Terrorism defeated due to war heroes - Defence Secretary
LTTE terrorism was defeated as a result of the enormous sacrifices
war heroes had made not only during the last four years but during the
whole span of the past three decades, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa said.
The Defence Secretary made these observations at a War Heroes
Felicitation ceremony held at St. Thomas’ College, Matale. During the
past four years alone, nearly 6,000 soldiers and policemen sacrificed
their lives due to terrorism while more than 10,000 had been wounded.
Meanwhile human losses and damages to properties that had a heavy toll
on the national economy too was enormous, he said.
“Educated people left the country in large numbers. We were not only
able to overcome this dark period which befell the country, but were
able to eliminate the LTTE leadership,” the Defence Secretary said. St.
Thomas’ College, Matale has produced a large number of war heroes who
fought for the country’s independence, territorial integrity and
liberation. Both students and teachers of this school should be proud of
this fact, he said.
“The unique emergence of Major General Shavendra Silva from this
school is something which I can be highly proud of and happy about,” he
said.
“It is also necessary to take measures to raise the living standard
of disabled and families of deceased war heroes. Most of them hail from
rural areas in the country,” the Defence Secretary said.
Special mementoes were presented to Defence Secretary Rajapaksa and
Major General Shavendra Silva.
Group Captain Ajantha Silva, Central Province DIG Pujit Jayasundera
and officials representing the police and tri-forces were also present. |
