Ahead of Sri Lanka’s presidential election, US Ambassador, Julie Chung, met with accused war criminal and candidate for the presidency, Sarath Fonseka.
On X, Chung claimed that they discussed the "political and economic environment" ahead of the election. Fonseka expressed his gratitude for her visit and noted that he looked forwards t further working with the US.
It was a pleasure to host you at my residence today, Ambassador Julie Chung.
— Sarath Fonseka (@SF2024_SL) August 2, 2024
Thank you very much for sharing insights and ideas on how corruption can be crushed in Sri Lanka.
Our country Sri Lanka can only progress if we #CrushCorruption, and I look forward to working with… https://t.co/Xsnd0F3HbP
This is not the first time that Fonseka has made a presidential bid. In 2010 he stood against Mahinda Rajapaksa during the Presidential elections but was defeated. He was then imprisoned by his political rival under charges of corruption relating to military procurements and treason. He was given a 30-month jail sentence. Fonseka is an infamous figure for Eelam Tamils as one of the architects of the Mullivaikkal genocide. He served as Sri Lanka’s army commander during the final years of the wars, from 2005 to 2009, which oversaw a litany of war crimes, including the indiscriminate shelling of hospitals, mass executions, and sexual violence. During the final months, tens of thousands of Tamils were killed by the Sri Lankan military. Examining different sources, including from the United Nations, census figures and World Bank data, ITJP found that the highest estimate of those killed during that final phase could be as large as 169,796. In 2011 he admitted that during the armed conflict, LTTE cadres who had surrendered were summarily executed under the orders of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, then acting defense secretary. Fonseka would later recant the statement and claim he was misquoted. Fonseka has since lashed out at moves towards accountability, accusing then-UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet of harboring LTTE sympathies. In a recent speech, he instead said he rescued 150,000 in Mullivaikkal.
In 2011 he admitted that during the armed conflict, LTTE cadres who had surrendered were summarily executed under the orders of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, then acting defense secretary. Fonseka would later recant the statement and claim he was misquoted. Fonseka has since lashed out at moves towards accountability, accusing then-UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet of harboring LTTE sympathies. In a recent speech, he instead said he rescued 150,000 in Mullivaikkal. Fonseka has previous been subject to a travel ban by the US due to concerns over his human rights record.
