By IANS,
Colombo : The victory “achieved by defeating the LTTE” is the victory of the country, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa said while addressing parliament Tuesday.
“Our aim was to protect the Tamils from the clutch of LTTE. In order to protect the innocent Tamilian civilians our soldiers sacrificed their lives,” said Rajapaksa.
“The victory we have achieved by defeating the LTTE is the victory of our country, our motherland. To protect the Tamil population in this country is my responsibility and duty.”
Rajapaksa said: “All should live with equal rights. They should live without any fear. They should live with equal rights. That is my expectation too. Let us all be united and build up this independent country. Today we have been able to liberate the country from the clutches of LTTE.”
The LTTE has been waging a bloody war for secession from Sri Lanka for over 25 years, claiming that Tamils in Sri Lanka do not get justice from the majority Sinhalese. Over 90,000 people have been killed in the ensuing civil war.