Rajapakse calls for international assistance to rebuild East

Colombo, July 19 (UNI) Sri Lankan President Mahindra Rajapakse today appealed to the international community to help his government to implement a rapid development programme to rebuild the war-ravaged former LTTE strongholds in the Eastern province.

''I believe with optimism that our international friends would help us in this task,'' Mr Rajapakse said, while addressing a national ceremony to celebrate the military victory here this morning.

Security arrangement was thoroughly tightened for this ceremony that held in the spirit of Independence Day celebrations.

The Service Chief presented the ceremonial parchment to the President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, officially informing him the capturing of East from the LTTE.

Vowing that his coalition government would hold local government and provincial council elections to restore civil administration in the newly-captured areas before the end of this year, the president, however, warned the international community and local political rivals not to belittle the achievement of the security forces.

'' I wish to ask the international community and even some of our own politicians not to obstruct this new dawn of the East by raising false slogans and not engage in globe-trotting to betray the Sri Lankan State,'' President Rajapaksa said, adding that one must understand clearly the difference between human rights and terrorist activities.

''If there are shortcomings let us get together and criticise them. It is alright slighting Mahindra Rajapakse, but do not betray the country,'' he said while addressing the nation from the special stage at the Independence Square.

The operation against terrorism that had concluded with minimum harm to the people and least harm to the Security Forces stood out as an example to all armies of the world that battled terrorism, Mr Rajapakse said while declaring the complete removal of Tamil Tiger rebels from the East.

He said it was high time for the LTTE to ''accept the reality that it is not possible to bring liberation to the Tamil people through guns, bombs and cyanide capsules.'' ''However dreadful, I will not be subdued or frightened by the violent growls of the LTTE. I will not be shaken by their threats of assassination,'' the President mentioned, adding that the government was seeking to a solution to the ''northern crisis'' based on the Southern political consensus through the All Party Representative Conference.

UNI