COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- A former military commander and opposition leader has gone on trial over war crimes accusations against the Sri Lanka government.
Hearings began in Colombo High Court Monday in the "white flag" case against retired Gen. Sarath Fonseka, the former army commander and Democratic National Alliance presidential candidate, ColomboPage.com reported.
The main witnesses –- Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva and Kshenuka Seneviratne, Sri Lanka's permanent representative in Geneva -- were present, but Fonseka was not, citing ill health.
The court asked for copy of notes taken by Sunday Leader editor Frederic Jansz during a January interview with Fonseka on the white flag story.
During the presidential campaign, Fonseka reportedly told the English-language weekly that Rajapaksa gave the order to shoot Tamil rebel leaders surrendering with white flags in the last days of the civil war in May 2009.
Although he later recanted the story, the editor stood by it.
The government blamed Fonseka's comment for the U.N. secretary-general's decision to investigate Sri Lanka for war crimes.
The case is to resume Tuesday, and the court has ordered Fonseka to show up.
