“I will not stop till terrorism is defeated,” said President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the Sri Lankan media commenting on the bomb blast by the LTTE on a train at Dehiwela yesterday (26).

The President said: “My Government and I are committed to defeating terrorism. No one should have expectations that there will be a let up in the battle against terrorism because of the frenzied attacks by the LTTE. I will leave no room for terrorism in this country.”

“In its desperation the LTTE is now trying to whip communal strife and take the country back to the situation as in 1983. The Government will not let this happen,” he added.

President Rajapaksa said the bomb blast on the train at Dehiwela followed the discovery of three other bombs placed in passenger buses by the LTTE, which were found by bus employees and passengers. This showed the extent of the LTTE’s frenzy in the face of its current defeats and setbacks in the North. It was clear that in the face of defeat the LTTE was increasing its attacks targeting innocent civilians. This is the reality that can be seen from these savage attacks,

He said the Government’s battle against terrorism was not directed against the Tamil people. The Government was committed to protect the rights of the Tamil people, as it had done in the East. We intend to take the success in the East forward, until we ensure the people of the North of their rights.

The President emphasized there would be no let up in the war against terrorism. There will be a political solution given from the Tamil people. “We have sent a speedy message to the North from the East”, he said.

He called on the media to act with responsibility in the national interest in dealing with the government’s war against terrorism.

President Rajapaksa was addressing the heads of media institutions and editors of the Sri Lankan media at a meeting to discuss current issues with them at Temple Trees today (27)