Triumph over terrorism

It was the moment that Sri Lankans were waiting for 30 long years – the end of the ruthless terrorism of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Valiant Security Forces have reported to the President that their mission to defeat terrorism was over.

The architect of this magnificent triumph over terrorism is none other than President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who announced on Saturday that the Forces have finally defeated the LTTE militarily. “I will be going back to a country that has been totally freed from the barbaric acts of the LTTE.

This freedom comes after 30 long years. My Government’s precise and well coordinated humanitarian operation has so far succeeded in rescuing over 210,000 civilians who were being used as human shields by the LTTE,” President Rajapaksa told world leaders in Jordan.

The astute political leadership was perfectly complemented by the resolute military leadership. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa led from the front, personally overseeing every step of the massive humanitarian operation that began on the banks of Mavil Aru and culminated on the shores of Vellaimullaivaikal.

Army Commander Sarath Fonseka and his top field commanders have emerged as brilliant military strategists, whose unparalleled commitment and untiring efforts resulted in a comparatively swift end to the conflict.

The decisive role played by the Navy, led by Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and the Air Force, led by Commander Roshan Goonethilake to eradicate terrorism will also be written in gold in Mother Lanka’s annals. The Navy decimated the Tigers’ entire naval fleet including weapons ships and Sea Tiger boats while the Air Force took precision targets that killed senior LTTE leaders and destroyed military and logistics facilities.

The Nation will also be grateful to the Police force, including the STF, led by IGP Jayantha Wickramaratna and the Civil Security Force, led by Sarath Weerasekara for their role. The STF too was engaged in combat mainly in the East.

It was the Police and the CSF that ensured security in non-operational areas while the troops were battling terrorists in the North and the East. Indeed, terrorists would have caused many more acts of destruction in Colombo and elsewhere if not for their ceaseless vigilance. They also took over peacekeeping and administrative duties in newly liberated areas, relieving the burden on troops.

The entire Nation will forever be grateful to the heroic men and women of the Forces who sacrificed their lives to defend the Motherland against a band of terrorists. Our thoughts are also with Service personnel who have been disabled and injured. The families of Services personnel deserve the gratitude of all citizens for giving their sons and daughters to the Forces.

There were many who argued that Velupillai Prabhakaran and his murderous gang would be invincible.

The Government and the troops have now proved them wrong. There were many others who felt that negotiations not combat, would be the answer. Several key players in the international community admonished Lanka that it should cease hostilities and negotiate with the terrorists on the grounds that there is no military solution for terrorism. But Sri Lanka has proved them wrong and indisputably so.

However, one should recall at this moment that the Government made every attempt at negotiations before launching the humanitarian mission that has now liberated all civilians held by the LTTE.

The Government of President Rajapaksa honoured the Ceasefire even in the face of repeated violations by the LTTE and participated in several rounds of truce talks. It was the LTTE that walked away from these talks and launched a spate of attacks on the Forces. The Government finally retaliated only when the Tigers tried to assassinate the Army Commander.

It is no secret that many local and international figures made every attempt to prevent the troops’ onslaught against the Tigers, primarily with the aim of saving the Tiger leadership.

The Government deserves credit for resisting such internal and external pressures amidst an unprecedented propaganda drive by Tiger sympathizers that troops were responsible for civilian deaths. They had conveniently ignored brazen attacks by the LTTE on civilians who tried to flee the No Fire Zone. The LTTE turned their heavy and light guns on the civilians and even exploded human bombs among them.

The world has now realized the true nature of the Tigers. Prabhakaran’s dream of and violent campaign for, Tamil Eelam which began with the bullet that killed Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiappah has been shattered with absolutely no hope of revival.

Prabhakaran caused the deaths of thousands of Sri Lankans from all communities in the name of ‘liberation’ and reduced two of Lanka’s most prosperous provinces into rubble, all for nothing.

Sections of the Tamil Diaspora that aided him must at least now realize the futility of it all. The international community too must unreservedly laud Lanka’s success against terrorism and help it rebuild the war-torn areas.

All Sri Lankans must now join the search for lasting peace in the island. Our future lies in amity and reconciliation, not rancour and discord. With the LTTE and its terrorism finally consigned to a dark chapter in our history, we can look forward to a bright and peaceful future for all Lankans.