A day after the Sri Lankan Army crushed the LTTE, President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday called for unity in the country but there was no confirmation from him about the fate of Prabhakaran – claimed to be dead by government officials.
“Victory against the LTTE has been achieved; it’s the end of the world’s most ruthless organisation,” Rajapaksa said in the Parliament in what has been dubbed as the victory speech.
He importantly, did not mention anything about the fate of LTTE chief V Prabhakaran. Analysts believe that he has restrained from doing so because his Army is still in the process of conclusively identifying the Tiger chief’s body from amongst the dead.
Government officials had yesterday confirmed that Prabhakaran was among more than 250 fighters killed, along with his son and senior officials, as government troops captured the last piece of territory held by the separatist group.
"Over 250 dead bodies of terrorists are scattered over the last ditch," Lieutenant-General Sarath Fonseka, the head of the Sri Lankan army, said in a statement.
"All military operations have come to a stop. Now the entire country is declared rid of terrorism."
However, with a pro-LTTE website claiming that Prabhakaran is still alive, the truth is still anybody’s guess.
All would be equal in liberated LankaThe President also in the same breath called for reconciliation in the country between the
Tamils and the Sinhalese saying, “Our intention was to save the Tamil people from the cruel grip of the LTTE. We all must now live as equals in this free country,” he said.
Rajapaksa has said in the past that he would negotiate some form of power-sharing with the Tamil community following the war and he alluded Tuesday to the need for an agreement.
"We must find a homegrown solution to this conflict. That solution should be acceptable to all the communities," he said. "We have to find a solution based on the philosophy of Buddhism."
He denied the country was riven by ethnic tension.
"There are no minority communities in this country. There are only two communities, one that loves this country and another that does not," he said.
Brimming with pride, the President added, “Today we have been able to eliminate terrorism from our country. For nearly three decades one-third of our territory was not under the rules set by this assembly. But, today when we are staring this news session, the legislations passed by this august Assembly will reach be applicable to all parts of this country.”
Underlying his no-nonsense approach to the attempts to break the unity of the country, Rajapaksa said, “I have very clearly spelt out that we would never allow any group or organisation to destroy the sovereignty of this country. It’s my wish to see that every Sri Lankan live as one.”
He also took the opportunity to remember the valour of the past nationalistic heroes of the
island nation saying that the country has a long history with more than 180 kings having ruled it but it has always been an independent country which always fought invasions on mother Lanka.
On the LTTE emergence as a force in the country, the President said, “The LTTE assassinated the mayor of Jaffna and started their bloody campaign. At that time they did not own a single inch of our land.”
“When the country’s reigns came in my hand, more than 15000 km of its territory was in the hands of the LTTE. They have killed many statesman like Rajiv Gandhi and Lakshman Kadirgamar.”
On the LTTE’s ways he said that it was one of the biggest and most heinous guerrilla organisations in the world that not only fought the govt but also had complete control of its territory with its own police and court.
“When I became the President then I had a very big responsibility. The LTTE did not want Lanka to progress. But ours being a sovereign country, no part of our land could be given to anybody,” Rajpaksa said triumphantly.
He also remembered the sacrifices of all those soldiers who have lost their land fighting the Tigers.
The war killed more than 70,000 people over the past quarter century. Another 265,000 ethnic Tamils were displaced in the recent offensive and many of them have been sent to overcrowded camps in the north.
Zeenews Bureau Colombo, May 19: A day after the Sri Lankan Army crushed the LTTE, President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday called for unity in the country but there was no confirmation from him about the fate of Prabhakaran – claimed to be dead by government officials.
“Victory against the LTTE has been achieved; it’s the end of the world’s most ruthless organisation,” Rajapaksa said in the Parliament in what has been dubbed as the victory speech.
He importantly, did not mention anything about the fate of LTTE chief V Prabhakaran. Analysts believe that he has restrained from doing so because his Army is still in the process of conclusively identifying the Tiger chief’s body from amongst the dead.
Government officials had yesterday confirmed that Prabhakaran was among more than 250 fighters killed, along with his son and senior officials, as government troops captured the last piece of territory held by the separatist group.
"Over 250 dead bodies of terrorists are scattered over the last ditch," Lieutenant-General Sarath Fonseka, the head of the Sri Lankan army, said in a statement.
"All military operations have come to a stop. Now the entire country is declared rid of terrorism."
However, with a pro-LTTE website claiming that Prabhakaran is still alive, the truth is still anybody’s guess.
All would be equal in liberated LankaThe President also in the same breath called for reconciliation in the country between the Tamils and the Sinhalese saying, “Our intention was to save the Tamil people from the cruel grip of the LTTE. We all must now live as equals in this free country,” he said.
Rajapaksa has said in the past that he would negotiate some form of power-sharing with the Tamil community following the war and he alluded Tuesday to the need for an agreement.
"We must find a homegrown solution to this conflict. That solution should be acceptable to all the communities," he said. "We have to find a solution based on the philosophy of Buddhism."
He denied the country was riven by ethnic tension.
"There are no minority communities in this country. There are only two communities, one that loves this country and another that does not," he said.
Brimming with pride, the President added, “Today we have been able to eliminate terrorism from our country. For nearly three decades one-third of our territory was not under the rules set by this assembly. But, today when we are staring this news session, the legislations passed by this august Assembly will reach be applicable to all parts of this country.”
Underlying his no-nonsense approach to the attempts to break the unity of the country, Rajapaksa said, “I have very clearly spelt out that we would never allow any group or organisation to destroy the sovereignty of this country. It’s my wish to see that every Sri Lankan live as one.”
He also took the opportunity to remember the valour of the past nationalistic heroes of the island nation saying that the country has a long history with more than 180 kings having ruled it but it has always been an independent country which always fought invasions on mother Lanka.
On the LTTE emergence as a force in the country, the President said, “The LTTE assassinated the mayor of Jaffna and started their bloody campaign. At that time they did not own a single inch of our land.”
“When the country’s reigns came in my hand, more than 15000 km of its territory was in the hands of the LTTE. They have killed many statesman like Rajiv Gandhi and Lakshman Kadirgamar.”
On the LTTE’s ways he said that it was one of the biggest and most heinous guerrilla organisations in the world that not only fought the govt but also had complete control of its territory with its own police and court.
“When I became the President then I had a very big responsibility. The LTTE did not want Lanka to progress. But ours being a sovereign country, no part of our land could be given to anybody,” Rajpaksa said triumphantly.
He also remembered the sacrifices of all those soldiers who have lost their land fighting the Tigers.
The war killed more than 70,000 people over the past quarter century. Another 265,000 ethnic Tamils were displaced in the recent offensive and many of them have been sent to overcrowded camps in the north.
