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12/01/2010 - The Island |
| Have faith in me, President tells ex-LTTE combatants |
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(by Shamindra Ferdinando , Pics Srilal Gomes) |
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa assured the Tamil community that the LTTE would never be allowed to force children to carry weapons again. Addressing a gathering of ex-LTTE combatants and their parents, the incumbent President, who is seeking a second term at the forthcoming presidential polls, said that Tamil speaking children would be given an opportunity to study like the student community in the South. The children, he vowed from now on, would carry school bags and not T-56 assault rifles as they used to do.
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa hands over an-ex LTTE cadre to her father |
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A cheering crowd greeted the President’s assurance given at a ceremony arranged by Justice Minister Milinda Moragoda, MP, to release over 700 combatants to their families.
The President declared that the defeat of the LTTE last May would give the Tamil community a great opportunity to start afresh. "I want doctors, engineers, businessmen and great sportspersons from your areas," he said, reiterating his firm commitment to re-build a nation devastated by a 30-year war.
The President assured the Tamil community that their children were now safe as the menace of terrorism had been eradicated. Urging them to have faith in him, the President said that unity among the communities would ensure Sri Lanka a prosperous future.
Although, the LTTE no longer posed a conventional military threat, the Army threw a tight security cordon at the venue, where the President handed over 15 former LTTE cadres to their parents at a simple ceremony. The released cadres included five child combatants, five men and five women whose parents wept as the President united them. |
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Justice Minister and Maj.Gen. Daya Ratnayake meet parents of detained LTTE cadres |
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Referring to the speech of Chandralingam, an ex-LTTE cadre, the President said that he was delighted by the assertion that there were people who love this country and those who do not. The President said that no one wanted a war again.
The President paid a glowing tribute to the All Ceylon Hindu Congress, the business community and the international community for helping his government to rehabilitate the LTTE youth.
Welcoming the President to what he called the now liberated land, Chandralingam said that he was from Pallai, in the Jaffna peninsula. The youth said that once he told his teacher of his desire to be a teacher one day. "My teacher blessed me and wished me luck. But children, too, were dragged into the war. We were even denied basic facilities. There was no water, food or accommodation. As the Army advanced, we retreated and took refuge in the Vellamullivaikkal area before being rescued by government forces," he said. He expressed confidence that they could start a new life.
A grateful Chandralingam said that the their resentment and hostility towards the State rapidly changed due to the way the Army welcomed them as they reached government-held lines in the last phase of the offensive. He said that they never expected troops to welcome them by offering water. He emphasised that they had changed their attitude towards the State and today they were ready to contribute towards the development of the country. |
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An LTTE cadre scrapes coconut. Former BOC Chairman Rajan Asriwatham looks on |
Mrs. Kamala Kallasapillai speaks to detainess |
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To the credit of Minister Moragoda, the former UNP Minister, the ongoing project to reintegrate ex-LTTE cadres into civilian life, had received the support of the international community, business leaders as well as Tamil society. For a government facing a barrage of criticism over the military offensive against the LTTE and rehabilitation and reconstruction in a post-LTTE era, the project could not have come at a better time. By involving the All Ceylon Hindu Congress, Moragoda has given the much needed confidence to the Tamil speaking community, while ensuring transparency and accountability in the process.
Mohammed Abdiker, Chief of Mission, International Migration Organisation told the gathering that they would continue to support the northern project the way they backed the rehabilitation of ex-LTTE cadres in the East. He revealed that about 1,000 ex-LTTE eastern cadres had benefited from their effort. In his brief address, he discussed their support to Colombo in a post-conflict era, opening up of IDP facilities, vocational training as well as job opportunities to ex-combatants. Abdiker expressed confidence that Sri Lanka could meet the challenging task of rehabilitating the youth. |
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The Justice and Law Reform Ministry is working closely with the IOM to carry out a $ 23 million programme to reintegrate ex-LTTE cadres into civilian life.
The governments of Japan, UK and US have pledged their support to the Moragoda initiative which comprises education and vocational training. In addition to employment opportunities to the youth, IMO and USAID had developed a joint programme.
This initiative involves a strong public/private partnership with a number of Sri Lanka’s leading companies providing assistance, both in cash and in kind. These include All Ceylon Hindu Congress, N U Jayawardena Trust, Aitken Spence, Brandix, Ceylon Tobacco, Dilmah, Hayleys Life Sciences Ltd, Hayleys Consumer Marketing, Hayleys Agro Products Ltd, John Keells Holdings, Tea Smallholders Factories PCL, Ceylon Cold Stores PCL, John Keells Stock Brokers Pvt Ltd, Maritime Agencies Pvt Ltd, MIT Cargo Pvt Ltd, Mas Holding, Leads, Unilever and Charles and Muriel de Zoysa Trust. |
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Members of the Sri Lankan Diaspora, too, have expressed interest in providing assistance.
Moragoda told The Island that this initiative endorsed President Rajapaksa’s vision of co-operation among the Government of Sri Lanka, the private sector, the Diaspora and the international community to build a prosperous future for all Sri Lankans.
Major General Daya Ratnayake, the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation said that the government had developed an excellent mechanism to rehabilitate the ex-combatants. Categorising over 11,000 LTTE cadres in their custody to three separate groups, Ratnayake, the senior officer in charge of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry said that a section had to be dealt with legally. The second category could be rehabilitated and released and the rest released. He expressed confidence that the released youth would not engage in terrorism again. Ratnayake assured that the government would provide them with employment and education to facilitate their return to civilian life.
V. Neelakandan, President of the All Ceylon Hindu Congress said that they were happy to be involved in the rehabilitation project. He said that the Congress had always stayed with the people during the war the way they assisted the government initiative now. He assured their support to projects that would be beneficial to the war weary people. Thanking the President for releasing ex-LTTE combatants, the veteran lawyer expressed confidence that the remaining youth now held at detention facilities, too, could be released soon. He urged the Tamil youth to learn, while emphasising the importance of a sound education whatever the difficulties faced by them.
He said that the Tamil community would have a prosperous future after the forthcoming Thai Pongal celebrations. Calling for a change of attitude on the part of the State, Neelakandan said that they were grateful to the President. He emphasised that the Tamil community wanted to maintain its identity, while urging the President to unite the Northern and Eastern Provinces as one administrative unit in a united Sri Lanka.
Addressing the gathering on behalf of the business community, Rajan Asirwatham explained the role played by them in the rehabilitation process. He assured the youth that they would do everything possible to help them lead a civilian life. Asirwatham said that they responded promptly when the Justice Ministry sought their assistance to help rehabilitate children and youth. The All Ceylon Tamil Congress went to the extent of accommodating some ex-LTTE cadres at Hindu College, Colombo, in support of the Moragoda initiative. |
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