Sri Lanka’s president has defended the small scale release of land held by the military to their rightful Tamil owners in the North-East by pledging that national security “has been further strengthened”.
Speaking to a gathering of the Sri Lankan community in Japan, Maithripala Sirisena emphasised that “the national security of Sri Lanka has been further strengthened and it has not weakened in any way,” according to the President’s official media division.
He also “vehemently rejected the claims by some websites that the Government is betraying the security forces,” it reported.
Defending the release of land by his government in the Tamil North-East, the president assured the crowd that he has taken "every step" to ensure the national security. "There is no threat whatsoever,” he said. “We have taken every step to ensure the national security."
Mr Sirisena was responding to a question from the audience, with regards to criticism he has received for releasing the land – an issue that has seen dozens of protests by Tamils in the North-East in this year alone.
"They (the Tamils) have waited not one or two years but 27 years to get their lands back," Mr Sirisena said.
The Sri Lankan president went on to request the crowd to “extend their assistance to build the country while not falling prey to misinformation spread by some political powers regarding the national security of the country”.
He also spoke of how his government has bolstered the armed forces through military training from countries around the world that had previously rejected training Sri Lankan troops.
Mr Sirisena cited that, alongside the “warm welcome” he received by world leaders at the G7 summit in Japan as evidence “for the confidence and blessing received from the international community for the initiatives by the new Government”.
Speaking to a gathering of the Sri Lankan community in Japan, Maithripala Sirisena emphasised that “the national security of Sri Lanka has been further strengthened and it has not weakened in any way,” according to the President’s official media division.
He also “vehemently rejected the claims by some websites that the Government is betraying the security forces,” it reported.
Defending the release of land by his government in the Tamil North-East, the president assured the crowd that he has taken "every step" to ensure the national security. "There is no threat whatsoever,” he said. “We have taken every step to ensure the national security."
Mr Sirisena was responding to a question from the audience, with regards to criticism he has received for releasing the land – an issue that has seen dozens of protests by Tamils in the North-East in this year alone.
"They (the Tamils) have waited not one or two years but 27 years to get their lands back," Mr Sirisena said.
The Sri Lankan president went on to request the crowd to “extend their assistance to build the country while not falling prey to misinformation spread by some political powers regarding the national security of the country”.
He also spoke of how his government has bolstered the armed forces through military training from countries around the world that had previously rejected training Sri Lankan troops.
Mr Sirisena cited that, alongside the “warm welcome” he received by world leaders at the G7 summit in Japan as evidence “for the confidence and blessing received from the international community for the initiatives by the new Government”.