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DateLine Tuesday, 20 January 2009

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North awaits:

Spring of Freedom

*Time to inform world of progress towards restoring democracy and freedom in North

*Our economic indicators display a robust economy

*Sufferings of the Tamil people in the North are those imposed by the LTTE

The dawn of a new spring of freedom and development awaits the North of Sri Lanka, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing Sri Lanka’s Honorary Consuls abroad at a meeting and a working session organised by the Foreign Ministry at the Presidential Secretariat, Colombo yesterday.

“It is time for you to inform the world of the progress we are making towards restoring democracy and freedom in the North, and counter the ill informed charges being made about the plight of the innocent Tamil people there,” he further added. Continuing further the President said:

“Despite being a developing country, Sri Lanka has many notable and multi-faceted achievements to its credit already. “The economic indicators depict a robust and a vibrant economy which has been able to withstand and be resilient even in the face of the current global economic downturn.” “Despite all these noteworthy achievements, Sri Lanka, a vibrant democracy, has yet to reach its full potential in its quest and realization of peace in the land.

Successive Governments have failed in this arduous task of talking peace during the last three decades, with the LTTE, most ruthless and armed terrorist outfit which has been banned in several countries, inclusive of the US, UK, India and the EU.”

“He went on to say that having failed in all his efforts to achieve peace with the LTTE through negotiations he had no other alternative, but to take resolute action to defend his people from the atrocities and heinous crimes committed by the LTTE terrorists.”

“My sincere efforts were rejected by the LTTE, which responded with an intensified campaign of violence and terror, violating every provision of the Ceasefire Agreement that was in place at the time,” he said.

President Rajapaksa opined that the Security Forces are now reaping the results in their relentless efforts to liberate the civilians held hostage and used as human shields by the terrorists, in the uncleared areas.

“Our Security Forces are not only engaged in freeing the territory held by the terrorists, but also are engaged in a humanitarian mission.

Their mission is to free the people in the areas under LTTE domination, and restore peace, freedom and democracy to the Tamil people of the North, having succeeded in the East. No other Security Force in the world has ever successfully combatted terrorism with ‘zero casualties’,” he claimed.

He categorically stated that the people in their respective countries should be told that the sufferings of the Tamil people in the North, should be totally attributed to the LTTE, who mislead, misrepresent and falsely claim to be their liberators, when they are none other than their greatest oppressors.

“The world must know, through you, that the Dawn of a New Spring of freedom and development, awaits the North of Sri Lanka very soon,” he said.

President Rajapaksa also urged the Consuls to transcend their usual and traditional roles and endeavour to bring-in more foreign investors to the country. He requested them to travel out of Colombo, to the rural areas and assess the true potential therein.

“My goal is to enhance the gross productivity of the village and link it with the rest of the world,” he added.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama also addressed the august gathering. He presented the first copy of the ‘Flashback 2007’ magazine to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the ceremony.

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