300 soldiers lost their lives during 2009 ceasefire; says Sarath Fonseka

He was responding to comments made by Retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara in Parliament over the weekend.

Sarath Fonseka said on the 31st of January & 01st of February 2009, the then Government decided to declare a ceasefire and he opposed such a decision, adding during the said period the terrorists heavily attacked the military.

He said the soldiers were forced to pull back 04 kilometers from the frontlines and he lost 300 men in battle during the said ceasefire.

Had the military been forced to pull back an additional 03 kilometers, the outcome of the war would have been disastrous for the country, said the Opposition Lawmaker.

Sarath Fonseka said it was he who recommended to then Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, now President, to appoint Retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara as the Director-General of the Civil Defense Department, as the latter did not have a job.

Sarath Fonseka expressed his dismay towards Weerasekera for saying while in uniform, that the credit of the war victory should go to the politicians.

"I have never heard a person in uniform make such a statement, ever," said Fonseka, adding Weerasekera had never heard the sound of gunfire.

Further, he said banning the TNA (Tamil National Alliance) means taking away the democratic rights of the people of the north.

Sarath Weerasekera is the Minister of Public Security for the whole of Sri Lanka and not only for the south of Sri Lanka, said Fonseka.