World with us in fighting terror - President

The international community is firmly behind Sri Lanka in the battle against terrorism, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday.

“We are fighting terrorists, not a particular community. Now the entire world is against terrorism. Our aim is to stop the division of the country and restore democracy in the North,” President Rajapaksa told editors and senior media personnel at Temple Trees.

“The international community would not urge us to abandon the battle gainst terrorism.

“We are ensuring civilian safety and welfare in this process,” the President said.

Referring to India, President Rajapaksa said the two countries enjoyed an unprecedented level of friendship, understanding and cooperation. India is helping Sri Lanka in many ways.

The President asserted that there was no request from the Indian government to halt the military campaign against the LTTE.

He said that in the telephone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday there was no reference to the stopping of military operations against LTTE terrorism.

He pointed out that the Government has given an assurance to look after the civilians in the Wanni and provide them food and other essentials. The allegations that the Government was not looking into their welfare of the 150,000 civilians in the Wanni were not true.

“We provide food to these civilians. We know that the LTTE pilfers part of it. No other Government in the world would feed an organisation that attacks it. We buy rice from farmers there - again the LTTE is misappropriating such funds. But civilian safety and welfare is our prime consideration,” he added.

He said world leaders now have a clear understanding of his mission against terrorism and the will to restore peace and democracy to the North, just as the Government did in the East. The Indian Government or any other government had not indicated in any way that Sri lanka should stop fighting terror.

The President recalled that the Government tried talking to the LTTE for seven months but they did not understand the language of peace. They tried to invade Mavil Aru and other areas but the Government stepped into liberate these areas and the people from the grip of terrorism. Now democracy has been restored in the East.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said his stand on the LTTE has not changed.

The President said he will continue to adopt one policy whether he speaks in Sri Lanka or abroad.

“I have always maintained one policy, that we have to defeat LTTE terrorists through military action and give a political solution to genuine grievances of Tamil people in the North. It has not changed. World leaders have accepted my stand, that we have to eradicate terrorism by military action,” he said.