Word: fonseka
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...Fonseka was arrested by military police at his home in Colombo on the night of Feb. 8 on charges of plotting to overthrow the government while still in service, harboring army deserters, and corruption. The arrest was the culmination of two weeks of tension and charge-trading between the government and Fonseka camps. On Jan. 26, hundreds of armed troops surrounded Fonseka and his team inside a five-star hotel in Colombo on the eve of the election. The government has declined to disclose where the general is being held, citing security reasons, though his family and lawyers have been...
...Windscreens on police vehicles were shattered by large stones. Numbers on their side, the Fonseka supporters started chasing their attackers through narrow alleyways of the city center, while high-ranking police officers gave orders to launch water cannons and teargas. By about noon, the main road leading to the country's highest court resembled a small battlefield. The thuds of gas rifles echoed through the government housing complex nearby as police tried to stop Fonseka supporters in their chase. The clashes left eight injured, though none seriously...
...crowd of some 2,500 Fonseka supporters converged in front of the court complex, joined by leaders of opposition parties and Anoma Fonseka, wife of the general. During her husband's run for the presidency, Anoma made few appearances on the stump, but since his arrest, she has come to foreground. A day after his arrest, she tearfully met with the media. "Why is he treated like this?" she asked tearfully. "He is a war hero, and now he is in jail." Fonseka's 40-year career culminated in the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam...
...democracy is not dead." The opposition leaders surrounding the general's wife also vowed to continue to protest his arrest. "This is just the beginning. We will not stop until justice is done," said Somawansha Amarasinghe, leader of the People's Liberation Front, a prominent opposition party that supported Fonseka in his campaign...
...government has maintained that the general was taken into custody in accordance with correct procedure. Under Army Act section 57, any retired officer or soldier is considered a military officer for six months (after retirement), Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeyawardena told reporters today. Fonseka retired from the post of Chief of Defense Staff on Nov. 12. The government minister also warned that until court proceedings are concluded, any public expression of opinion about the matter is prohibited. "The opposition is trying to get innocent civilians onto the streets to achieve their political ends. They should not put innocent lives...