Govt will never surrender to terrorism - President

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his Address to the Nation in the aftermath of the LTTE's suicide attack in Colombo yesterday stressed that no type of terrorism would frighten him and his Government and that his Government would never be brought to its knees by any such challenge.

"I emphasise and caution that one should avoid mistaking our desire for peace and our responsibility to achieve it, as a weakness," President Rajapaksa said in the address telecast over national television.

The President pointed out that by targeting the Army Commander to a suicide bomb attack, it was patently clear that the LTTE had no desire to settle disputes through negotiations.

"It is abundantly clear to the international community today that the response of the LTTE to the peaceful appeals by our Government to settle disputes through negotiation is the use of suicide bomb attack," the President said.

"It is accepted by the entire world community today that the Security Forces personnel and our citizens who favour peace faced the new situation that has emerged with great patience."

The President also took the opportunity to extend his thanks and that of the entire nation to the Commanders of the Armed Forces and all personnel in the Security Forces for the patience and restraint they have shown in the face of provocations by the LTTE in the pre and post Geneva talks period.

He said the reasons given by the LTTE for not being present at the next round of Geneva talks are wholly unacceptable and can in no way be considered fair or reasonable.

In his address President Rajapaksa also made a fervent appeal to the public not to fall into the trap of the LTTE by taking the law into their own hands stressing the point that LTTE strategy was to create communal backlashes among Sinhalese and Tamil people and thereby change the international opinion on them.

"What the LTTE attempts to achieve by intensifying these attacks, while grossly violating the Ceasefire Agrement they are still said to be bound by, is to bring about a clash of a communal nature among the Sinhalese and Tamil people. It is the strategy of the LTTE by this means to change international opinion that is now unfavourable to them, to be in their favour."

"I wish to stress here that the overriding intent of the concept of a New Sri Lanka is to establish and develop a state structure under which all Sri Lankans that live here as citizens, irrespective of whatever community, may live and participate in governance with no injustice or discrimination."

"Therefore, on this occasion I call upon all of you with great feeling and affection to repose your trust and confidence in my own strength and ability and that of my government to face up to any threat or challenge and overcome it with the proper and courageous response," the President remarked.

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Int'l community has realised LTTE's anti-peace stance - President

COLOMBO: That the LTTE has unilaterally broken all efforts towards peace that the Government launched amidst considerable obstacles has now been accepted by the entire international community and all peoples who favour peace, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in his Address to the Nation yesterday.

"Instead of participating in the second round of talks in Geneva as earlier agreed, the entire international community accepts today that LTTE acted to avoid such participation. It is not necessary to explain that the reasons given by the LTTE for not being present at the next round of Geneva talks are wholly unacceptable and can in no way be considered fair or reasonable," President Rajapaksa said.

The President's said: "I address you today at a time when a suicide bomb attack has been made targeting the Commander of the Army. I wish to first emphasize that our Government is ready to face any challenge.

During the last Presidential Election campaign and subsequently too, I have repeatedly said that the biggest challenge before me is that of finding a sustainable solution to the yet unresolved issue of the North East, and by this see the achievement of an honourable peace in our Motherland.

My first step towards overcoming this challenge was to initiate a framework to achieve consensus among all political parties and forces that accept and are committed to democracy both in the North and the South.

You are already aware that this process of consensus building was carried out with great responsibility through three sessions of the All Party Conference. This was the first time in the history of this conflict that all political parties and endorsed the resolution of this crisis through negotiations. This is a major achievement in our recent history.

It was based on the strength of this unique consensus reached that after three years; representatives of our Government went for talks with LTTE representatives at Geneva. It is no secret that the first round of negotiation was very successful. You are also aware that agreement was reached by all on that occasion to have the second round of talks on April 19, 20 and 21, 2006.

However, what took place after that ? Instead of participating in the second round of talks in Geneva as earlier agreed, the entire international community accepts today that LTTE acted to avoid such participation. It is not necessary to explain that the reasons given by the LTTE for not being present at the next round of Geneva talks are wholly unacceptable and can in no way be considered fair or reasonable.

You may recall the manner in which the LTTE attacked our Security Forces even before one month had lapsed since you entrusted the trusteeship of the country to me. You will also recall how when over 100 personnel of the Sri Lanka Army and Navy were brutally killed, our Security Forces acted in an exceptional manner within the maximum limits of patience.

At the Geneva talks, the patience shown by our Government was highly commended by the international community. The honour for this patience is not one that should come to me, but to all your friends who are carrying a valiant effort, with sacrifice of their lives, to protect this country. It should go to your relations who have sacrificed their lives. I do not think that anyone would consider this incomparable patience shown by us a weakness or defeat.

