Wife fears for jailed Sri Lanka general
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General Sarath Fonseka lost the recent presidential election and has vowed to challenge the results in court. (AFP: Indranil Mukherjee)
There are concerns for the safety of retired Sri Lankan General Sarath Fonseka after his arrest in Colombo.
The former head of Sri Lanka's military was arrested by military police on Monday night and is facing charges of breaching military regulations for holding discussions with politicians while the head of the armed forces.
It is widely believed the charges relate to an alleged coup plot.
General Fonseka's wife, Anoma, says she fears for his life and is asking the international community to help.
"I am so worried, but the thing is I need some help," she said.
Ms Fonseka says her husband needs regular medicine for a range of ailments and that it is unlikely he will have access to these while in custody.
"There are so many things I have to do... but the people who've taken my husband, they didn't tell me where he is so there's not any news from him," she said.
There are also concerns his son-in-law will be arrested.
General Fonseka was regarded as a key figure behind Sri Lanka's defeat of the rebel Tamil Tigers in the country's civil war.
He subsequently fell out with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and became his political enemy when he ran against him unsuccessfully in the recent election.
The general also says he will testify in international courts about war crimes committed during the conflict against the Tamil Tigers.
Sri Lanka's military is remaining tight-lipped about the charges but it had earlier been seeking legal advice on bringing a court martial against General Fonseka on charges of plotting to overthrow the government.
Jehan Perrera from the National Peace Council says claims that General Fonseka plotted a coup against the government are unlikely.
And he says it remains to be seen just how opposition groups will react to his arrest.
"There will be a lot of sympathy, now the question is how will this sympathy manifest?" he said.
"Will the people actually come out and openly show their disaffection with what the government has done or will they privately talk about it and be afraid to come out and protest?
"Because in the last several years, there has been a certain fear in people to come out and protest because you can be construed as being anti-government.
"Being anti-government until the elimination of the LTT meant that you could also be accused of being a terrorist."
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