South Asia News
Sri Lankan president vows to push development agenda
Feb 4, 2011, 7:08 GMT
Colombo - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Friday vowed to overcome a 30-year development setback caused by the three-decade civil war against Tamil separatists, which slowed economic growth.
'We now face the immense challenge of restoring all that was lost to the nation, except the lives of those lost, in the 30 years of terrorism,' Rajapaksa said on the 63rd anniversary of the island gaining independence from Britain.
'The history of the world has shown that it needs a great deal of time to rebuild a nation that has faced such devastation,' he said.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were defeated in May 2009, but the government has not yet resettled the displaced members of the Tamil minority or allowed them to return home. Work is ongoing to repair infrastructure and clear landmines in the northern part of the country.
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