By targeting the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army to a suicide bomb attack, it is patently clear that the need of the LTTE is not to settle disputes through negotiations. It is abundantly clear to the International community today that the response of the LTTE to the peaceful appeals by our government to settle disputes through negotiation is the use of the suicide bomb attack.

The LTTE is as cruel and merciless as to kill unarmed members of the Security Forces who were on their way to pay their respects in the traditional manner to their parents for the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year. Their absence of compassion is such as to kill poor cultivators and their children who are in no way associated with the present dispute.

In the period since the end of the first round of Geneva talks on February 23 till today the LTTE has carried out not less than 20 bomb attacks targeting members of the Security Forces and ordinary citizens.

As a result, as at today 47 members of the Security Forces and 28 civilians have been killed, and more than 139 injured. For the first time since the present Ceasefire Agreement began, the LTTE carried out a bomb attack directly targeting ordinary citizens, on April 12 at Trincomalee.

Among the victims killed by this bomb were one soldier, four Sinhala citizens, six Tamil citizens, and three Muslim citizens. In addition, last Saturday, there was the cowardly attempt by the LTTE to assassinate Minister Maithripala Sirisena, who is also General Secretary of our party, which was fortunately prevented at the last moment.

We are also aware that several Tamil citizens have also been killed during this period. My special attention has been drawn to this. I have expressed my deep concern about the killing of Mr. Vigneshwaran at Trincomalee. I have ordered a special operation to arrest those responsible for this killing, and have instructed the Police to see that the perpetrators of this crime are brought to justice.

It is accepted by the entire world community today that the Security Forces personnel and our citizens who favour peace face up to the new situation that has emerged with great patience. I wish to take this opportunity to extend my thanks and that of the entire nation to the Commanders of the armed forces and all personnel in the security forces for this patience and restraint they have shown.

What the LTTE attempts to achieve by intensifying these attacks, while grossly violating the Ceasefire Agreement they are still said to be bound by, is to bring about a clash of a communal nature among the Sinhalese and Tamil people. It is the strategy of the LTTE by this means to change international opinion that is now unfavourable to them, to be in their favour. Therefore, I make a fervent appeal to all our people not to take the law into their own hands, and in anyway give cause for such a communal clash.

I accepted the responsibility of protecting my country, and you my people, at the Presidential Election held on November 17, 2005. It was on this day that I also accepted the responsibility to protect the honour and dignity of our people in general and the members of the security forces in particular.

Whatever the threats that may emerge, I will never abandon that responsibility. You may recall that when I launched the Mahinda Chintana, I said that what I love most is my country. I reconfirm that.

Friends; no type of terrorism will frighten me. Similarly, I and my Government will never be brought to our knees by whatever challenge that we face. I emphasize and caution that one should avoid mistaking our desire for peace and our responsibility to achieve it as a government, as weakness.

It is wrong to consider every challenge that is before us as one that is directed at me. All these threats and challenges are directed towards this country that is both yours and mine, directed against our motherland. Therefore, facing up to these challenges and overcoming them will be possible by all of us acting in unity, and a single determination to defeat them.

There is a small group among us who seek to use these threats to the nation to achieve their own narrow objectives. I call upon all of them not to allow terrorism to achieve its aims, and unite to defeat these threats that face us as a nation.

This country belongs to all its citizens, be they Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and other communities who live here. Today's crisis cannot be resolved by dividing this country. All that will cause is to further aggravate the crisis. That is why we presented the slogan of "A New Sri Lanka" with the intention of building a new Sri Lankan nation.

I wish to stress here that the overriding intent of the concept of a New Sri Lanka is to establish and develop a state structure under which all Sri Lankans that live here as citizens, irrespective of whatever community one may live and participate in governance with no injustice or discrimination.

Therefore, on this occasion I call upon all of you with great feeling and affection to repose your trust and confidence in my own strength and ability and that of my government to face up to any threat or challenge and overcome it with the proper and courageous response.

May you be blessed by the Noble Triple Gem! May all deities bless you!"

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President expresses deep concern, urges calm

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday expressed deep concern over the bomb attack by the LTTE targeting the Army Commander.

The President issued instant instructions to the relevant authorities to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured victims including Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, the Presidential Secretariat said.

Responding to the President's instructions, the Ministers, President's Secretary, Defence Secretary and President's Special representatives rushed to the Hospital to inquire after the injured soldiers and the Army Commander and to provide necessary assistance towards medical attention. The President also convened an emergency meeting of the Senior Ministers, representatives of Political parties and the chiefs of Security Units to consider the situation following yesterday's incident.

The President made a special appeal to all ethnic groups and all parties to act peacefully and cautiously in the face of LTTE activities including the bomb attack by a suicide bomber in Colombo.

The President conveyed his deep condolences to the family members of the soldiers who died as a result of the bomb explosion and wished speedy recovery to the injured.