Security Forces to be strengthened by 50,000
Rafik Jalaldeen
Another 50,000 personnel will be recruited to the Security Forces to
maintain the administrative areas liberated from the LTTE.
Addressing the media at the Media Centre for National Security
yesterday, Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the
LTTE had been holding and controlling over 600 sq km in the North and
the Vanni, as well as 2/3 of the coast.
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Minister
Keheliya Rambukwella |
“All these areas were liberated and the LTTE administration has
collapsed. Now these areas have to be maintained and administrated by
troops. We need the Security Forces and Police to be in action to
safeguard our country.” he said.
”Therefore, around 50,000 personnel are to be recruited to the
Security Forces to maintain a presence on the ground and the sea coast
liberated from the Tiger cadres”, he added.
Meanwhile, Minister Rambukwella said that the Government’s first and
foremost priority is to help the Internally Displaced People to get back
on their feet and ensure for them a prosperous future.
“The Government’s first, second and third priorities are to ensure
that we are focussed on around 300,000 IDPs who were liberated from the
LTTE clutches and living in the IDP centres are returned to a normal
life. “The Government had taken this issue as a priority concern
resettling and rehabilitating the IDPs”, he added.
He reiterated that the Government’s goal is not only to resettle the
IDPs in their original dwellings but also to restore livelihoods.
He said that while the whole world accepts terrorism as a cancer that
is spreading round the globe some have also at the same time called for
a negotiated settlement with the LTTE and claimed that the LTTE can’t be
defeated militarily.
”The government had embarked on its humanitarian operation to
liberate the innocent civilians trapped under the LTTE. The mission was
successful. We not only defeated the LTTE militarily but also dismantled
their infrastructure and weakened their fighting capability. The LTTE
leader and his cadres were dealt a humiliating defeat. The LTTE had
completely lost its power”, he added.
In the process of eliminating terrorism around 300,000 civilians have
become IDPs. “They are our brothers and sisters. They are part of our
society. The entire focus of the government is to make sure that these
people were looked after and provided with all the facilities while
restoring their livelihoods. The government is going beyond sheltering
the IDPs into counselling, family reunion, education of children and to
give them the feeling that they are part of the country.
He noted that some political parties ignoring the realities are
trying to make political capital. Some of them are talking about the
13th Amendments, devolution of power and some others are quering what
the Government plans to do with the massive defence expenditure which
will now be saved with the end of the war.
These are not the issues to be discussed at the moment. The priority
is to resettle the IDPs and provide them a better livlihood.
The Government’s main geal is to ensure the country gots back to
normal,” he added. |