Let’s make Sri Lanka the Pride of Asia
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Address by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the
Victory Day Parade to pay national
tribute to the Security Forces following the
defeat of terrorism at Galle Face Green, Colombo on June 3, 2009.
**********
I declare with great pride and dignity that I have hoisted the
national flag in a single country unified under a single standard.
Before me are our Armed Forces who astonished the world by their skill
in war, discipline, efficiency and valour. It is with great expectation
for the future that I address the Sri Lankan nation that is having
pleasant dreams of bringing about the dawn of a great and distinguished
future.
The great humanitarian operation that unified our Motherland under a
single national standard has opened the path to our nation that is eager
to step forward to a future of greatness and distinction.
Terrorist organization
The events of the past few days have shown us that the whole world is
surprised by the by this enormous victory achieved by our Motherland.
Many countries congratulated us for having defeated terrorism.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the Victory Day Parade.
Picture by Sudath Silva |
Until now the world had not seen such a powerful terrorist
organization. It had ships, aircraft, submarines, huge fire power and
most of all thousands of men and women suicide killers.
For this very reason the world and some in our own country believed
that in order to defeat the most powerful terrorist organization in the
world, the army of a world military power would be needed. Others
thought it may be necessary to deploy forces of the United Nations.
It is frightening to see how, not for a short period, but for full
thirty years the terrorists had our country it their clutches. They had
terrifying plans to subjugate the entire country.
By 2005, the terrorist leader remained unharmed having waged war
against four Heads of State and assassinating one of them. They fought
the powerful Indian Army and in the end assassinated a great Prime
Minister of India. A Commander of our Navy, Admiral Clancy Fernando, was
also assassinated.
The LTTE was able to assassinate our valiant Generals from Lt. Gen.
Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Maj. Gen. Wijaya Wimalaratne and Maj. Gen. Lucky
Wijeratne to Lt. Gen. Parami Kulatunga. It sank several Dvora vessels
and had free rein at sea bringing in armaments at will, and also downed
several aircraft and killed more than 35 pilots. Defence Minister Ranjan
Wijeratne and the Minister of National Security Lalith Athulathmudali
who led the way to the Vadamarachchi Operation were also assassinated.
High Security Zones
The LTTE had the ability to carry out major attacks in High Security
Zones, on the Venerable Dalada Maligawa, or any other place. Our
Economic Zone inclusive of Colombo was easy prey to the terrorists.
As a result, quite apart from attacking the terrorists, there was the
fear of them taking revenge for several generations if one even spoke
against them. Yet, there was no one in the world who could stop this.
Amidst all this, during the period of the ceasefire agreement the
terrorists were able to develop to a dictatorial government. We had to
provide protection to these terrorists who had killed our Policemen and
Security Forces by the thousands. Yet, for fear of provoking the
terrorists the Government did not give our troops even a piece of gunny
bag to help build a bunker.
The orders to our Forces were to be patient for the sake of peace,
even if the terrorists came in front of their bunkers, raised their
clothes and carried out provocative acts of indecent exposure. When I
was elected President in 2005, our troops could move about in the North
carrying weapons, but without ammunition. We must not forget that it was
such an unarmed group of troops that was killed in an attack by the
terrorists in December 2005.
Motherland
Our troops had to suffer all this in silence.
This is a country with a people having a tradition of facing the most
ruthless invaders through thousands of years, defeating them, and saving
our Motherland. Our country is home to a people with a history of
bravely facing up to invaders from the time of King Dutugemunu to the
last king of the Sinhala Kingdom, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, and fearless
patriots such as Keppetipola and Puran Appu.
The lessons we learnt from those great battles of the past are
ingrained in our flesh, blood and bones. Our brave soldiers were not
provoked, but waited with discipline till the proper time for action
came.
We can now see how much determination is born from the pain one
suffers... What was considered the most ruthless and most powerful
terrorist army for thirty years was shattered and destroyed in less than
three years.
Terrorists are no more invincible. It is only the valiant troops and
our Motherland that are invincible. I recently went down on my knees and
worshipped the glorious Motherland that obtained its freedom through the
sacrifice of the lives of thousands of our heroic troops.
