On this historic occasion, when terrorism has been completely defeated, I would like to take this opportunity to thank, first and foremost, all our brave soldiers, whose steadfast commitment freed the Sri Lankan nation from the scourge of terrorism.  

I would especially like to remember the soldiers who are no longer with us, those who made the supreme sacrifice for our country. There is no bigger sacrifice than that of laying down your life for your country and the soldiers who laid down their lives in order to ensure peace and unity in Sri Lanka will live forever in our memory. The nation will be eternally grateful to them.  

I would like to congratulate the Secretary, Defence, the Service Commanders and the IGP for providing the forces with the required military leadership and the President, for the political leadership, which made this victory possible.  

It goes without saying that the ruthless LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabahakaran, who could best be described as a killing machine, had no respect whatsoever for human life. This man, who tried to run a totalitarian and fascist state, has today suffered a fate he richly deserved.   

I would also like to point out that there are many political and military leaders who played important roles, which enabled our heroic soldiers to achieve this unprecedented military victory  

President Premadasa held talks with the LTTE; so did President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Both leaders clearly demonstrated that war could be an option under certain circumstances but that it should never be the first option.  

Ranil Wickremesinghe also showed to the world that Sri Lankan governments were not racist – which was what the LTTE was trying to portray – and proved the bona fides of the Sri Lankan Government’s intentions to address the just claims of the Tamil people.   

Lakshman Kadirgamar played a significant role in convincing the world that the LTTE was not interested in the wellbeing of the Tamil people and ensured that almost all the countries that mattered isolated the LTTE and banned the organization. His efforts prevented the LTTE from obtaining financial assistance from foreign countries and from the Tamil Diaspora to a significant extent.   

Generals like Kobbekaduwa and Janaka Perera, who fought the LTTE fearlessly, also won the hearts and minds of the Tamil people and cleared doubts among the Tamil population that the Sri Lankan Army was racist – an allegation which the LTTE made quite often.  

It is these generals who won the confidence of the Tamil people and convinced them that our military was only trying to liberate them from the megalomaniac Prabhakaran. It is the actions of these generals and soldiers that made the world realize that the LTTE was only interested in itself and not the Tamil people.  

The actions of these political and military leaders proved to the world that the LTTE was not serious about peace. This is why the whole world was eagerly awaiting the defeat of the LTTE. This is how a group of people who were initially perceived as freedom fighters by the rest of the world came to be viewed as terrorists.    Therefore, the defeat of terrorism and LTTE was an united effort that made it possible.  

The defeat of terrorism and the LTTE can be compared to a relay race – such a challenge cannot be won unless all those who participated contributed their might. All of the parties involved played an integral and critical role in the process to ensure the final defeat of terrorism and the LTTE.  

Today, as we celebrate the final defeat, we must recognize the integral and critical role played by all past political and military leaders. If we forget them, then we are certainly not worthy of their sacrifices and efforts on behalf of the nation. All those who fought over the years against terrorism are heroes and should be remembered today.  

A few try to accuse the opposition of not supporting the fight against the LTTE.  In fact, speculation is rife that the UNP is resentful of this heroic victory. Rest assured that the UNP is also celebrating this great achievement and is extremely proud of our armed forces for achieving what was once considered the impossible. They have freed this nation, to which we all belong.   It is imperative that this victory be recognized for what it is – a victory for all the people of Sri Lanka, no matter their race, religion or political leaning.   

The armed forces won the war on behalf of the entire nation, for all the people of this land. The war was not fought on behalf of a single political party alone. The war was fought for all the people of this nation.  

It must be said that we never tried to play politics with the war. Nor did we have long marches while the forces were fighting terrorism in the north and east.   

It must be categorically stated that the only thing the opposition repeatedly said was that there was a distinction between the LTTE and the just claims of the Tamil people, who are part of a united and sovereign Sri Lanka. This is why we continue to be concerned about the civilians.  

