Wrong decisions blocked victory

Unveils victory monument:

President visits scene of final battles:

Govt withstood foreign pressure:

Danushka GODAKUMBURA

Although our heroic war heroes gallantly marched forward in the battle front in the past they were unable to liberate the motherland from terrorism due to the wrong decisions taken by the politicians who ruled the country then, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Puthukuduyiruppu yesterday.

The President was speaking after unveiling a monument to mark the victory over terrorism at Puthukuduyiruppu.

This was the first time a head of State visited Puthukuduyiruppu which was the scene of the decisive and final phase of the humanitarian operation which defeated terrorism in this country.

The President said when the war heroes were taking on the terrorists in the battle front, the Government ably faced and withstood all foreign and local pressures exerted to halt their operations on behalf of the war heroes without allowing them to face it. A significant feature of yesterday’s event was the presence of all military commanders who participated in the final operation of the Security Forces in the Vanni battlefield.

The monument is erected in the centre of the Puthukuduyiruppu tank. The waters of the tank surrounding it signified the ocean.

The Nil Manel flowers blooming in the tank depict the Sri Lankan nation. Stone pillars at the foot of the monument signify the Motherland and the lion images in its four corners depict the war heroes.

The national flag in the monument depicted the country’s freedom and sovereignty and the dove image depicts the dawn of freedom.

Secretary to the President Lalith Weerathunge, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Chief of Defence Staff and Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonethilake, Army Commander Lt. General Jagath Jayasuriya, Navy Commander Rear Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya, Mullaitivu Commander Major General Nandana Udawatte, Vanni Commander Major General Kamal Gooneratne, Commander of the 53 Division Major General Chagi Gallage and several war heroes were present.