Terrorism must be fought vigorously, fearlessly - Foreign Minister

INDIA: Terrorism anywhere is a threat to humanity everywhere and it must be fought vigorously and fearlessly, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said yesterday.

Delivering this year's Lal Bahadur Sashtri Memorial Lecture on 'Forging a Radical Centre: A Response to Extremism and Intolerance' in India, Samaraweera described terrorism as the biggest challenge of the post-modern world.

"Those who have had to face the sorrows of terrorism in any part of the world must join hands in defeating this menace. Like poverty, That it should be defeated if democracies are to survive, is beyond question," the Minister said.

"Despite the challenge of having to battle one of the most ruthless terror machines in the world for three decades, Sri Lanka is constantly aware of the obligations to respect the rule of law and the need to address the grievances of the affected minorities. That is why we remain committed to a negotiated settlement to our ethnic question."

He noted that despite having to respond to a brutal war, thrust upon the Government by an intransigent and murderous terrorist group, the solution is in "how we gently nudge, or entice if you will, these extreme elements to move towards moderation and democratic methods without compromising our own integrity".

The need today is how to find a durable and lasting peace without a craven surrender to a terrorist group, he added.

"Sometimes, Governments grappling with the scourge of terrorism respond to terrorist atrocities with equal amounts of brutality and violence. They seem to forget that democratically elected Governments must be above reproach at all times. Elected leaders do not have the option of resorting to terror tactics even when fighting some of the deadliest terrorists in the world," the Minister emphasised.