President did not bow to international pressure - Minister Yapa

Lakshmi DE SILVA

Terrorism that grew with international backing for the past 30 years was defeated under the political leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in four years without yielding to international pressure, Mass Media, Information and Investment Promotion Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa told the Cabinet press briefing yesterday.

"In the past there were military victories like the Vadamarachchi Operation but they had to be abandoned because the political leaders of the time yielded to international pressure," he said.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Information Ministry auditorium, the Minister said during President J.R. Jayewardene's regime, when Lalith Athulathmudali was the National Security Minister the Army defeated the LTTE and went up to Vadamarchchi but the offensive had to be stopped at that point due to international pressure.

"Even this time pressure was exerted much more than during President J.R. Jayewardene's era but President Rajapaksa did not bow to them and gave his leadership to the Armed Forces until the country was liberated," Minister Yapa said.

"Without political leadership you cannot defeat terrorism militarily. During President Jayewardene's time the Army could not go against the decisions made by the political leadership.

"Could the Armed Forces refuse to obey the directive of the political leadership," he queried.

"Despite international pressure to stop the operations against terrorism President Rajapaksa maintained cordial relations with other foreign countries while having the most cordial relations with our neighbour India and also getting the LTTE banned in many more countries," he said.

The Eastern and Northern regions of the country that were given to the terrorists by an agreement signed by a previous Government were liberated within the four years of President Rajapaksa's term of Office and development programs have been restarted in those areas and people are able to live without fear," he noted.