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Tuesday, 24 June 2014 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President Mahinda Rajapaksa observed that an attempt is being made once again to put Sri Lanka’s peace and reconciliation at risk, at a time the country was enjoying stability after the defeat of separatism and racism of the LTTE with certain international forces too who had conspired to destabilise the country attempting to further complicate the situation.
Issuing a special statement from Badulla on the current situation in the country, the President said he had ordered Police and security forces not to allow any group to take the law into their hands and to strictly enforce the law against anybody who violates the general law of the country.
The statement added: “After stabilising the country with the defeat of separatism and racism of the LTTE, it is now clear that there is an attempt once again to put Sri Lanka’s peace and reconciliation at risk. We should not forget that certain international forces which conspired to destabilise the country are also attempting to further complicate the situation. I urge all citizens with respect to comprehend this serious situation very well and work towards amity and co-existence of all ethnic groups.
“I have ordered the Sri Lanka Police and security forces not to allow any group to take the law into their hands and to strictly enforce the law against anybody who violates the general law of the country. All security personnel should be committed to take maximum legal action against any individual or organisation that attempts to spread communal or religious hatred among communities.
“The sole intention of all of us should be to build a modern Sri Lankan nation by uniting all ethnic and religious communities in the country. For that a cultural environment of respecting and tolerating the opinion of the others must be established. Violence is a symbol of a tribal era.
“The greatness of an ethnic group can only be elevated by respecting the other and not by attacking the other. For that let us join hands in brotherhood as children of one mother in the same way we do when singing the National Anthem without diving ourselves as Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil.”
No room for another Prabhakaran: President
No room will be left for the emergence of another Prabhakaran who brought misery to all ethnic groups including the Tamils, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.
The President was addressing the Badulla District Development Committee meeting at the Postal Complex Auditorium in Badulla on Saturday (21).
President Rajapaksa said the Government faced much difficulty to find educated persons for teacher recruitment since education in the north and east was hampered by Prabhakaran.
Despite much effort, Education Ministry have officials failed to recruit enough teachers and fill teacher shortage in the schools so far, he said.
The President noted this situation was created by Prabhakaran. “The Government will never leave room for another Prabhakaran who destroyed the country’s peaceful environment, ethnic harmony and coexistence,” he said.
President Rajapaksa said the Government would launch water projects to provide drinking water facilities as a remedy to a long-felt need of the people in the Badulla District. These mega-scale water projects are scheduled to be completed by 2018.
