President emphasizes war heroes should not be used to gain political mileage

President Maithripala Sirisena says if certain political party uses war heroes to gain their own political agenda, it is not an ethical in any way.

The President made these remarks unveiling the ‘Wayamba Rana Abhiman’ War Heroes’ Monument in Kurunegala, yesterday (11).

The new monument has been established to replace the displacement of war heroes’ monument due to the Kurunegala- Dambulla main road development project.

Under the guidance of the North- Western Provincial Council, the Road Development Authority and Ranaviru Seva Authority this monument had been erected near the Maligapitiya Ground, Kurunegala, where the previous monument located. All the construction works of the memorial have been carried out by the Corps of Engineer Services (CES) of the Sri Lanka Army.

This war memorial displays all the names of the war heroes of the North-Western Province who sacrificed their lives to protect the motherland. The entire project has been completed at a cost of 27 million rupees.

Even though this war memorial removed clearly to acquire the space needed for the road development project, during the past period some section of the society attempted to give a political interpretation stating that the government has forgotten the war heroes and started to remove their statues.

A few protests were also organized opposing this move and when the President visited Kurunegala to attend a ceremony in August 31, 2016 promised to establish a more creative war heroes’ memorial at that place, as soon as the construction works completed and fulfilling that pledge given by the President the foundation stone laid on November 30, 2016 to create this monument.
President Sirisena addressing the gathering further said that the present government at any time did not work towards to condemn the war heroes but always tries to ensure their rights as well as to offer the honour of the nation.

The President emphasized that he rejects all the accusations towards the government regarding the war heroes and further said that  all these statements are meant to  make the government uncomfortable.

Even though the government is accused of soldier victimization the real soldier victimization occurred during the past regime and that the present government fulfills its responsibilities with the support of the international cooperation to secure the pride of the soldiers, the President said that adding it is unforgettable that the current government took steps to put an end to the talk of electric chair and bringing foreign judges into the country to hear cases against our war heroes.

Even though certain members of the army were taken in to custody for investigation purposes of certain cases! It is not hunting of soldiers and no soldier who has protected the country were harmed and the government has worked towards giving them the highest respect.

The Provincial Minister of Co- operative Development Piyasiri Ramanayake presented the cheque of financial donation made by the North-Western Province Co-operative members through the War Heroes’ Welfare Fund to build the War Heroes Memorial, to the President and later the president handed over it to the North-Western Province Chief Secretary G.B.M.Sirisena.

The Chief Minister of North Western Province Dharmasiri Dasanayake presented a souvenir which included the structure of the War Heroes’ Memorial.

Minister and MPs including Minister Faizer Musthafa,the Governor of the Uva Province Ariya Bandara Rekawa, the Governor K.C.Logeswaran,the Chief Minister  Dharmasiri Dasanayake, former Deputy Minister Shantha Bandara, Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunawardena, Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Navy Commander Vice Admiral S. Ranasinghe,the Chairperson of the Ranaviru Seva Authority Anoma Fonseka and others participated on this occasion.