Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena expressed his “deepest gratitude” to the military today, whilst the former president praised the end of “terrorism”.
?Mr Sirisena tweeted,
“I express my deepest gratitude to all Sri Lankan war heroes on this National War Heroes Commemoration Day.”
Previously the Sirisena government had said the day would be renamed a “day of remembrance”, rather than to commemorate Sri Lankan troops.
Meanwhile former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapapksa, who oversaw the Sri Lankan military offensive in 2009, tweeted,
“Nine years ago, #SriLanka became free from the terrorism of the LTTE. As we celebrate that freedom, let us also remember and honour the brave members of our military and their families who sacrificed so much for us to be able to live in peace.