I will not betray my Motherland or permit anyone to do so - President

Rohan MATHES

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterating he will never ever betray the sovereignty and territorial integrity of his Motherland, also pledged not to permit any individual, organisation, political party or whosoever to do so.

President Rajapaksa was addressing a group of intellectuals, professionals, religious dignitaries, artistes and heads of institutions among others at the Presidential Secretariat on Saturday to brief them on the recent developments in the backdrop of alleged abductions, disappearances and human rights violations, by certain sections of the media and political parties.

The President said the slanderous allegations of a secret pact he is alleged to have had with the LTTE was totally baseless.

The recent media hype and outcry against the Government and the Armed Forces, linking them with heinous crimes committed against innocent civilians and media personnel and the like, such as abductions and disappearances were unfounded.

“Can these incidents take place in my administration where respect for human rights is given top priority. Will the Government place carcasses in such a haphazard manner in places where they would be displayed to the public? For what purpose was this?” he asked.

He said when with the Southern consensus too, his Government was relentlessly seeking a negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict with the LTTE, and not poised for any offensive, the LTTE had consistently taken a belligerent path and geared for war, on the basis of ‘nothing but Eelam’.

They had rejected all political proposals put forward by the Government, such as devolution of power on the basis of Provincial Councils.

The LTTE had on diverse occasions in the past, provoked, humiliated and embarrassed the Government and tested its tolerance, by even walking out of the peace talks, refusing to sit with the Government delegation.

Even in that backdrop, they had only retaliated when the LTTE attacked the Security Forces in December 2005, and attempted to assassinate the Army Commander last April.

“These baseless allegations are only bound to destroy the morale, strength, valour and the courage of our heroic Armed Forces. It is a planned and well calculated dissemination of false and spurious propaganda solely to misrepresent, mislead and tarnish the Government’s good name with the international community,” he said.

He however, underscored the necessity of arresting such unscrupulous persons, from all walks of life, in a fair and responsible manner, within a certain framework of the law, sans resorting to the ‘jungle law’.

If they were found guilty, directly or indirectly inciting or supporting terrorism, necessary punishment would be meted out to them, regardless of their standing.

President Rajapaksa pointed out however that while combating and retaliating terrorism in all its forms, and seeking a negotiated settlement, development work in the country would not be hindered or disrupted.

“All mega development projects under the Gama Neguma and the like and the infrastructural projects too, will go ahead simultaneously as planned,” he said.

He fervently appealed to all patriotic citizens, organisations and political parties to rally round him and extend their fullest support to end all conspiracies levelled against his regime.