Ban painted a wrong picture - Defence Secretary [April 26 2011]

“What hurts me is that the panel has failed to recognize the immense steps the government has taken to bring peace and reconciliation, matched with development, to the north and north-east of the country that not too long ago was controlled with an armed fist by the LTTE states Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Within the first 12 months of the war ending we even re-settled over 350,00 displaced Tamils, an achievement that was applauded by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon himself and several international humanitarian organizations.

But instead of acknowledging any of this the panel has painted a wrong picture that there is an enduring legacy of bitterness still prevailing in these areas”, the Defence Secretary in an interview with the Manila Times .