'Fear psychosis that gripped the nation is no more'

"May 19, 2009 is a day that will be etched in golden letters in the annals of the history of Sri Lanka. It was on this day that our valiant armed forces secured a decisive military victory over the LTTE which had waged a relentless war lasting almost three decades with the objective of carving out a separate State exclusively for Tamils in the North and East of Sri Lanka, Kotte SLFP chief organizer and former Foreign Minister.

During this protracted armed conflict the LTTE employed brutal terror tactics, including the massacre of thousands of innocent civilians and deadly bombings of key economic targets, such as the Central Bank, the oil storage facilities of the Petroleum Corporation and the destruction of half the fleet of the national carrier at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

"It is fitting to take stock of the situation in the country as we commemorate the third anniversary of the defeat of terrorism in Sri Lanka. Today, the people of Sri Lanka are able to once again breathe the air of freedom and get about their day-to-day affairs, without fear of being caught up in a suicide bombing in a crowded public place.

"It is said that the Sri Lankan people have short memories and indeed it is true that today, many of the outward signs of the armed conflict have all but disappeared. No longer do we find security check points and main roads closed or restricted to the public. The fear psychosis that gripped the entire nation is gone and I believe this has brought about a perceptible change in the mindset of the people - a renewed air of optimism and hope for the future.

"On this occasion, it is incumbent upon us as a nation to pay our humble tribute to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his strong leadership as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of Sri Lanka and successfully overcoming the many external pressures that were exerted on him to call off the military operations against the LTTE which was facing imminent defeat.

We owe an eternal debt of gratitude to the thousands of brave Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Civil Defence Force personnel who laid down their lives in the defence of the motherland to uphold the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

"We can justifiably be proud of the track record of the government in expeditiously addressing many urgent issues in the immediate aftermath of the conflict. The government has been hugely successful in rehabilitating and re-settling the vast majority of the almost 300,000 people who had been forcibly evicted by the LTTE from their homes in the north and herded on to the banks of the Nandikadal lagoon and cynically used as human shields in the final stages of the conflict in 2009.

"Less than 10,000 people remain in IDP camps today awaiting the completion of the long and arduous job of clearing of land mines and booby traps laid by the LTTE in their places of original habitation.

"Moreover, the government has undertaken an accelerated programme of socio-economic development of the war ravaged North and the East under the Vadakkil Vasantham (Northern Spring) and Kilakkil Uthayam (Eastern Rising) programmes, under which a large number of schools, hospitals, roads and highways that had been partially or completely destroyed have been rebuilt.

"It is a matter of immense satisfaction that of the over 10,000 LTTE fighting cadres, including child soldiers who surrendered to the armed forces at the end of the conflict, the overwhelming majority have been rehabilitated and in many instances provided vocational training and reintegrated into civil society. The challenge that lies ahead for the government today is to continue with commendable measures taken so far with regard to re-building the war damaged physical infrastructure in the North and the East.

"The more formidable and indispensable and yet unfulfilled task that remains outstanding is to reach out to the people belonging to all communities who still bear the emotional scars of the conflict, so that a process of reconciliation among the different communities is set in motion. In this onerous undertaking, it is vital that all segments of society, as well as the international community, join hands with the Government, to enable the creation of an era of sustained peace and prosperity for our people."