This great and glorious victory was achieved because of the younger
generation that stands before us today. Young men and women from the
four corners of Sri Lanka joined the Security Forces to free their
Motherland. Some mothers and fathers gave all of their children to the
Armed Forces and the police. When the eldest child had already
sacrificed one’s life for the country, they gave more children to the
Armed Forces.
If anyone were to ask me what the secret of the victory is, I would
extend my hands and show our beloved people, who include these mothers,
fathers, wives who gave their closest and dearest for this battle. Our
entire nation owes an immense debt of gratitude to these mothers,
fathers and wives. They sacrificed their children and loved ones for the
nation, to save the lives of others.
In order to defeat racist terrorism the people of the country have a
mature knowledge of the threat before them. The fortune of a nation lies
is such knowledge and maturity.
Security Forces
As much as the Government, the people too had a good awareness of who
the enemy was. Some mothers offered the treasured golden necklace they
had inherited through generations for the Security Forces. While doing
so, some mothers of our country also prepared meals to be sent to the
displaced people from the North. Where else can one find a people who
have sent their children to the Forces to battle an enemy, and at the
same time, send humanitarian assistance to the people in the areas where
their sons are fighting?
Our valiant troops went to battle carrying the gun in one hand, the
Charter of Human Rights in the other, and their hearts filled with love
for their children.
Meanwhile, the people, while making sacrifices to the Armed Forces on
the one hand; showed kindness and compassion to those displaced by war,
and all the while were on the battlefield in their hearts. They
protected the country by forming Civil Defence Committees and carrying
out inspections of villages, towns and vehicles. It was not only the
troops that we deployed against the terrorists; we deployed the people
of this country too against terrorism.
Military strategy
The sacrifices by the children in our Forces in order to obtain this
freedom for the people are incomparable. Our children continued their
advance while artillery shells were falling, land mines were exploding
at their feet, anti-air craft ammunition was aimed at their hearts and
their comrades were dying around them. Poison gas could also not stop
them. Even in the face of age-old military strategy they did not
retreat. How many of our children sacrificed their lives on huge earth
bunds and the banks of huge tanks. They faced torrential rain and
suffered under massive floods and kept moving forward with sore feet.
In the end the advantage of territory, climate and weather, and many
other factors were on the side of the terrorists. Our children only had
their morale and unlimited commitment. When the terrorists were keeping
the innocent Tamil people as hostages and using them as human shields,
when the terrorists were using the most modern artillery and heavy
weapons to attack them, our brave soldiers using only small arms saved
the lives of several lakhs. This is true valour in battle.
Savagery is not bravery. Being humane is to be brave. I extend the
respect and gratitude of the entire nation for their brave leadership to
the Defense Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Chief of Defense Staff Air
Chief Marshal Donald Perera, Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka, Navy
Commander Admiral Vasantha Karannagoda, Air Force Commander Air Chief
Marshal Roshan Gunetilleke, the Inspector General of Police, Jayantha
Wickremeratne, Director General of the Civil Defense Corps Sarath
Weerasekera, the Brigade Commanders who bravely led the fighting till
the end, all company commanders and the troops of all ranks for
displaying such bravery in giving leadership and carrying out this
battle.
Brave children
Today, nearly 24,000 brave children of our land have fought for
freedom and are resting for ever in their Motherland. Similarly, nearly
5,000 children of Sri Lanka are wholly disabled. The last breath of our
heroic troops must be blowing in the wind where the national flag I
hoisted today, flies proudly. Therefore, with every breath we take we
must remember these heroic sons and daughters of our land. I also offer
my respect to the high morale of our valiant troops who have been
disabled but courageously participated in this event on their wheel
chairs.
There is an unique value in the sacrifices made by our heroic troops.
Those great sacrifices have not been in vain. You have lost your feet in
enabling a nation to rise on its feet. You have lost your hands, eyes,
flesh and blood in providing a pleasant and prosperous land to this
world. Our responsibility is to honour those great sacrifices by joining
to build a great nation.
Therefore, we cannot allow the land that was won with such great
sacrifice to be divided or even a shadow of separatism to fall on it. In
the solutions that we offer there will not even be an iota of space for
racism and separatism. We shall, as soon as possible, move towards our
own solution of not dividing the land that is now made one and ensuring
that there will be no threat to peace in our region.
