The entire world was asking Sri Lanka to give into the terrorists and avoid confrontation with them, but we chose to trust in the strength and courage of the country’s youth, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

He stated that this is the reason that defeating terrorism was a possibility and that today Sri Lanka has become a great country devoid of the fear of death.

This is an era when the bloodshed was ended and a massive transformation was created in the country to the point where the war will no longer continue, the president said addressing the Victory Parade held today at Galle Face Green.

He stated that when certain people attempted to drag the country’s soldiers to international gallows, the government implemented programmes for the benefit of their families and scholarship programmes for their children.

Rajapaksa further said that people in the North are fully aware how they were affected by the war and that presently 12 political parties in North are engaging in their political activities with complete freedom.

It was the army, government and the people of the country who fed 300,000 people returning after being held hostage by the brutal LTTE, he said, adding,  that the current Tamil Diaspora did not come forward to aid the country’s Tamil people during that period.

President Rajapaksa further emphasized that over 11,000 former LTTE combatants are now living a free life after being rehabilitated. They had committed enough wrongdoings to be sent to the gallows, but the forgiveness afforded to them will not be received in any other country, he said.

The Humanitarian Victory Day 2013 marks the fourth anniversary of ending of terrorism, which plagued the country for three decades.

The massive parade consisted of approximately 550 officers and 6600 soldiers of the Army, 170 officers and 2700 sailors of the Navy, 140 officers and 1250 airmen of the Air force, 65 officers and 1450 policemen of the Police, 20 officers and 700 officers of the Civil Security Department.

Following his speech the President Rajapaksa also awarded the ‘Parama Weera Vibhushanaya’ award, the highest gallantry award any military person receives from the Head of State, on six war heroes.

They were handed over to the family members of the six soldiers who lost their lives during the war.