Three military officers blacklisted for working with NPP: AKD

By Ajith Siriwardana  

Three military officers including retired Air Vice-Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha had been blacklisted for engaging in politics with the National People’s Power (NPP), NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday.  

Raising a question under Standing Order 27/2, he told Parliament that retired Air Vice-Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha had been banned from entering any Air Force base and participating in any Air Force events.  
The MP alleged that Thuyacontha had been put on the blacklist because he engaged in active politics with a political force against the Government.  

“There is no restriction for any retired military officer to engage in active politics. There are so many retired military officers such as Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and Kamal Gunaratne in active politics. But, there is no issue or restriction on them carrying out their political ideologies. It is unfair to restrict these three officers, just because they do politics with a rival political party,” he said.  

Responding to the question, State Minister of Defence Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon said no restriction had been imposed on the retired military officer to engage in active politics and added that retired Air Vice-Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha was blacklisted for making a speech during a political rally in Gampaha posing a threat to national security and tarnishing the image and discipline of the Air Force.  

The Minister said retired military officers should ensure a clear-cut separation of politics and the military.