LLRC Report will reveal the truth - President
Dinesh Weerawansa in Perth, Australia
*Some trying to mislead int’l community
*Nation enjoys rich peace dividends
President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the truth behind Sri Lanka’s
humanitarian operation would be revealed once the Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation Commission Report is out. “Very soon, the LLRC Report
will be out.
‘It will then be presented in Parliament. People would then be able
to find out the truth,” the President said when he addressed a Sri
Lankan community reception held at the Winthrop Hall of the University
of Western Australia here in Perth Tuesday. The President said that some
people are making a desperate attempt to mislead the international
community.
They are trying to do this by fabricating stories and making false
allegations against Sri Lanka. “We will not hide anything. The truth
will be disclosed soon. I have been voicing in support of human rights
since I first entered the Parliament in 70s. Then in the late 80s, we
even took to streets, to protect human rights. But today, certain people
are trying to pontificate to us on human rights,” he said.
He urged Sri Lankans to protect their mother tongue and culture,
irrespective of their ethnic and religious origins. “Teach Sinhala and
Tamil to your children though you live in another country. If not, your
children will only have Sinhala names, though they are not real
Sinhalese. They will have Tamil names though they are not real Tamils.
Always protect your mother language,” he said.
He stressed the need to protect Sri Lanka’s 2,500-year-old rich
culture. “It is your responsibility to protect it and preserve it for
the next generation. Protect the rich values we have been maintaining as
Sri Lankans,” he added.
He requested Sri Lankan expatriates to think seriously of returning
to their motherland at least for a few years to serve the nation which
now enjoys rich dividends of peace. “When I was first elected President
in 2005, my biggest challenge was terrorism. Our battle against the LTTE
was only against a ruthless terrorist outfit and not against any race or
religion. We tried to talk to the LTTE in order to settle the issue
though a dialogue but they walked off the negotiating table,” he said.
Outlining the circumstances which forced him to order the Security
Forces to eradicate terrorism after the LTTE deprived innocent civilians
of their basic human need of water at Mavil Aru, the President said Sri
Lanka has made steady progress since becoming the first country to
eradicate terrorism.
“We not only resettled over 300,000 displaced people in record time
but also ensured their future by developing those areas in the North and
the East. When the recent floods affected food crops in the Central
Province, it is those cultivations of those resettled in the North and
the East that came in handy,” the President said.
President Rajapaksa added that Sri Lanka is heading towards new
economic horizons since the eradication of terrorism, developing
infrastructure, especially in the North and East. “Our target is to
supply drinking water to all.
The largest water supply project in the country after Colombo, was
inaugurated in Batticaloa. Similarly, we are geared to face future
challenges in power requirements with projects, such as, Kerawalapitiya,
Upper Kotmale, Norochcholai and Sampur,” he said.
The President said Colombo now looks clean and beautiful, as any
other major city in the world. “When you return to Colombo now, you will
not see the smelly and ugly capital any more. Instead, we have developed
it to be a clean and green city of which all Sri Lankans could feel
proud of,” he said.
He thanked the Australian government for the support it has extended
to Sri Lanka. Minister of External Affairs Prof G.L. Peiris, Minister of
Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Deputy Minister of External Affairs
Neomal Perera were also present.
Earlier, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Australia, Admiral Thisara
Samarasinghe welcomed the President and said that the Sri Lankan
community in Australia is delighted to receive the President who has
given illustrious leadership to the country’s battle against terrorism.
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