Sri Lanka accuses Fonseka of betrayal

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Sri Lanka Monday accused former army chief, Gen. Sarath Fonseka, of betrayal for his claims against government in the final battle against Tamil Tiger rebels.

In an interview with The Sunday Leader in Colombo, Fonseka, an opposition candidate in the presidential election next month, claimed the military was told by Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to eliminate surrendering Tiger rebel leaders in the final phase of the battle last May, the Press Trust of India reported.

Sri Lankan Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told reporters Fonseka's comments, based on untruth, were the greatest ever betrayal of the nation, the defense ministry's Web site said.

Samarasinghe quoted Fonseka as saying in a statement in July that the Army never killed any terrorist rebel leader who surrendered with white flags in their hands.

The Sri Lankan government has said the rebels were actually shot by other rebel fighters, the BBC reported.

In the presidential election, Fonseka will be running against President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is seeking another term. The president is the brother of the defense secretary.

The final battle ended in May with the military claiming a decisive victory over the Tiger rebels, ending a 26-year civil war for a separate homeland for the Tamil speaking minority on the island nation.

Minister Samarasinghe said the government is studying "at present to decide on the course of action" about whether to take legal action against Fonseka.