50,000 to be recruited to Sri Lankan Forces

Defence Spokesman, Keheliya Rambukwella today announced that  fifty thousand personnel would be recruited the Tri-Forces and the Police to strengthen the nation's security  in the aftermath of  the victory over terrorism.

He said there was no question of reducing the strenght of the  armed forces or the police after the war, as the country needed a strong force for its' security.

Rambukkwella recalled that 16,000 square kilo metres lost to terrorists had been recaptured and it was necessary to expand the strenght of the  troops and police to  strenghten security in those areas.

Addressing the media in Colombo, Minister Rambukwella said the debris after the war was being now cleared..

Meanwhile, Minister Rambukwella said that the Government s first and foremost priority is to help the Internally Displaced People to get back on their feet and ensure for them a prosperous future.

The Government s first, second and third priorities are to ensure that we are focussed on around 300,000 IDPs who were liberated from the LTTE clutches and living in the IDP centres are returned to a normal life. The Government had taken this issue as a priority concern resettling and rehabilitating the IDPs , he added.

He reiterated that the Government s goal is not only to resettle the IDPs in their original dwellings but also to restore livelihoods.

He said that while the whole world accepts terrorism as a cancer that is spreading round the globe some have also at the same time called for a negotiated settlement with the LTTE and claimed that the LTTE can t be defeated militarily.

The government had embarked on its humanitarian operation to liberate the innocent civilians trapped under the LTTE. The mission was successful. We not only defeated the LTTE militarily but also dismantled their infrastructure and weakened their fighting capability. The LTTE leader and his cadres were dealt a humiliating defeat. The LTTE had completely lost its power , he added.

In the process of eliminating terrorism around 300,000 civilians have become IDPs. They are our brothers and sisters. They are part of our society. The entire focus of the government is to make sure that these people were looked after and provided with all the facilities while restoring their livelihoods. The government is going beyond sheltering the IDPs into counselling, family reunion, education of children and to give them the feeling that they are part of the country.

He noted that some political parties ignoring the realities are trying to make political capital. Some of them are talking about the 13th Amendments, devolution of power and some others are quering what the Government plans to do with the massive defence expenditure which will now be saved with the end of the war.

These are not the issues to be discussed at the moment. The priority is to resettle the IDPs and provide them a better livlihood.

The Government s main geal is to ensure the country gots back to normal, he added.
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