As a nation we have to go very far to make our independence complete.
Terrorists were able to get the world to bring pressure on us, a free
and Sovereign State. That was possible because the terrorists had the
capability to bring pressure on those governments.
Therefore, it is necessary to begin a new era in foreign relations to
safeguard my motherland. Having won the freedom of our motherland, we
must next establish our freedom and sovereignty internationally.
Neighbouring countries
We have honest, close, and friendly relations with our neighbouring
countries in Asia. We have also been able to build genuine good
relations with the international community. These honest friends have
carried out the greatest responsibility towards our freedom and
sovereignty in this era. We value very much the assistance we received
from all these countries at this moment. Our people who enjoy the
satisfaction of freedom together with them must always have in their
hearts the friendship extended by these friends.
Our nation that has been a symbol of courage to the world must now
stand on our own free. We must build a nation that is second to none.
One of the biggest challenges we faced was to remove the border
villages from the map of Sri Lanka. Next was the need to remove the
threatened villages from our map. Having overcome these challenges what
is left is to remove the villages stricken with hardship from our map.
We have already initiated action in this direction. I am aware that due
to the defeat of terrorism, the reduction in the budget deficit,
economic development and raising the level of investment are all targets
that are well within reach.
In the past three years we too obtained loan facilities. But, such
facilities were not obtained by selling the national assets. From all
such loan assistance we obtained the national wealth has been enhanced.
Through this wealth, power projects, harbours, airports and expressways
are being built.
Firstly, it is necessary for us to provide all facilities that were
denied to the people of the North for 30 years. There is no doubt this
will be a massive development exercise, similar to the operation carried
out to end the terrorism of 30 years within two and half years. The
Northern Spring is not only to be dawned but also to spread with speed
across the North.
We are not a carbon copy of any other country. Our country that gave
courage to Asia by defeating terrorism that could not be defeated
elsewhere in the world should be made the Pride of Asia.
When development is undertaken there are many obstacles due to
ideological differences and attitudes of vision. These lead to delay
Ideology, political principles, issues of vision should be for the
country. Instead, we cannot commit this country for the success of
political, visionary or any other ideologies. We must emerge from
ideological differences and look towards the country. It is not the
struggle that should go forward but the country.
Political decisions
It is necessary to remember that carrying out higher education,
providing electricity, doing urban development and many other matters on
the basis of populist political decisions is a grave enmity to the
country. We were able to construct the Norochcholai and Upper Kotmale
power projects by moving out of the frame of populist politics and
thinking more of the country. We took the necessary decisions. What was
important was not whether they were popular, but whether they were
important and correct.
This country cannot be betrayed to drugs, corruption and fraud and
overwhelming laziness.
Three years ago many were the dreams of Sri Lankans.
There was a dream that we destroy the world’s most savage terrorist
leader and all other terrorist leaders, do not let terrorism own one
inch of our land and make this a single unitary State. Today, that dream
has come true. With regard to the development of our country too, it is
the same that I have to say. We are now living in times when dreams are
turning into reality.
There is an important aspect we should not forget at this hour of
victory. That is our children. They looked at our victorious march with
great love and anticipation. They obtained great pleasure by seeing on
television screens, the brave march of their fathers, brothers and
sisters to save the Motherland. Those who were most satisfied the moment
the news of the freedom of the motherland was known were our children.
Thereafter our Lion Flag waved most in the hands of our children.
I am the proudest Head of State in the world for being able to see
with my own eyes a future generation such as you who love your country
so much. I am the proud father of such generation.
I told you earlier, that we will not handover to you the problems
that we face today. Today, my sons and daughters, we have not left a
terrorist problem to be faced by you.
Therefore, it is your duty to grow up as true heroes who with your
wisdom, good qualities and strength to love and protect this country,
that is now being brought together under a single National Flag. I wish
to emphasize again that I am not the owner of this land but only its
custodian. Therefore, this unitary country which is without fear and
mistrust, I now entrust to you.
I wish you all a prosperous future.
May you be blessed by the Noble Triple Gem! |