President tells Colombo based foreign diplomats:

National security prime concern

Democracy, human freedom will be protected:

Chaminda Perera

President Rajapaksa yesterday said that national security is the Government’s prime concern and the Government takes every possible effort to ensure that terrorism would not raise its ugly head on Sri Lanka soil again. Addressing the Colombo based foreign diplomats at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday President Rajapaksa said the Government’s policy on democracy and human freedom remains unchanged.

He added that his Government was dedicated to protect and promote democracy and human freedom when it was fighting the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world.

He said the Government rescued the people from the grip of LTTE terrorists who deprived them of their democratic rights and human freedom. “We had no other option than launching a humanitarian operation to restore the human freedom and democratic rights of the people.

The President said the Government held the Eastern Province election in May 2008 after it was completely liberated from the clutches of terrorism with the sole purpose of strengthening the democratic institutions of the country.

The people in the Northern Province exercised their franchise after a lapse of 28 year and they have deviated from the policies of narrow and petty politics. These people seem to be rallying around the mainstream political parties, he added.

President Rajapaksa said the Government succeeded in resettling more than 70 percent of people who were kept as a human shield by LTTE terrorists at the height of the war on terrorism.

He said the Government in a bid to further promote democracy, relaxed certain provisions of the Emergency Regulations after several decades.

President Rajapaksa emphasized that the Government focused special attention on the amendment of Emergency Regulations .

He said the Security Forces are still recovering large hauls of ammunition and weapons hidden by the LTTE.

The President said the vestiges of LTTE terrorists in foreign countries are using various maneuvers to destabilize the Government.

He stressed that the infamous election that was held in several countries to form what they termed a Transitional Government of Eelam is part of this massive campaign.

President Rajapaksa added that the Government is not in a position to curb the LTTE activities in foreign countries and therefore certain provisions of the Emergency Regulations has to be kept untouched.

He added that the expression made by a handful of people are not the majority view of the people and requested the foreign diplomats to apprise such information to their respective countries after they were verified from the Foreign Ministry and the Government.

The President stressed that the Government led by him will not leave the younger generation to bear the pains of terrorism that had destroyed thousands of lives and valuable properties in Sri Lanka. He said the Government would soon establish a Commission for National Reconciliation to heal the wounds of the people of all communities who were affected by the conflict.

This Commission will review the conflict period in Sri Lanka from 2002 to May 2009.

He said the Commission comprising the professionals of various communities will carry out their duties protecting the dignity, independence of the country.

He added that the Northern Provincial election will be held soon to give an opportunity to the people in the province to select the representatives of their choice.

The end of terrorism and promotion of democracy gave more confidence to the country to forge more closer ties with the outside world, he added.

President Rajapaksa said the people of this country have given him a mandate to protect and promote democracy and human freedom.

He said the country has been treading on the Non Aligned path and maintaining very close ties with China, India and Japan.

“We have very cordial relations with countries in the Asia, Africa an European regions too,” he added.

He commended the countries which were supportive to the Government’s endeavour to eradicate terrorism.

The People of my country have very high regards for the countries which supported our Government’s mission against the terrorism,” he added.

External Affairs Minister Prof G.L. Peries also spoke.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa was also present.