President tells joint Indian Parliamentary delegation:

‘Sri Lankans have stopped crying, dying’

Troops based in Sri Lanka and not on foreign soil:

Rasika SOMARATNE

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told the joint Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Sushma Swaraj, that visited the country last week that after 30 years, people of Sri Lanka have stopped crying and dying because the government took steps to defeat the scourge of terrorism.

He said it was unreasonable to expect his government to move troops from the Northern Province, in spite of the conclusion of the conflict.

President Rajapaksa had said that the troops were based in Sri Lanka and not on foreign soil and they were positioned in accordance with security needs, when asked about the presence of Security Forces in the Northern region.

The President met the delegation at Temple Trees during the weekend at the conclusion of the Indian Parliamentarians’ week - long visit to the country. During the interaction, the President also told the delegation that he was not prepared to do away with the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) which is to be formed to discuss the national issue. He said development was the sole responsibility of the Lankan state. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader of the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj who led the delegation told the media on Saturday the Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) refusal to take part in the PSC was delaying the process. She said the delegation had urged the TNA to take part in the PSC. The delegation expressed their satisfaction on the progress made on many fronts since the conflict ended, including resettlement, rehabilitation, rebuilding of former conflict affected areas and efforts at reconciliation.