President calls LTTE to surrender

Military operations irreversible and irrevocable:

Rohan Mathes reporting from Hanguranketha

President Mahinda Rajapaksa renewing his call to LTTE terrorists, urged them to surrender of face grave danger of being captured by the Government Armed Forces.

This renewed call was made by President Rajapaksa when he addressed a mammoth rally at the Rikillagaskada playground yesterday in support of the UPFA candidates contesting the Central Provincial Council election, scheduled for February 14.

This was the fourth such rally he addressed, under the there ‘Lets protect the battle, to protect the country. The President affirmed that liberating the Northern polity from the cruel grip of terrorism and creating of an environment where all committees could live without fear and suspicion, was his foremost responsibility and obligation.

Thereafter he said there were other secondary responsibilities such as to eradicate poverty, wipe out corruption, engage in development activities and uplift the village among others.

“We have already resumed developing the country. Nobody will be able to hinder or disrupt this progress” he said. Moreover he said, all these mega development projects have been launched with our own funds, sans any overseas borrowing.

The President opined that if the terrorists surrendered to the Armed Forces as their last available option now they would be readily accepted and humanely treated, similar to their colleagues who had surrendered in the East in their uniforms. “They had been given a warm and rousing welcome by our well disciplined Armed Forces who had even offered them king coconuts” the President added.

President Rajapaksa categorically stated that he was repeatedly making this call to the terrorists on the basis that the operations carried out by the war heroes were irreversible and irrevocable.

“We have amply shown to the world, the manner as envisioned in the Mahinda Chinthana how my Government envisages to rejuvenate the country”, he said.

President Rajapaksa pointed out the contrast where the Vanni children were provided with a T-56 rifle and a Cyanide capsule, while their counterparts in South were in school with books and in white uniforms,” I have a prime obligation and a bounden duty to change this”, he added.

He also directed Minister C.B. Ratnayake and the relevant officials to coordinate and provide some displaced persons living in temporary tents, with decent housing.

“We cannot allow our own citizens to live in tents, indefinitely”, he claimed.

Minister Rajitha Senaratne addressing the rally asserted that the Government will have a landslide victory not only in the Wayamba and Central Provinces, but all other provinces too, and then convincingly with the general elections as well, eventually.

NFF Leader and Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa pointed out that our gallant war heroes had brought Sri Lanka much fame, reputation and glory by defeating the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world in toto.

Former UNP stalwart Thilanga Sumathipala also joined the Government yesterday at the rally in Hanguranketha.Minister Dilan Perera, Pavithra Wanniyaarachchi, Nimal Sripala De Silva, Mervyn Silva, Navin Dissanayake and former UNP stalwart Rohan Abeyagoonesekera also spoke.