Addressing a gathering at Horana today, the senior Minister of Good Governance & Infrastructure Facilities and former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said the government needed to arm the three armed forces with modern arms and increase the defense expenditure since the threat of dividing the country still prevails as the elements that obstruct the freedom of the country are active both locally and internationally.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris also said today at a press briefing that the events like Tamil Eelam Solidarity Organization (TESO) conference prove that the LTTE remnants are trying to re-network and terrorist threat still prevails.
He rejected the argument that the government had not taken adequate measures to prevent TESO. He said that both the central government of India and the state government of Tamil Nadu were against the TESO.
The Minister urged the public to give utmost support to the government at the forthcoming provincial council elections to give a strong message to the LTTE sympathizers.
- CG