Supporters of President Mahinda Rajapaksa hurled stones and bottles at opposition activists protesting the arrest of presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka. Local police later dispersed the crowds in the capital by firing tear gas. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 10/02/2010.
The opposition supporters had organized a protest in front of the statue of the former United National Party (opposition party) leader and former president Ranasighe Premadasa. However, government supporters didn’t allow them to hold protests in this location. The clashes began outside the country's Supreme Court, where opposition supporters had gathered to protest the arrest of former army chief Sarath Fonseka, who was taken into custody by military police on 08/02/2010 on sedition charges.
Government supporters who decided to hold a counter rally at the Supreme Court threw rocks, bottles and chased away the opposition demonstrators. Police were deployed in the area but did not intervene until opposition members started fighting back. They then shot tear gas into the crowd of opposition supporters, later on opposition demonstrators chased away government supporters and held the protest rally successfully.
One-time allies, Fonseka and Rajapaksa were both considered heroes by Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority for crushing the Tamil Tiger rebels, who were fighting for a homeland for minority Tamils. However, their relationship deteriorated after the war ended in May.
Opposition members said that they would launch a series of countrywide protests following the Fonseka's detention.
The arrest will of the former army chief will likely serve as a warning to others who might seek to challenge the ruling party's grip on power. Already, media rights groups rank Sri Lanka among the most dangerous places in the world for dissenting journalists.
