President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday reiterated the Government's commitment to ensuring the rights of all religions in the country.
"When we are trying to use religion and all other good means in our efforts to lead the youth on the correct path, the LTTE is trying to instill a culture of violence by arming these youngsters to bring death and destruction to their own community," the President said.
The President was speaking at a ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat, which was organised by the Public Trustee's Department with the twin objective of ordaining young monks for temples in the conflict affected areas and donating funds to uplift temples in the same areas in the North, East and North Central provinces. The programme is titled 'Aranthalawen Mihinthalawata'.
Referring to the murder of Ven. Handungamuwe Nanadrathane Thera, the President said terrorists have taken the life of another monk who was a beacon of hope for all communities and faiths in the area.
"This is yet another instance of the terrorists' brutality. The terrorists who murder Ven. Theras who deliver sermons in Tamil and who ordain Tamil children, also murder persons like MP Nadaraja Raviraj who spoke in Sinhalese and lived with the Sinhalese," he commented.
To mark the occasion, 31 youngsters who are to be ordained shortly received tokens in remembrance of the massacre of 31 Bhikkus in Aranthalawa by the LTTE 20 years ago. Twenty five chosen temples received donations to develop the temples. This programme is to be carried forward on a larger scale in the future.
The President urged Buddhist priests to carry their work forward in bringing harmony to all communities despite obstacles. As the guardians of the nation this was the time they should come forward.
The President stressed that the Government was committed to destroy terrorism in all its forms.
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