Defence Secretary warns:

Separatist forces still active

Victory over terrorism due to President’s correct vision, wise statesmanship:

Ranil WIJAYAPALA

The people of this country should act intelligently to take forward the victory achieved by the valiant Forces against the LTTE as some elements are trying to create a dangerous situation to de-stabilize the military victory and to create a political environment to achieve their separatist objectives which could not be achieved through the LTTE, said Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

The Defence Secretary said that people should be on vigil since separatist forces were still active though terrorism has been defeated fully in the country.

“Separatist forces who could not achieve their objectives through the LTTE have not stopped their attempts although terrorism has been fully defeated in the country,” the Defence Secretary added.

“We should act intelligently to support a nationwide attempt to revive the economy of the country to give peace dividends fully to the common masses of the country, to make the victory a complete one, without allowing separatist forces to derail it,” the Defence Secretary emphasized.

Defence Secretary Rajapaksa made these observations as the guest speaker at the launching of the book Charge of the Lion Brigade authored by Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka at the BMICH yesterday.

Quoting a paragraph from the book Charge of the Lion Brigade to describe the current situation of the country, the Defence Secretary said: “Since the Triumph over the evils of the LTTE there have been subtle attempts to sideline genuine patriots by a slew of pseudo-patriots who have suddenly emerged from nowhere to hog the limelight.

If the nationalists who made an immense contribution towards changing the course of the recent history of our motherland do not contain this undesirable situation, there is every possibility of these pseudo-patriots influencing the people with anti-nationalist views.

The victory over the LTTE is only a paradigm shift and nationalist forces are now duty bound to see the country moving towards the desired goals, preserving its sovereignty and safeguarding its newly-gained freedom against pro-LTTE foreign elements and their local lackeys.

In the meantime, we should regain our lost economic and social opportunities and prepare the nation for a ‘great leap forward’”.

“This fear is not unfounded,” the Defence Secretary said adding the fact that the author of the book Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka has correctly analyzed the current situation in the country very well.

He said it was due to the correct vision of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and due to his wise statesmanship that the country was able to achieve that great victory over LTTE terrorism.

“It was due to his courageous leadership, statesmanship and his determination to accomplish the military plan without succumbing to international pressure the country achieved that victory,” the Defence Secretary said.

He said many youth who had sacrificed their lives, became disabled and injured in the battlefront were those who had served only for one or two years.

“These are youth who believed in the vision of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and from the less-privileged people,” the Defence Secretary added.

He also pointed out that some elements were trying to misinterpret the promotions and appointments given to some senior military officials.

“It was due to the appointments of those senior officials as Deputy High Commissioners and High Commissioners we could arrest KP. Those critics will realize the impact of these appointments once we obtain the assets of the LTTE,” the Defence Secretary added.

The three Forces Commanders, former Navy Commander and Highways Ministry Secretary Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, Ministers and MPs were among the distinguished gathering at this occasion.