Sri Lanka’s president stated that his government would work towards strengthening the military, as he criticised the previous administration for putting “war heroes into jail” in a speech in Colombo today.

Maithripala Sirisena was addressing a ceremony in the southern capital marking Sri Lanka’s “National War Heroes’ Day” according to army’s official website, as Tamils across the North-East mourned those killed during the final stages of the island’s armed conflict seven years ago.

Colombo though had stated the ceremony would be “celebrated” as a “cultural presentation of victory”, as 400 soldiers stood in formation before Sri Lankan government and military officials.

Mr Sirisena, who was accorded a red carpet guard of honour on arrival at the ‘Battaramulla War Heroes’ Monument’, reportedly showed “his deep gratitude to the memory of fallen War Heroes who salvaged the country from LTTE terrorism”.

The Sri Lankan president went on to pledge the “government will always perform to commemorate the valiant war heroes who sacrificed their lives for the sovereignty of the motherland”. He also stated his administration would ensure strengthening the military would remain as “one of the main policies” and spoke of “providing resources, foreign training and technical knowledge”.

The official President’s Media Division reported on how Mr Sirisena slammed the previous government for jailing “war heroes” and how “the government will always perform to commemorate the valiant war heroes who sacrificed their lives for the sovereignty of the motherland”.

Whilst Mr Sirisena was addressing crowds in Colombo, Tamils across the North-East held various events marking the seventh anniversary since the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils at the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka in May 2009.