President withstood international pressure

Shirley Wijesinghe

President Mahinda Rajapaksa's unique leadership and firm stand against foreign pressure to stop the final battle against the LTTE led to the defeat of terrorism and to protect the country from division, former Foreign Secretary and Sri Lanka's permanent representative to the UN Dr Palitha Kohona said.

He added that this helped keep the moral of the three Armed Forces as well as the Police at a high level until the operation to eradicate the LTTE ended.

He was addressing a workshop organized by the young members' section of the Institute of Engineers to share their experiences during the war period, at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute yesterday.

Dr Kohona said a majority of the western countries objected to the final humanitarian operation to release innocent Tamils who were under the grip of the LTTE. "There was more pressure on the Government with warnings of economic sanctions. Funds were suspended by some donor countries to Sri Lanka. Amidst this international pressure, the Foreign Ministry had to strengthen the close relationship with friendly countries such as China, Pakistan and Russia. India was always with us," he said.

Recalling the Government's efforts in 2005 to come to a negotiated solution to the terrorist problem in the country, he said President Rajapaksa had decided to conduct the humanitarian operation to liberate the innocent civilians after those peaceful efforts failed. "We cannot forget Erik Solheim's two visits to India during the military operations in the North. But India never listened to him."

Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and Major General Shavendra de Silva also spoke.