COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s police used batons to disperse hundreds of supporters of losing presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka on Thursday, police and a Reuters witness said, in a second day of protests against his arrest.
Tensions have risen on the island since former army commander Fonseka was arrested on Monday by military police on charges of engaging in politics against his president while still in uniform.
“Police are beating the protesters with batons,” said a Reuters photographer at the scene of the protest in a Colombo suburb. Fonseka had appealed to his supporters to remain calm, his wife told reporters, after visiting the former general in detention.
“He wanted me to convey to the people and especially the troops to remain calm and not to be provoked by his illegal arrest,” said Anoma Fonseka, who met with her detained husband late Wednesday.
“They are trying to break his spirit, but they won’t succeed,” she told reporters.
Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapaksa worked together in ending the 25-year war against Tamil Tiger separatists last year, but fell out soon after. The army general ran against Rajapaksa in a presidential election last month, but was roundly defeated, after which he accused his former commander-in-chief of rigging the vote.
The government said Fonseka had conspired against the president and would face a court-martial.
Police detained eight people following the protest on Thursday, spokesman Prashnath Jayakody said. “When the police asked them to move away from the main road they clashed with police,” he said. On Wednesday, eight people were injured in clashes between supporters of Fonseka and government activists.
