CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

PRESIDENT REITERATES THAT HE WOULD NOT COW DOWN TO TERRORISTS DUE TO THEIR ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS

By Walter Jayawardhana

At a meeting with media heads to brief the government policy in the aftermath of the Colombo Panadura office train terrorist bomb attack President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterated that he would not cow down to terrorists due to frenzied attacks on civilians by them.

“My Government and I are committed to defeating terrorism. No one should have expectations that there will be a let up in the battle against terrorism because of the frenzied attacks by the LTTE. I will leave no room for terrorism in this country,” the Sri Lankan President said.

He was referring to the parcel bomb explosion blamed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) May 26 Monday in a crowded office train killing at least nine passengers and wounding scores of others ripping a passenger compartment and blowing its roof sky high. Ministry of Defence sources said, According to the latest report received from the Kalubowila hospital, 9 civilians were killed including a pregnant mother and 84 more passengers suffered injuries when the LTTE terrorists exploded a bomb inside a highly crowded Colombo-Panadura train around 4.55 p.m yesterday.”

“In its desperation the LTTE is now trying to whip communal strife and take the country back to the situation as in 1983. The Government will not let this happen,” he added.

President Rajapaksa said the bomb blast on the train at Dehiwela followed the discovery of three other bombs placed in passenger buses by the LTTE, which were found by bus employees and passengers. This showed the extent of the LTTE’s frenzy in the face of its current defeats and setbacks in the North. It was clear that in the face of defeat the LTTE was increasing its attacks targeting innocent civilians. This is the reality that can be seen from these savage attacks,

He said the Government’s battle against terrorism was not directed against the Tamil people. The Government was committed to protect the rights of the Tamil people, as it had done in the East. We intend to take the success in the East forward, until we ensure the people of the North of their rights.

The President emphasized there would be no let up in the war against terrorism. There will be a political solution given from the Tamil people. “We have sent a speedy message to the North from the East”, he said.

He called on the media to act with responsibility in the national interest in dealing with the government’s war against terrorism.

Disclaimer: The comments contained within this website are personal reflection only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the LankaWeb. LankaWeb.com offers the contents of this website without charge, but does not necessarily endorse the views and opinions expressed within. Neither the LankaWeb nor the individual authors of any material on this Web site accept responsibility for any loss or damage, however caused (including through negligence), which you may directly or indirectly suffer arising out of your use of or reliance on information contained on or accessed through this Web site.
All views and opinions presented in this article are solely those of the surfer and do not necessarily represent those of LankaWeb.com. .

BACK TO LATEST NEWS

DISCLAIMER