Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse vowed on Monday to continue his present military thrust against Tamil Tiger rebels in the embattled north while offering a political solution to end grievances of the Tamil minority.
Addressing the 60th anniversary of independence, Rajapakse said" we will liberate the north from the clutches of terrorism and also provide a political solution and bring political freedom to the people."
Rajapakse said over a half of Sri Lanka's 60 years since independence from Britain had been spent while grappling with terrorism, which was a reference to the armed separatist campaign carried out by Tamil Tigers on behalf of the Tamil minority in the north and east.
The president was addressing a ceremony held under tight security level never seen in the capital for such a ceremony.
This was after a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber blew herself up killing 18 civilians and injuring over 100 in Colombo's busy Fort Railway Station on Sunday afternoon.
Intelligence warnings had come on a possible attack in the capital from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in order to disrupt the ceremony.
Rajapakse said "in less than two years we have liberated the large Eastern Province that was under the clutches of the terrorists and confined them to two districts, only," glorifying his current military campaign against the LTTE.
The president said his government has selected a political solution which can be implemented and "about which we have experience."
"This practical solution is to bring the provincial administration closer to the people within the framework of our constitution," said Rajapakse.
He assured Sri Lankans that international aid would in no way be affected by the military option in response to a recent statement by the Japanese government who is Sri Lanka's largest donor.
The Japanese government said it will review its aid policy unless the conflict is resolved through peaceful means.
Source:Xinhua
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