A TOP U.S. Defense Department official congratulated the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States last Wednesday on Sri Lanka’s military victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia, Robert Scher, pledged American humanitarian and reconstruction support to the government of Sri Lanka during a phone conversation with Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya.
SPECIAL ENVOY to UN General Secretary Mr. K.V. Nambihar visited Vavuniya Thursday (21) morning to get a first hand experience on the developments regarding IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) centres and to learn welfare measures in effect for them. The UN envoy with his entourage was received by Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and Competent Authority for the Northern Province Major General G.A. Chandrasiri at Menik Farm before they were accompanied to Kadiragamar relief village and temporary IDP centres at Sector 01 and Sector 04.
COLOMBO: MILLIONS of jubilant Sri Lankans waving National Flags in colorful processions, with specially prepared decorative floats are on their way towards Sri Jayawardenapura Parliament esplanade to join the National War Hero tribute festival in progress as at 1600 hours on Friday (22). The massive crowd, gathered at the Borella Campbell Park after arriving there from all corners of the island started wending its way to the Parliament complex. Though the ceremony at Sri Jayawardenapura complex has commenced, the procession of jubilant and patriotic civilians was still entering the complex in their hundreds.
SRI LANKANS’ spontaneous cause for celebration and the widespread euphoria that coupled with the elimination of menace of LTTE terrorism reached its apex Friday (22) evening during the National War Hero Tribute ceremony that got underway at Sri Jayawardenapura Parliament complex, headed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Millions of Sri Lankans, thronged Colombo streets in the past several hours and wended their way to the venue of the National War Hero Tribute ceremony (Jathika Ranaviru Upahara Ulela), in many cases in the company of respective people’s representatives.
ONE Norwegian national Ms Ranveig Tveitnef, said to be the Head of FORUT in Sri Lanka, a Norwegian NGO has allegedly ordered her staff at the NGO Headquarters on Dr. Lester James Peiris Mawatha (Dickman’s Road, Colombo 04) to remove the National Flag that has been raised there by the FORUT staff immediately without giving any reasons. The staff has raised the flag to mark the victory of Sri Lankan forces over LTTE terrorism.
ALL India Anti-Terrorist Front Chairman M.S. Bitta met the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Delhi C.R. Jayasinghe to appreciate the tremendous efforts of President Mahinda Rajapaksa whose emboldened decision brought down LTTE and killed its leader Prabhakaran who assassinated former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Bitta said a delegation from his organization will travel to Colombo to present the Rajiv Gandhi Award to President Rajapaksa for the feat.
THE First Lady Mrs. Shiranthi Rajapaksa accompanied by a few Seva Vanitha philanthropists went to Vavuniya this morning (22) to see the displaced civilians who are housed at the Menik Farm Relief Village in Vavuniya. Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and Competent Authority for the Northern Province Major General G.A. Chandrasiri received the visiting First Lady and her retinue and conducted them to the Menik Farm Relief Village where thousands of IDPs are receiving temporary shelter.
DURING the Sri Lankan war, the LTTE malicious propaganda machinery worked round the clock to convince the world that the civilians held as hostage were staying willingly and certain sections of the international media sympathetic to them colluded and gave wide publicity to the LTTE stand. They were supported by countries and international organisations backing the terrorists. So in addition to the real war fought by the forces there was also a heavy handed propaganda war by the LTTE to demoralise the Government, the Forces and the People.
SRI Lanka’s Government was right to finish off the Tamil rebels, despite the risk to and ultimate loss of civilian life. Decisively ending the civil war, which lasted 26 years and killed more than 70,000, will save more lives than were lost in the final assault. United Nations officials, Western leaders, and human rights groups had called on Sri Lanka to agree to a Ceasefire to allow civilians to flee the shrinking enclave where Government Forces had finally hemmed in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Complying with the request would have been a major strategic mistake.
PRESIDENT MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA was honoured by Most Venerable Mahanayakas of Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters conferring the honorary title “VISHVA KEERTHI SRI THRI SINHALADHEESHWARA” (The highest-ever honorary title in the Buddhist tradition) this afternoon at the historic Kandy “Magul Maduwa” (Royal Auditorium) in a magnificent royal ceremony. Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera, Commander of the Army General Sarath Fonseka...
