President makes pledge to protect National interests

President Maithripala Sirisena today made a pledge to protect National interests when addressing concerns over the war and implementing the UN Resolution on Sri Lanka. The President made this pledge while addressing the nation at the 68th Independence Day anniversary event at Galle Face today. He said that the UN Resolution would not have been submitted to the UN Human Rights Council last September if efforts were taken to address key issues soon after the war ended in May 2009.

However he said that his Government will implement the UN Resolution while protecting the dignity of “The government did not take the required steps after the defeat of the terrorism in 2009, and in January 2015, the people gave me the mandate to fulfill that task and now we have to take effective steps to build reconciliation and harmony and coexistence between the communities,” he said and urged the people to extend fullest cooperation for this national endeavour. “If we had taken the steps that should have been taken after May 2009, we would not have faced the resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council in September 2015. The government is determined to face the UNHRC resolution with the collective strength of all sections to protect and preserve the national pride as well as the pride and dignity of our armed forces that had made numerous sacrifices to safeguard the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country,” President Sirisena said. He said it was wrong to give false interpretations to the Government policy with regard to the UNHRC resolution as the Government is fully committed to safeguard the nation as well as the pride of the heroic armed forces, the military and the country. Pointing out that the media enjoy unprecedented freedom today, President Sirisena, however, emphasized the importance of using that freedom with wisdom, responsibility and discipline. He cautioned that if the media freedom is not properly used, any future government could curtail media freedom once again.