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Ishara S. Koikara / AFP - Getty Images
Sri Lankan snipers march with their rifles during a Victory Day parade in Colombo Saturday.
Members of Sri Lanka's military took place in a "Victory Day" parade Saturday to mark the defeat of Tamil Tiger separatists in a 25-year civil war.
The parade took place in the capital Colombo and there was also a two-minute silence in memory of 24,000 security force personnel who died during the near conflict, which ended in 2009, Sri Lanka's defense ministry said on its website.
In an address to the nation, President Mahinda Rajapakse said he still could not dismantle military camps in the former Tamil Tiger-controlled areas, the AFP news service reported.
Eranga Jayawardena / AP
Sri Lankan army soldiers carry flags of their respective units during the annual victory day parade.
"The diaspora has not stopped their activities [against Sri Lanka government forces]," Rajapakse said, referring to Tamil separatists abroad, according to AFP.
"It is no secret that LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] leaders are freely operating abroad," he added.
Eranga Jayawardena / AP
Sri Lankan soldier amputees participate in the annual victory day parade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday.
A U.S-backed resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council last month urged Sri Lanka to investigate alleged abuses during the last months of the war. Rights groups claim the president is implicated in shooting fighters as they sought to surrender.
In recent months, rights workers and journalists have been targeted by a government media campaign against "traitors" it says helped the defeated guerrillas.
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How about that. A nation that actually celebrates the brave soldiers that helped it win the conflict! The US certainly hasn't done much to thank OUR OWN SOLDIERS for their job lately!
incredible sacrifices made by many people and a nation that respects their soldiers. Tigers were wiped out. Their supporters and financiers live in the USA, Canada, France, Norway, Australia etc. Canada is the no. 1 source of funding for Tamil Tiger terrorists whose biggest and best weapon was mass suicide bombers against military targets and also civilians. Their signature was their female teenage suicide bombers. Their patron is a white woman named Adele Balasingham who is an Australian white woman now living in Britain under British protection because she is a British citizen. This woman was the one who tied cyanide capsules around the necks of teenage female brainwashed terrorists and was never brought to justice. Too bad the US and UK think they can kill terrorist suspects anywhere across the world but not a nation like Sri Lanka which suffered so much. Now for lasting peace they should eliminate the economic and political root causes of the Tamil separatists. Everyone is glad the Tiger leaders were wiped out but there is a lot of healing to do for all ethnic/racial/language groups on that beautiful island. I was posted there about ten years ago and despite all the terrorist bombs and war, the people never forgot to smile and make do. There was never the paranoia that gripped the USA even though they have seen far more terrorist bomb attacks inside their island than any other nation.
Please see who a terrorist is....
They were not surrendering they were escaping backwards.
Sri Lanka, the only nation to have eliminated insane terrorism from its roots. Half-a-million civilians held hostage as human shields by the terrorists, were freed. They now live happily and are prospering, without fear of their children being forcefully abducted by the terrorists to man the 'front lines'.
Expatriate Tamils, mostly refugees, who took advantage of the conflict to escape to the greener pastures of the West, are now hell-bent on discrediting Sri Lanka to prevent themselves being deported back to a now-peaceful Sri Lanka. These terror-supporters have bribed Western politicians with "campaign donations" (terror-money) and promised votes. Hence the large and pretencious 'concern' about Sri Lanka.
It is time the World let Sri Lanka heal and build Herself. Journalists in the West should visit the North of Sri Lanka, and see for themselves the development that has occurred in only three years. Most money allocated for development is being routed to the North. Sri Lanka is happy, peaceful, and prosperous.
Sri Lanka wiped out the Tamil Tiger insurgents only with the support of Chinese weaponry.
And help from Pakistan,especially small arms & air force training.
Sri Lankan army certainly deserves credit for finally eliminating tamil tigers & its ruthless leader.A small beautiful country, was saved by its undeterred army.Bravo.