23 August 2018 08:54 am
Addressing a ceremony held to mark the modernization of the Myliddy Fisheries Harbour and its commissioning last morning (22) at a cost of Rs. 44 million, President Sirisena said he had received the list of those on death row and the top five were Pakistani nationals. He also said that he has initiated talks with Pakistan's new government on transferring Pakistani prisoners on death row to that country in order to implement the death sentence there. The President stated that the majority of prisoners on death row were women
88% of lands that had been occupied by the armed forces had already been returned to their owners in the North and added that the rest would be returned to the rightful owners of those lands before long. The lands that belonged to the Myliddy School and other schools in the area would be released back to these schools by next week.
“We all must be determined and resolve not to allow another war to occur as the separatist war that lasted for 30 years devastated the country, destroyed the economy, deprived people of living a decent life where education and health were also affected. In the post-war scenario, this government has restored the dignity and self-respect of the country and worked to rebuild confidence among communities and promote reconciliation among different ethnic groups, he said.
President Sirisena emphasized that the government’s target was to give the benefit of peace to the people in the North-East and the unity government had already done much to achieve this goal.
He also reiterated that the government was committed to saving the next generation in the North from the alcohol and drug menace and would do whatever it takes to achieve its goal.
Ministers Wijith Vijayamuni Soysa, Northern Province Governor Reginald Cooray, State Minister Dilip Wedaarachchi, Deputy Ministers Angajan Ramanathan, Cader Mastan, MPs Mavai Senadhiraja and former State Minister Vijayakala Maheshwaran were present at the ceremony. (Sandun A Jayasekera)