Protection of Tamils my responsibility: Rajapaksa

Colombo, May 19 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Mahinda
Rajapaksa Tuesday declared that the war against the LTTE was
over as he reached out to the Tamil population saying their
protection was the responsibility of his government.

Addressing Parliament a day after the Army claimed to
have wiped out the entire LTTE leadership including its
supremo V Prabhakaran, Rajapaksa said, "victory against the
LTTE has been achieved".

Rajapaksa, who spoke in Sinhalese and Tamil, said
"protection of all people, including Tamils, is my duty and
responsibility".

There was no mention of the LTTE chief in his speech. A
pro-LTTE website had earlier in the day claimed that
Prabhakaran was "alive and safe" but gave no indication of his
location.

The army had Monday claimed that Prabhakaran, 54, was
shot dead by the special forces as he tried to stage a
dramatic breakout from the army encirclement in the war zone.
His son Charles Anthony and several other top leaders were
found dead in the mopping-up operation.

In his message of hope and reconciliation to the ethnic
minority population which has been living on edge for the past
three decades, Rajapaksa said, ensuring equal rights for all
"is my goal".

"Defeating LTTE is also a victory for the international
community," said the Sri Lanka President who was repeatedly
applauded by the legislators.

Inviting the Tamil civilians who had fled the country
during the ethnic conflict, he said, "our war was with the
LTTE and not against the Tamil civilians". PTI VMN
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