Sarath Fonseka promoted to rank of Field Marshal

Sarath Fonseka promoted to rank of Field Marshal (Watch Report)

 Mar 22, 2015  

The investiture ceremony was held at the premises of the Ministry of Defence under the auspices of President Maithripala Sirisena.

Sarath Fonseka is Sri Lanka’s first Field Marshal. The rank of Field Marshal, which never retires, is equivalent to the position of a cabinet minister and is the highest rank in the three armed forces of the world.

All Field Marshals carry a baton in their left hand, a symbol of their high position.

Fonseka joined the Ceylon Army on February 5th, 1970 as a cadet officer and after completing his officer training at the Army Training Centre was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, Ceylon Sinha Regiment.

He went on to hold several commands and staff appointments.

Sarath Fonseka served as a Battalion Commander; Brigade Commander; General Officer Commanding of the 57th Division; Commander, Security Forces Headquarters, Jaffna and Chief 

of Staff of the Sri Lankan Army before he was appointed Commander of the Army on the 6th of December 2005.

Following his appointment as the Commander of the Army, then Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka went on to implement many reforms.

On the 25th of April 2006, Fonseka was targeted by an LTTE suicide bomber. Although seriously injured in the explosion, Fonseka, who was no stranger to battle wounds, returned to active service following a quick recovery.

As the Army Commander, he took the fore in cornering the LTTE from Mavilaru to Nanthikadal, and eventually accomplished the end goal with a complete victory.

Following the war victory, the commander who was among the heroes who made immense sacrifices to liberate the nation from the clutches of terrorism, was elevated to the rank of General.

He was then appointed as the Chief of Defence Staff.

An active PARTICIPANT in military operations including Balavegaya, Jayasikuru and Riviresa, Fonseka received many medals in appreciation of his unwavering service.

He is a recipient of the prestigious Rana Wickrama Padakkama, the Rana Shura Padakkama, the Vishishta Seva Vibushana, the Utthama Seva Padakkama and the Desha Puthra Padakkama.

After a military career spanning more than 30 years, Fonseka retired from military service, having ridden the country of the terrorism which had afflicted it throughout almost his entire career.

Today, he embarks on a new journey of service to the nation as Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka.

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General Fonseka Made Field Marshal

By P.K.Balachandran Published: 22nd March 2015

COLOMBO:  Gen.Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s army chief during the 2006-2009 Eelam War IV, has been made Field Marshal in recognition of the pivotal role he played in defeating the dreaded Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). President Maithripala Sirsena conferred the title on him at a ceremony here on Sunday.

Fonseka is the fourth South Asian General to be made Field Marshal, the others being General Sam Maneckshaw and K.M.Cariappa of India, and Gen.Mohd.Ayub Khan of Pakistan.

Rendering justice to  Fonseka was Sirisena’s electoral promise because the General had been dismissed, arrested, tried and sentenced by Courts Martial on trumped up charges, at the instance of the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Fonseka had won laurels for the way he conducted the war against the Tamil Tigers. He abandoned conventional ways, matched the ingenious tactics and strategies of the LTTE, fully utilized the superior numerical strength and fire power of the armed forces, and kept up pressure on the enemy. He broke tradition by insisting on the full deployment of naval and air power to aid the war on land.

Fonseka broke army units into small groups of eight, and made these highly trained and motivated men infiltrate Tiger-held areas, track down the fighting cadres of the LTTE and eliminate them. He transformed the Lankan army from a defensive outfit to an offense force.   

However, President Rajapaksa suspected that Fonseka was harboring political ambitions and was planning a coup. He was arrested, tried, sentenced and deprived of his rank, medals and pension. But  thanks to international pressure, he was let off before he completed his sentence. He unsuccessfully CONTESTED for the Presidency against Rajapaksa in 2010. He entered parliament, but only to vacate his seat on being sentenced. As leader of the Democratic Party, he supported Sirisena in the last Presidential election.

Not all Lankans approve of the decision to make Fonseka Field Marshal. He was not popular in the army. And supporters of Rajapaksa say that other service commanders and former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa should also have been given equivalent titles.