Wednesday May 20, 2026
Wednesday May 20, 2026
Wednesday, 20 May 2026 06:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday used the 17th National War Heroes’ Day Commemoration to deliver a broad message of national unity, equal citizenship and post-war reconciliation, while calling on Sri Lankans to reject racism, extremism and divisive politics.
Addressing the commemoration held at the War Heroes Memorial in Battaramulla, the President said the Government was committed to building a peaceful and developed nation that belonged equally to all communities.
“This motherland belongs equally to Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, Malays and Burghers, all of whom have the right to live anywhere within it,” he said.
The President said the country must move beyond the divisions and destruction created by decades of conflict and instead focus on building a society founded on coexistence, fairness and equal opportunity.
“We must build unity instead of division. We must move towards progress rather than stagnation,” he said.
Dissanayake said the role of the armed forces had been to defeat separatism rather than wage war against any ethnic community, stressing that all communities suffered the consequences of conflict.
“They did not wage war against an ethnicity. The horrific consequences of war were experienced by all communities. Young people of one country were lost because of this war,” he said.
He also criticised politicians and extremist forces that he said had historically exploited divisions within society for political gain.
“Opportunistic, power-hungry politicians and extremist agendas divided the people of one country into two,” the President said.
Dissanayake said his administration was determined to ensure that Sri Lanka would never return to conflict.
“My Government and I are not here to debate whether war was good or bad. We are here to ensure that another war never arises again,” he said.
The President repeatedly framed peace, coexistence and equal citizenship as central to Sri Lanka’s long-term development prospects.
“War can shatter the world into pieces. Peace alone can unite it,” he said, adding that a humane society could not be built “upon piles of corpses” or “rivers of blood”.
Dissanayake said Sri Lanka’s multicultural and multi-religious character provided a strong foundation for long-term national unity.
He pointed to examples including multi-faith worship at Sri Pada and Kataragama Devalaya, arguing that ordinary Sri Lankans consistently demonstrated coexistence and solidarity during times of hardship and natural disasters.
“What an extraordinary country can be built upon such an inspiring human society?” he asked.
The President said Sri Lanka must now focus on overcoming economic hardship, unemployment and social divisions with the same determination shown during the war years.
“For decades we have been trapped in an economic war, and we must win that war. For decades we have been trapped in a war against unemployment and we must win that war,” he said.
Dissanayake also pledged that the Government would protect democratic freedoms, equality before the law and institutional fairness.
“We remain committed to a democratic and free nation,” he said, adding that all citizens must be guaranteed equal rights, responsibilities and privileges regardless of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The President said the Government’s objective was to build “a humanitarian Sri Lankan nation” and a “model country founded on peace and development” while fulfilling the aspirations of those who sacrificed their lives during the conflict.
He urged Sri Lankans to reject racism and extremism in all forms.
“This country must never again become prey to any racist or extremist group,” Dissanayake said.
The annual commemoration, organised by the Ranaviru Seva Authority, marked 17 years since the end of the war and was attended by senior Government officials, military commanders, former service chiefs and families of fallen and disabled war heroes.
