Rally around to defend country

Lakshmi DE SILVA

It is high time to understand the real situation facing Sri Lanka and help the motherland in every possible way to regain the lost prosperity. When threats are being made by external forces to sovereignty of the country, it is the duty of all sections to defend it, Sri Lankan Expatriates Forum President Senaka Rajapakse told the Daily News yesterday.

He said it was unfair to penalize Sri Lanka that suffered immensely during the past three decades due to the war. The President Mahinda Rajapaksa's leadership was successful in defeating the LTTE terrorist outfit to the bewilderment of the international community. The humanitarian operation conducted by valiant forces to rescue around 300,000 Tamil civilians from the clutches of the LTTE should be commended.

Children who were dragged away from schools and given arms training and used as child soldiers by the LTTE were rehabilitated and sent back to their homes and schools by the Government. Parties like the UN Secretary General and EU should appreciate rehabilitation and reconciliation measures implemented by the Government, he observed.

Expatriate Forum members working in Western Countries would lobby support for the country against moves by certain elements within the UN Organization and the Forum members are getting in touch with friends of Sri Lanka in those countries to garner their support for the Government and the people of Sri Lanka, he said.