The National War Heroes’ Day is commemorated today to mark the end of the 30-year long conflict.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a message to mark the occasion recalled the war heroes who defended the freedom and territorial integrity of the country.
The Head of State said their sacrifices will not be forgotten.
Full message;
None of us expected the crisis situation we are going through today. The economic crisis has expanded towards a political and social upheaval. Under any circumstances, we will not disregard the policy towards safeguarding sovereignty and independence of this country. That is because our desire is to protect the motherland above all else.”
“Our brave war heroes put an end to the war and brought peace to the country through a humanitarian operation. There was no hatred, anger or revenge in it. Therefore, there is no room for racism or any other form of extremism in the motherland where peace was established. We regard it as a unique value in Sri Lankan society.
“We have gone through many challenging eras and occasions in the history. It should not be forgotten that the patriots always took the lead. The war heroes of the country represent this group. Therefore, it is important to recall that the history too has given you the responsibility of working cautiously after prudently considering the current challenge.
“There is no doubt that various local, foreign groups and individuals are trying to use the economic and political crisis as a pretext to influence national security. We must defeat it together. Only then will the courageous war hero’s commitment to the country be preserved.
