President wraps up Northern tour

President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday concluded his 3-day visit to the North, marking the longest stay by a Head of State there since independence.

President left for Jaffna late last Monday and during his stay he visited Kayts, Kopay, Poonaryn, Chavakachcheri, Jaffna and Kilinochchi and interacted with the people.

On Tuesday, the President declared open “Uva-Uthuru Friendship Hall”, built by the contributions of Uva Province, at Navalar Tamil Maha Vidyalayam in Kopay.

In Keeramalai President handed over 100 new houses built by the Army to the returned IDPs.

Officials of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, participating in a Field Training Programme, met the President at Vasavilan, Jaffna.

A foundation stone was laid by the President for the construction of a hospital complex in Poonaryn on 20 July.

In Kilinochchi, once a stronghold of the defeated LTTE, President Rajapaksa inaugurated the construction of Kilinochchi International Sports complex, the first such sports facility in the North.

During the visit, he also addressed public rallies in Kayts, Chavakachcheri, Poonaryn and Kilinochchi highlighting his plans for the reconstruction of the Northern Province, now free from the clutches of terrorism.

Speaking at a public rally in Kilinochchi, President Rajapaksa said the remaining High Security Zones in North will be removed in due course, while stressing that the rights of the people have been safeguarded by the government.

No one will be allowed to violate these rights again, he said.

Almost all ex-combatants who were rehabilitated have become useful persons in society. Of these, a considerable number of youths are engaged in foreign employment. The government has implemented a mechanism to address the issues of widows in the North, the President added.

 “The government will implement Compassionate Justice for ex-LTTE combatants who have been rehabilitated... We are the sons and daughters of one country. The country belongs to all of us,” President Rajapaksa said.