Govt will not betray Forces victories - President

DANUSHKA GODAKUBURA

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday stressed that the Government in order to provide solutions to the ethnic problem is not ready to betray the victories achieved by the three Armed Forces.

The President said the Government always maintained the same position, that a political solution should be provided to the ethnic problem.

The Government's sole intention is to bring an honourable peace to the country. But the Government will never go for a peace which give ransom to the LTTE terrorists by betraying country's sovereignty.

The President made these observations at the General Convocation 2007 of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University at the BMICH, Colombo yesterday.

"Our history has proved that the ethnic problem cannot be solved by acting in accordance with one particular view of a person.

Having considered this situation, the Government made arrangements to provide a clear solution to this problem through the All Party Representative Committee."

The President said: "The people have clearly understood that the Government has not launched military operations to gain narrow political advantages.

The Government always act with full responsibility on the victories achieved by our three Armed Forces.

The Government will not provide any room to undermine such victories."