The Defence Secretary said the work carried out for the people by the Sri Lankan military is unparalleled to any other military in the world.

Addressing the opening of the Blessed Virgin's Children's Home in Mannar, which was destroyed by terrorists in 2005, the Defence Secretary noted no military in the world would ever do so much for the people in the aftermath of a long drawn war.

The Army rebuilt the new two-storied orphanage at a cost of Rs 5.9 million. The facility is designed to provide shelter and education to over 50 orphaned girls from 6-20 years of age.
Currently, 20 orphaned girls from the Wanni area are receiving care and education under the custodianship of nuns and administrators.

Secretary Rajapaksa has said that representatives from 101 countries have so far visited North after the end of the war and received the firsthand information on the development of the region.

Such visits prove the fact that so many international communities are interested in the reconstruction process, he added.

The Defense Secretary highlighted that some 12,000 former LTTE combatants who surrendered to the military have been rehabilitated without sending them to detention camps following a Presidential directive.

Since the end of the conflict in May 2009, the military has been involved in the development of infrastructure, especially in the Northern Province, where the fleeing Tamil Tiger terrorists have destroyed much of the infrastructure.