Victory against terror belongs to all Sri Lankans: PM

By Saman Indrajith

None of those who fought to defeat terrorism had any intention to harm civilians, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told Parliament yesterday.

Making a special statement to mark the 12th anniversary of the conclusion of the war, the Prime Minister said: “None including former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the then Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda or former Air Force Commander Roshan Goonetillake led their men to the field to commit genocide.

“Our valiant troops fought with a group of terrorists who used children, mothers and fathers as a human shield. Our objective was to protect those innocents while fighting the terrorists. That was one of the most difficult challenges any military chief would face, but our military leaders bravely faced that challenge and accomplished their mission.

“We made the world’s best fighters out of children of families of common men. They fought valiantly and defeated the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world then. After the war we did our utmost to provide for the war heroes and their family members by increasing their salaries and allowances and looking after their welfare.

“I still recall the day 12 years back how people all over the country took to the streets waving the national flag to mark the end of the war that ravaged this country for 30 years.

It is not a victory for one community against another. That was a victory of the entire nation. We saved the lives of over 400,000 people used as a human shield by the terrorists.

With that victory we ended that miserable practice that those people used to leave their homes, fields and cattle once or twice a year to streets of jungles only clutching their clothes and food as the LTTE carried out massacres. We ended the era where people of the north lived the life of displaced persons.

The victory enabled people of the East who had lived around 20 years in refugee shelters to return to their villages. That victory ended the fear of people living in remote areas who were frightened that the LTTE might come at night and smash their infants on the floor.”

It was on this day 12 years back that we ushered in peace. That victory ended the period where parents guarded schools for the safety of their children, fearing terrorist attacks.

This victory belongs to all communities.