BIG POWERS MAKE HUMAN SHIELDS OF NORTHERNERS- President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Posted on February 4th, 2014

Dharmasiri Abeyratne in Kegalle

Invaders came to our country shedding crocodile tears: We are not ready to deprive our country of the freedom we won:

President Mahinda Rajapaksa flanked by Chief of Defence Staff, Three Service Commanders and the Inspector General of Police at the Independence Day celebrations in Kegalle yesterday. Pictures by Sudath Silva

It is necessary for the people in the North to be aware that certain foreign forces are attempting to use them as human shields. The invaders always came to our country shedding oceans of crocodile tears. They interfered in these countries putting forward claims to protect human rights, establish democracy and the rule of law.

This was the warning President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave the people in the North in particular and the nation, addressing a ceremony to mark Sri Lanka’s 66th Independence Day in Kegalle yesterday.

This is the first time Independence Day celebrations were held in Sabaragamuwa Province.

Addressing the crowd, the President said that every powerful country should realise the difficulties involved in defeating terrorism..

“What we faced was a more serious and brutal challenge than they ever faced. The difference between them and us was that we instructed the Security Forces to give the highest priority to protect the lives of civilians.

“Those powerful countries took 50 to 100 years for reconciliation after civil wars.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa hoists the National Flag amidst the beating of Magul Bera and blowing of conch shells

“We have to ask the world whether there is any country that has progressed so much on the path of reconciliation in just four years.”

“We see the use of information provided by those who are committed to separatism and those who defeated by the people to level charges of war crimes and other alleged offenses against Sri Lanka as a grave offense,” he charged.

“I see the attempts to level charges of war crimes against us in Geneva today as the triumph of those who are not in favour of peace.

This seeks to drive fear into people and nations committed to peace and working to safeguard a country’s independence and freedom. These are not founded on peace, fair play or justice,” the President said.

“We categorically state here that we are not ready, under any circumstances, to deprive our country of the freedom we have won. We Sri Lankans who were born in this country, were brought up in this country, and live in this country, have every desire to protect the peace and unity of our country much more than any others from outside. We have to recall the bitter memories of the past when baseless allegations are leveled against us,” he said.

“Bitter memories should be written on sand as they get wiped away. Good experiences should be etched on stone to be remembered forever.

“We know what should be written on sand and forgotten and what should be etched in stone and remembered,” President Rajapaksa said.

The President also pointed that forgetting these bitter memories, we have pardoned the terrorists who came to kill us and rehabilitated them providing employment for some of them in the police and the Civil Defence Corps and provided them with suitable livelihoods. “Revenge has never been a part of our culture,” he underscored.

Stressing the fact that people in our country belonging to all religions and speaking in different languages move together in unity and strength towards reconciliation and development, the President invited all countries to join hands. “With utmost goodwill I call upon all countries to join hands with us in the path to democracy, development, national freedom and the strengthening of human rights.”

– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=local/big-powers-make-human-shields-northerners#sthash.IQqXCwAQ.dpuf

8 Responses to “BIG POWERS MAKE HUMAN SHIELDS OF NORTHERNERS- President Mahinda Rajapaksa”

  1. Mr. Bernard Wijeyasingha Says:

    Sri Lanka is now standing up to more powerful nations and their determination to dictate policies on Sri Lanka. Now there is no turning back. Sri Lanka will rise from strength to strength in spite of the US or other powerful nations.

  2. Lorenzo Says:

    BUT the president said this to the PEOPLE OF SL NOT to USA.

    Please don’t assume he said this to USA. He did NOT.

    To USA he said he will do ANYTHING.
    To people he says BIG POWERS can’t interfere.

    As long as people believe this he saves both sides.

  3. Fran Diaz Says:

    In a Democracy, it is the People who have to guard their country, also not just the GoSL but the entire Parliament too. Keep well informed about everything that is important such as the Laws of the country re Security especially, and Air, Water and Food quality and what chemicals used there affect life in Lanka.

  4. Fran Diaz Says:

    There has to be a Science Advisory Committee to the entire Parliament.

  5. Nanda Says:

    There has to be a difficult science exam to enter parliament.
    Then only the Drs who make people sick will be left out.

  6. Nanda Says:

    Well said by the President.
    But how good if he could summon the stupid woman representing USA and tell all this ?

  7. Fran Diaz Says:

    Nanda,

    It is enough that the local people know the truth of matters. Foreign elements will always seek to ‘divide & rule’. That is the rule that worked for the British Empire.

    We have to activate the 6th Amendment locally. That is the only local sure cure for the sickness of Separatism.

    Make lemon aide out of all the political lemons !

    Did you see this article ? The British Parliament is being used by Kallathonis !

    “Prabhakaran uses British Parliament to accuse SL army of chemical attack
    February 4, 2014, 10:15 pm – Island

    By Shamindra Ferdinando

    An Indian passport holder named Thamil Prabhakaran deported from Sri Lanka last December for violating visa regulations has shown a documentary titled This land belongs to the Army in the House of Commons, alleging that the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) used chemical weapons during the final assault on the Vanni east front in 2009.

    The presentations were made in the Committee Room 14 of the House of Commons on January 31, the first day of a two-day conference and the following day at the University College of London.

    Thamil Prabhakaran from South India had an Indian passport bearing number MK 6149374 at the time he was detained in Pooneryn in the Vanni region. He was deported after the Indian High Commission in Colombo had been informed of the government decision.

    A senior security official alleged that Prabhakaran had been here on the invitation of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), the main constituent of the multi-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

    Prabhakaran has written a series of articles titled Searching for footsteps of Tigers for Tamil Nadu magazine, Junior Vikatan. A book was also published under the same title recently.

    Prabhakaran participated at the UK conference on the invitation of the British Tamil Forum (BTF) and the All Party Parliamentary Group of Tamils (APPGT).

    An External Affairs Ministry official told The Island that the BTF was seeking to dominate the Diaspora in the wake of its dispute with the Global Tamil Forum (GTF). The GTF didn’t receive an invitation for the event.

    On behalf of the ruling Conservative Party (MP Lee Scott) and the Labour (Siobhain McDonagh) addressed the gathering at the inaugural session.

    The Defence Ministry said that there was absolutely no basis for the BTF-APPGT allegations with regard to the SLA taking over of property belonging to Tamil speaking people. A senior Defence Ministry spokesperson told The Island that the alleged chemical attacks were a total fabrication by the LTTE backers. Since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009, the military had handed over many public properties to their rightful owners, the official said, adding that those who were skeptical of the Defence Ministry position could visit the Jaffna peninsula to see the situation for themselves.

    Callum Macrae of the Channel 4 News, too, addressed the gathering.

    The organisers also invited a group of TNA representatives for the conference also attended by several NGO activists”.

  8. Mr. Bernard Wijeyasingha Says:

    I copied this from another article in the Lankaweb but is relevant to this article:

    “Notably, the panel did not distinguish between civilians and the LTTE cadre — a fact noted by the U.S. State Department’s December 2009 report to Congress. The LTTE’s regular forces, estimated by experts at around 30,000, were backed by irregulars, the makkal padai, as well as press-ganged conscripts.” and “The real question is a simple one: when, and how much, is it ethical to kill in war?” The title of the article is “From Sri Lanka, questions about wars”

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

 

 


Copyright © 2024 LankaWeb.com. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Wordpress