LTTE defeated:

Freedom after 30 long years

President declares at G-11 Summit:

The President in his address at the Jordan G-11 Summit said that he was happy to observe that the G-11 has made sufficient progress since its beginning. As the world’s only grouping of lower middle income countries. it has succeeded in becoming a global partnership to address our common challenges.

Excerpts from the President’s address as follows:

The misery brought upon my country by the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world has little parallel elsewhere. During the last thirty years, the LTTE have massacre tens of thousands of innocent civilians, and also targeted our economy in the belief that destroying our economy will ensure achieving of its evil goals. Having resorted to most ruthless means of destroying human life, the LTTE, through its malicious propaganda machinery, have projected itself as a liberation movement. The world at large must not be deceived by its distorted propaganda.

My Government’s precise and well co-ordinated humanitarian operation has so far succeeded in rescuing over 210,000 civilians who were being used as human shields by the LTTE.

The defeat of the LTTE on the ground heralds a new era in Sri Lanka. It provides all Sri Lankans with a brand new opportunity for peace and development. The liberation of regions hitherto controlled by the LTTE, which amounted to a fourth of Sri Lanka’s landmass, paves the way for democracy to root itself and development to march ahead after decades of conflict. Efforts are already under way to complement the humanitarian mission with a political solution.

History has taught us that solutions externally prescribed, with little understanding of the complexity of the problem on the ground, are prone to failure. My Government is therefore firmly committed to seeking a home grown solution acceptable to all communities living in Sri Lanka.

Despite the LTTE’s defeat on the ground, it could well continue to sustain itself overseas.

Our timely action must therefore ensure that the LTTE and other like-minded terrorist groups do not continue to circumvent the law by indulging in illegal operations, through various front organisations located overseas.

Developed and developing countries must recognise this fact and continue to support each other to eliminate terrorism from the face of this earth. We leaders must not leave this menace to torment our children and the future generations.

Terrorism in all its forms must be eliminated and not allow it to destroy the democratic and peaceful way of life of all our people.

It is worthwhile reminding ourselves over and over again that there are no good terrorists and bad terrorists. Terrorism anywhere is terrorism and should be treated in the manner it deserves.

In this context, I wish to mention that the UN and its affiliated organisations should understand the suffering of the people in countries affected by terrorism and proactively support legitimately elected governments to eradicate this menace.

Pressure to contain military operations when terrorism is being eliminated can be very frustrating as terrorists through such interventions will get another lease of life.

Countries that are successfully progressing to eliminate terrorism must be encouraged through assistance for purposes of development by international lending institutions without being ‘put on hold’.

I am happy to observe that the need to combat terrorism comprises an important element of the G11 White Paper.

We must work closely with the G8 to have coordinated and concerted global action in combating terrorism in all its manifestations. Enactment of appropriate legislation and intelligence sharing must comprise the core of this exercise.