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"We exhort all people of this country not to get agitated or provoked by the malicious efforts of opportunistic individuals. Despite the killing of the Chief incumbent of the Dimbulagala Raja Maha Viharaya, bombing of the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, there were various malevolent elements who attempted to incite the people in connivance with opposition politicians and we were able to successfully avert a possible crisis following the people acting with wisdom and restraint," the President said. "The reason why we were able to prevent a major situation such as this because you realised this, devoid of your ethnicity. It is because you paid heed to us. It is our firm belief that all sections of the community inclusive of public servants and trade unions will rally round us. We appeal to you to be enthusiastic in ensuring the safety of our country and our children," she added. "Those who spread narrow racist ideals are the very people who become traitors to the Sinhala people of our country. It is Sinhala racism that become the greatest strength of the Tamil racism of Prabhakaran. The best foundation for Prabhakaran's terrorism is the thuggery against the Tamil people." She said:" The Government expresses its deepest sorrow on the incidents that occurred at the Bindunuwewa Rehabilitation Camp in Bandarawela on October 25. I also express my personal sorrow about this incident. Our Government has taken all necessary steps to bring the situation under control.While expressing our deepest sympathy to all the relations and the families of the deceased we have also made all arrangements to pay them due compensation. From the investigations carried out sofar it is evident that there is a certain group of persons behind these incidents. Accordingly, we are taking steps to take legal action against all those responsible for this incident without any hesitation whatsoever. Investigations are also being carried out to see whether officials employed at the Camp have acted irresponsibly and to also see whether there has been any conspiracy behind this. We have also taken action against UNP MP P.Chandrasekaran for the incidents that occurred recently in the Nuwara Eliya District. Whatever challenges we may have to face we are acting with responsibility to ensure that a similar situation does not arise in the future. Unlike the former rulers of this country we consider that it is our responsibility to ensure the security of every citizen of this country. Hitherto whenever attempts were made to create trouble we have acted irrespective of race or religion to ensure the security of persons and property. When the LTTE tried to create religious strife by attacking the revered Dalada Maligawa with bombs and by this tried to re-enact another black July we were able to avert this situation. We who have been given power by the people through their vote will always do our best to ensure the security of the people. It is now clear that the LTTE and certain ultranationalist groups are conspiring against the Government in Bindunuwewa, in Nuwara Eliya and in Colombo. We have taken all steps to prevent this situation. We are also moving to expose all groups that are behind these incidents. We have a very clear vision on the ethnic problem in our country. Although we are unable to solve the ethnic question as fast as we expected to, we address LTTE terrorism and the rights of the Tamil community as two separate issues. Therefore, we are dedicated to protect the just rights of the Tamil people. We have made arrangements to give a political solution to the ethnic problem preventing the terrorism of Prabhakaran. We have not forgotten the problem of the Tamil people. Through the Ethnic and National Integration Ministry we have taken action to solve certain problems. We have clarified this message through the Sudunelum Movement to all section of our people. We have drafted a new constitution according to the law, so that the majority Sinhalese people as well as the minority communities could solve their problems through the Constitution. We have never forgotten that the majority in this country are Sinhala Buddhist. A majority in this country are facing disaster due to the on going war. As a consequence of the war our economy has been badly affected. It is our Sinhalese nation that have lost most number of lives. By every bomb that is blasted it is the lives of the Sinhala people that are lost the most. Looking at the overall picture due to the short sightedness of the previous Government a civil war has been caused. It is only in the back ground of peace that the economic and social security of any nation is ensured. During the last six years our Government has laid the foundation for a strong social and economic base to ensure the welfare of our people. We have laid the plans for resuscitating our economy while fighting a war. We have also laid plans to spread out the privileges enjoyed by a handful of persons. However due to the on going war all the people are unable to enjoy these privileges. Due to this war we become deprive of several lives and large quantum of money. Therefore by ending this war it is the Sinhala people that would gain the most. With view to ending this war which is base on narrow racism and to enable our people to live in peace and harmony we have created a Ministry of Ethnic and National Integration and a new Constitution. Those who spread narrow racist ideals are the very people who become traitors to the Sinhala people of our country. It is Sinhala racism that become the greatest strength of the Tamil racism of Prabhakaran. The best foundation for Prabhakaran's terrorism is the thuggery against the Tamil people. We should not forget 1983 where innocent Tamils who were harassed assaulted and killed. That was Black July 83. It is the myopic policies of the UNP which brought the LTTE to what it is today. A majority of the Tamils who are supporting the LTTE are doing so because their mentality has been aggravated to the point that they feel there is no alternative solution to their grievances. On the other hand it was the catastrophe of July 1983 which enabled the LTTE to win sympathy from the international community. It was also consequent to that a majority of the countries started supporting the LTTE. We have proved to the international community that we are running the Government without resorting to terrorism by successfully forming a Government with the Sinhala Buddhist majority in collaboration with the Tamil and Muslim minority. Consequent to this, it has come to the point that the international community is in the process of rejecting the LTTE. If there is a relapse of Sinhala-Tamil communalism, all our past efforts to usher in peace will be in vain. The international community did not assist us in 1993/94 during that time they recognised us as a barbarous community. We will ensure that there is no relapse. A majority of the population has approved our policies and work programme as evidence in ten elections during the last six years. It is now clear that certain groups are act in an opportunist manner to ride to power. We explained the facts to the people in the presence of those malicious elements. It is our objective to create to gather all ethnic communities within a strong economy where every citizen could co-exist peacefully. We exhort all people of this country not to get agitated or provoked by the malicious efforts of opportunistic individuals. Despite the killing of the Chief incumbent of the Dimbulagala Raja Maha Viharaya, bombing of the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, there were various malevolent elements who attempted to incite the people in connivance with opposition politicians and we were able to successfully avert a possible crisis following the people acting with wisdom and restraint. Therefore, we are appealing to this country to act with restraint. We also appeal to the Tamil and Muslim communities not to be deceived by the acts of violence which are committed by groups who are acting in collaboration with the LTTE. The reason why we were able to circumvent a major situation such as this because you realised this, devoid of your ethnicity. It is because you paid heed to us. It is our firm belief that all sections of the community inclusive of public servants and trade unions will rally round us. We appeal to you to be enthusiastic in ensuring the safety of our country and our children. At no stage our Government sought political revenge or any other revenge. We have not been malicious. I am making a special appeal to you to corporate with me to create a prosperous nation by changing the present Constitution, which has become the bane of our country. We envisaged to implement this program by obtaining the cooperation of some people who were originally opposed to this. It is also due to the LTTE's murder and mayhem that the economic progress of the Sinhala community has been inhibited and for a majority of Sinhalese has been killed. The LTTE is trying its utmost to spread this malaise to the upcountry areas as well by this method. We also appeal to the members of the Armed Forces and the Police to be extremely cautious and vigilant and to ensure that innocent civilians are unnecessarily provoked at a decisive time like this. We also appeal to them that it is only through that strategy that you could ensure that your colleagues in the battle front in the North and East would be able to succeed in their endeavours. I also call upon the Maha Sangha and all other religious dignitaries and leaders to cooperate with the Government efforts. I specially appeal to all of you, in particular Maha Sangha and other religious dignitaries to provide the leadership to bring the situation under control.
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