Do not encourage communal hatred - President

We are on the verge of uniting the entire country. A feeling of belonging to one nation is growing among people of all communities.

That is why the national flag flutters everywhere including estate line rooms. Therefore, at this juncture please do not write to encourage communal hatred but use your pen to foster communal harmony, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the newspaper editors at Temple Trees yesterday evening.

I have learnt to address Tamil people in Tamil using my little knowledge of that language to give leadership by example and I am pleased that several ministers including Hemakumara Nanayakkara and T. B. Ekanayake too did so at the rally at Nuwara Eliya the day before, the President added. Our struggle is against LTTE terrorism and not against the Tamil people, he stressed.

Referring to the assassination of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunga and the attack on Rivira Editor Upali Tennakoon the President said that the Government has a responsibility to investigate and bring the culprits to book and that it will do so. Though some people are making irresponsible statements pointing a finger at the Government it has no need to repress the media as it is currently at the peak of its popularity, the President said.

The Government has been media-friendly and in spite of certain media publishing stories adverse to the country and to the humanitarian operations against terrorism it has not imposed censorship or appointed competent authorities to muzzle the media, he added.

He appealed to the media not to encourage people to hate the Government. Addressing security concerns expressed by some editors the President promised to provide security to editors on request. He also instructed the Inspector General of Police to provide security cover to editors’ residences and their movements.