Commander, Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna, Fonseka strengthened the defences of Jaffna[9][29][34][35][36][37][38] and launched a new training programme for the infantry.[39][40][41]
Thereafter he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in London and on his return he was appointed Commandant, Defence Services Command and Staff College.[10] In 2003, he was appointed Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force and in 2004 he was appointed Director Infantry, Deputy Chief of Staff and then Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. In December 2005 he was appointed Commander of the Army by president Mahinda Rajapaksa and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general[39]
Political career[edit]
Post-war politics[edit]
There were newspaper reports published about Fonseka entering politics after the war victory, beginning in August 2009. One of the articles explains it as follows, "General Fonseka launches political campaign – I will make a supreme sacrifice to defend my land against the politicos who ever they may be joining hands with India. Now we have a daunting task to protect our motherland from India".[67] Gen. Fonseka entering politics was a debate even during the war against LTTE.[68]
Presidential candidate[edit]
Fonseka was installed as the common candidate by a coalition of political parties consisting mainly of the United National Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and had the support of former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. General Fonseka however declared himself as a non-party candidate.
Immediately after declaration that Fonseka was ready for candidacy, President Rajapaksa called for new presidential elections two years before expiration of his term.[69]
Fonseka, UNP and JVP campaigned claiming he was the real hero who won the war against LTTE and a Fonseka government was ready for good governance along with the support of all the minorities, eliminate prevailing corruption under Mahinda Rajapaka's government and also promised a massive salary increase for public servants which had been denied thus far. They also promised to change the constitution to remove executive powers from the presidency and transfer such powers to the parliament. Further they promised to establish the 17 amendment to authorise independent commissions as a measure to counter the ongoing mishandling of public money.[70][71] The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) also endorsed Fonseka.[72]
Personal life[edit]
Sarath Fonseka is married to Anoma Indumathi Munasinghe, daughter of D. J. and Eugine Munasinghe of Dematagoda, and has two daughters Aparna and Apsara.[118]