Sri lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Wednesday said post-conflict reconciliation with minority Tamils was his Government's priority while being committed to uphold human rights and democracy.
Addressing the State function commemorating the seventh anniversary of the end of the three-decade long brutal conflict between the lTTE and army, he said: “The main responsibility entrusted on my Government was to achieve post conflict reconciliation.”
“We will achieve that while paying tribute to the heroic forces who ended the war seven years ago, Sirisena said. “My Government will uphold human rights and democracy,” he said.
Sirisena said his Government had accorded utmost priority to the welfare of soldiers despite criticism from his political opponents. The ceremony marked the official commemoration of the end to the lTTE’s 30 year separatist campaign.
Sirisena’s Government in sharp contrast to the Government of the predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa has taken many a conciliatory steps towards the Tamil minority.