The thousands of internally displaced persons are undergoing severe hardship and need to be resettled as soon as possible. The state has a responsibility by these people and should make every effort to bring an end to their suffering. They have already suffered enough over the course of the decades-long war and should be free to reap the benefits of peace now.    

The Army consists of people of this country from all walks of life, ethnicities and different political backgrounds but we, as a responsible Opposition, have a right to know the truth and it is our duty to keep the public informed.  

In our haste to celebrate, let us not forget those who made the celebrations possible – the members of the armed forces who lost life and limb in this war against terror. Let us ensure that the families of those who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield are cared for; that those who sustained injuries and are disabled today are provided for; that those who died so that we could live are never forgotten.  

Let me repeat that the UNP takes great pride in this victory. After all, there isn’t a single other political party that has suffered more than the UNP at the hands of the LTTE. A UNP President, Ranasinghe Premadasa, was killed by the LTTE. A UNP presidential candidate, Gamini Dissanayake, was killed by the LTTE.  Several of our members too became victims.  A potential President from the UNP, Lalith Athulathmudali, was killed by the LTTE. A Defense Minister of a UNP government, Ranjan Wijeratne, was killed by the LTTE. A General Secretary of the UNP was killed by the LTTE.  

The list is endless, which goes to prove that there is no credibility in the allegation that the UNP has not supported the fight against the LTTE or that the UNP is sympathizing and aligning with the terrorist group.  

Prabhakaran, like all dictators, feared the truth. He believed in false propaganda to remain in power. All dictators eliminate people with dissenting views but eventually they dig their own graves.  And that is the fate that has befallen Prabhakaran today.  

Now that the war has come to an end, I would like to urge the President and his Government to take immediate measures to restore democracy and press freedom, as well as the safety of journalists.   

The media is the watchdog of the people and Opposition members in Parliament are representatives of people. The Government must let both these organs live and work without fear of retribution. It should pave the way for all of us to march forward as one nation and one people.  

We like to emphasize that there are still people in this country who have decided to fight for true democracy by taking tough decisions, even though easier paths beckon. They are not willing to sacrifice the basic liberties and values of the people or lose faith in fighting for the same – their intention is to create a nation which respects equality, freedom and justice. This is the crying need of the hour, so that each and every Sri Lankan can live a life of dignity in this land.  

The country is also facing a major economic crisis.  Now that one battle was won the war on the economic front too must be won.   There must be a concerted effort and a professional, committed and transparent approach.     

The country's foreign reserves have plunged to their lowest; inflation and interest rates are high; and bad loans have risen whilst banks are finding it hard to manage, against the backdrop of inadequate returns, which has resulted in a financial crisis which we can ill afford at this juncture. And we are ill-equipped to cope, given the government’s approach in dealing with economic and financial matters.   Many manufacturing industries have either closed down or scaled down operations owing to rising costs and declining income levels. Above is the current state of the Sri Lankan economy that needs to be addressed seriously.  

Under the previous UNP regime, the people experienced low inflation and higher income levels, which alleviated many out of poverty, and flourishing tourism, manufacturing, exports and services sector businesses. The country also enjoyed an inflow of much-needed foreign investment. Let us not forget that this was achieved whilst fighting terrorism on the one hand and facing global shocks on the other.   

Now that the war has been won, it is equally important to win the peace and usher in prosperity for all our people. While the biggest challenge has been won on the warfront, against the backdrop of the global economic crisis, the challenges ahead are many. But together, with a well-defined and committed approach, there is no challenge we cannot overcome.  

So today, as peace dawns upon us after decades of terror, if prosperity is to follow so that all Sri Lankans can live with honour and dignity, it is time for all communities to unite and march forward together as Sri Lankans – not as Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers, but as one people, as one nation, as the sons and daughters of a united motherland.  

With the nightmare of terrorism now behind us, let us live the Sri Lankan dream – ensuring peace and prosperity for one and all.