LTTE's atrocities harden our resolved to eliminate terrorism: Prez
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, April 9, IRNA
Sri Lanka-LTTE-President
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has underlined the resolve of the government to fight the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)'s atrocities, saying 'the terrorists will be sadly mistaken if they think that we could be driven into submission'.
"LTTE's atrocities will only harden our resolve to eliminate terrorism," he said at a function in Colombo Wednesday, zeenews portal reported here.
Rajapaksa said the LTTE has been involved in killing of ministers and MPs this year, with the government's chief whip and Cabinet Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle being the latest victim.
Fernandopulle was killed during a suicide attack at a sports function in Colombo on Sunday.
"The terrorists will be sadly mistaken if they think that we could be driven into submission through these acts. Far from it, we will be even more determined to wipe out terrorism from this land," he said during the launch of Central Bank's 2007 annual report in Colombo.
"We will continue with the war against terrorism," he said adding that the fight should be seen in context with providing humanitarian assistance to the common people who lived in fear.
On the economic front, Rajapaksa, who is also in-charge of finance, said the government recorded an impressive economic growth despite challenges posed by terrorism and global economic problems.
He said the country's economy had grown at a rate of six percent on an average during the last three years.
Rajapaksa pointed out that the per capita income, which stood at dlrs 1,068 in 2004, had now risen to dlrs 1,617.
He said despite rising cost of living, the poverty level came down and now stood at 15 percent as against 23 percent in 2002.
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