President slams countries soft on terrorism

President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the G11 Summit in Jordon yesterday declared that some countries had permitted terror organizations to have front offices, institutions, lobby groups and charities based on the premise of democracy and thus they have shown their indifference to terrorism.

He said that unfortunately, some in the developed world tend to view certain terrorist organizations with a degree of tolerance and at times, these terrorists were viewed as rebels or fighters against discrimination, as long as they did not create violence in those countries.

“My request to you is for the G-11 to emphasize the strong bond that unites us all in responding to the challenge of terrorism. All terrorist attacks whether on Amman, Islamabad, London or Colombo, are acts that must be vehemently condemned. There can be no differentiating between them. Terrorism anywhere is terrorism,” the president said.
“As a group which has a common understanding and similar issues to grapple with, we, the members of the G-11 must work towards eliminating terrorism from the face of this earth. It is the poor and the disadvantaged of our countries who suffer most. We have an obligation to them, to make their lives free of violence and anxiety,” the President told the summit.

He said Sri Lanka had suffered heavily from terrorism and so not only it sought to defeat terrorism, but also to liberate the people who had become victims of terrorism and in that exercise, the country was fully committed to safeguarding human rights and democracy.