Independence Day message to expatriates

By Sandun A Jayasekera

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his Independence Day address to the nation yesterday extended an open invitation to all Sri Lankan expatriates to return to Sri Lanka and be part of the country’s reconstruction, development and peace process.

The 61st Independence Day celebrations were held at Galle Face Green last morning with a colourful march past, an air and sea display by the Sri Lanka Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and the Civil Defence Force.

Flanked by the Commanders of the armed forces and the Police Chief, President Rajapaksa hoisted the National Flag and received a 21-gun salute. The President’s address to the Nation was preceded by a Guard of Honour provided by the three armed forces and the police.

In a long speech where he outlined his vision for the country, a resolute President Rajapaksa said it was time for Sri Lankans who have left their motherland because of a war that had dragged on for more than 20 years, to return to the land of their birth and to the places they lived in.

In his address to the Nation he said:

“On this important occasion, on behalf of the entire Sri Lankan nation, I extend an open invitation to all Sri Lankans – Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher, Malay and all other communities, who left this country because of war to return to your motherland. Whatever the number of countries in the world, there is no place that is safer to anyone than the land of ones birth.

“We have raised the National Flag today over a motherland that is being united in keeping with the heartfelt wishes and prayers of our people.

My dear people who through sacrifice of life have come forward to defend the freedom of our land and through their blessings and every thought supported that struggle.

“However, due to repeated foreign incursions and invasions there were many challenges to the progress of the nation. The unbroken progress of her knowledge and technology was suddenly interrupted. With the dawn of Independence from British rule on February 4, 1948, she gained the opportunity to move towards progress in a manner that was inherent to our nation.

“Although every year in the past Sri Lanka has commemorated Independence through 30 years, she has have lived in the midst of an illegal, armed, terrorist movement. Therefore, throughout this period Sri Lanka could not celebrate true Freedom. Due to this terrorism the Sinhala and Muslim people who lived in the north were compelled to flee from their traditional lands. This period saw the massacre of Buddhist worshipers near the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, at Anuradhapura. At Kaththankudi Muslims were killed while worshiping in their mosque. There were terrorist attacks on the pinnacle of Buddhist worship, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy. Innocent people were collectively massacred in many places of this land.

“That is not all, for the first time in the history of our land Tiger terrorists carried out ethnic cleansing. They sought to establish a fascist state in which the Sinhala and Muslim people, as well as the Tamil people who were not prepared to bow before them, would not live. A large number of democratic leaders of the Tamil people were killed by the terrorists. Similarly, many of our national leaders were assassinated by the forces of terror. The entire country was terrorized.

“Sri Lanka became the victim of the most powerful terrorist organization in the world. We had come to the verge of the separatist terrorists achieving their goal of dividing the country and establishing a separate state of Tamil Eelam. We were being compelled by some administrators of that time to except the so-called peace brought about by the division of the country, and the victory of the forces of terror. Many foreign forces attempted to persuade us that the path to achieving peace was to be subjugated by a terrorist organization that had power on land, sea and air as well as ruthless suicide killers. Together with this, some international institutions sought to show our country as a failed State, which pained the hearts and minds of all of us at the unfortunate fate that was sought to be bestowed on the land of our birth. We were finally challenged by this unfortunate fate that our great motherland could no more bear.

“At the 2005 presidential election, you handed to me and to our government the challenge of being victorious over the threat against us. We faced this daring challenge with determination and to somehow achieve victory over it. We have now been able, within a short span of two and half years, to almost completely defeat the cowardly forces of terror that had wrapped our entire nation in fear through several decades. This great victory has been brought to our country through our Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, the Police Special Task Force and Civil Defence Corps carrying out the task before them, jointly and with great dedication.

“Our troops have given us the opportunity to see the dawn of an honourable peace for the country. They have sacrificed their flesh, blood, sinews and life itself to bring this great historic opportunity to our motherland. Our troops were able to carry forward the battle against terror with great care so as not to cause harassment to the innocent Tamil people. The dignified peace that is now dawning upon us becomes greater and more unique than the peace enjoyed by the people of other countries, because it is built on the immense sacrifice of these heroes,” President Rajapaksa emphasized. I am confident that in a few days we will decisively defeat the terrorist force that many repeatedly kept saying was invincible. However, we should not think that with this alone we have overcome all challenges before us.”