The Victory Parade is to mark the victory of all the communities in the country and all communities will participate in this national event, said Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Reminding of the gains of the humanitarian operation conducted by the armed forces, the Defence Secretary said one of the main objectives of the operation was to free the Tamil people from the grip of the LTTE.

The Tamil people were held hostage by the LTTE and its ruthless leader Velupillai Prabhakaran depriving them of their freedom in many spheres such as cultural practices, education, freedom of movement and democracy. The positive effect of the victory of the humanitarian operation was mostly felt by the Tamil community of this country, he said.

He said a War Heroes' Week will be observed prior to the Victory Parade and at the end of the War Heroes' Week the Victory Parade will be held with the participation of parents, wives and children and relatives of the war heroes.