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Sri Lankan president awards former army commander Field Marshal

Xinhua, March 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday awarded the country's former army commander with the highest rank of 'Field Marshal', the first military officer to receive such a rank in the island nation's history.

General Sarath Fonseka was awarded the highest military rank for the service rendered by him, achieving the victory over terrorism, the government said.

Fonseka was the army commander at the time Sri Lanka successfully defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009, putting an end to a 30 year civil war.

"The title Field Marshal is an honorary and respected title bestowed by the Army. Only a handful has been given this title in the world. General Sarath Fonseka is the first Sri Lankan to be bestowed his Field Marshal honorary title in Sri Lanka's history," the government said in a statement.

"General Sarath Fonseka is being bestowed with this title for the pivotal role he had played in uprooting terrorism from the country waging a battle between his life and death. He even came under a suicide attack mooted by the LTTE and thereafter suffered serious injuries. Sri Lanka is fortunate that he was able to survive after this treacherous attack," the government further said.

Fonseka who was the army chief during the previous government, fell off with former president Mahinda Rajapakse and former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse after he challenged Rajapakse in the 2010 presidential elections.

In 2010, Fonseka was sentenced by a Sri Lankan military court to 30 months in jail and denied his political rights for " irregular procurements" during his time in charge of the army.

A previous court-martial had stripped him of his title of general which was awarded to him by Rajapakse soon after the military defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels.

However soon after the new government was elected to power in the January Presidential Election, Fonseka was acquitted of all charges filed against him under the previous government and had been granted complete amnesty by President Maithripala Sirisena. His civic rights were also restored. Endi