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Manipulator's coup
Easily the most battle-hardened soldier serving in Sri Lanka, Major General Sarath Fonseka, was in for a shock last Thursday. He received orders that he is being moved out as Commander, Security Forces (Jaffna). The reason -- he was being promoted as Commandant, Central Volunteer Force (CVF) -- a slot usually meant for number four or five in the Army hierarchy.

It was made out that Maj. Gen. Fonseka had sought that senior position and now wished to serve only in Colombo. But he was at a private function in Colombo when the news arrived on Thursday night that he will be moved out from Jaffna on November 23. That is today. "I would love to hold this new office but continue to give my best to the country from Jaffna," he told a close friend.

He said during the 20 month long ceasefire he had "Not been keeping quiet." He had been training troops and keeping them on a high level of preparedness, he told the friend. This surprise change comes barely two weeks after President Kumaratunga took over the Defence portfolio. As she publicly declared, the security situation was deteriorating and she had to put a stop to it.

If this is the case, the post of Security Forces Commander, Jaffna is easily the most important position in any operational area. That it requires the services of men in uniform with more guts and prowess than those who are only capable of organising riverside picnics or lording over ceremonial parades of all sorts is common knowledge.

During his tenure, Maj. Gen. Fonseka has withstood political pressure to drastically reduce armed forces presence in High Security Zones (HSZ). On one occasion, two top leaders of the UNF arranged for a private meeting with him in Trincomalee and assured that there would be no more war. Hence, they appealed to him to get the troops to withdraw from key areas in the HSZ. He refused.

The immediate reason for his transfer was the retirement of Maj. Gen. Lohan Gunawardena as the Army Chief of Staff. An experienced and much respected officer, he was accorded a farewell dinner at Army Headquarters on Friday night. Maj. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda is succeeding him. Taking the latter's place is Maj. Gen. Chula Senevirate, the present Commandant of the CVF.

Named as replacement for Maj. Gen. Fonseka as SF Commander in Jaffna is Maj. Gen. P.S.B. Kulatunga, acting Director General of General Staff (DGGS) and Colonel Commandant of the Gemunu Watch Regiment. Maj. Gen. Sivali Wanigasekera is succeeding him.

A Month long overseas leave by Maj. Gen. Fonseka early this year sparked off a controversy. Sections of the opposition People's Alliance accused the UNF of moving him out because he stood firm on the HSZ issue. In fact he was on a private visit to United States.

These protests, Alia was told, prompted former Defence Minister, Tilak Marapana to create a new position for Maj. Gen. Fonseka. That was Security Forces Commander (North). He was to have held this position in addition to being Commandant, CVF. Such positions exist in the East (Maj. Gen. Nanda Mallawaratchchi) and Wanni (Maj. Gen. Susil Chandrapala). But he lost his defence portfolio before the post could be created.

But insiders say, like President Kumaratunga's constitutional coup, this was another. Factional power games appear to have intensified. With President Kumaratunga being occupied with many a political issue, and Defence Secretary Cyril Herath yet to come to grips with day to day nuances, "some movers and shakers" are having a field day finding top slots for their favourites and building their own empire, says one insider.
If their grand designs succeed, Maj. Gen. Fonseka will have to say goodbye to the Army on April 1, next year. A nation will lose their best soldier. Must one say anything more about merit and commitment? They may not count when devious manipulation by the powerful supersedes. History is about to repeat itself.

Money the cause
The member of a leading moderate Tamil group has been invited to join the Tiger guerrillas. The man has found that his monthly payments to maintain cadres had not been made for the current month.

When he met the ultimate authority responsible for such payments he was told there was a charge against him. He had signed his expression of support for Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe. The man admitted he did. He walked out in despair after the meeting for which he had to wait almost two hours.

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