Saroj Pathirana

	Tamil Tigers

“We are capable of taming anybody, wherever they are, who threatens the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka,” he told a gathering in Rathnapura.

President Rajapaksa made the remarks at a felicitation ceremony to honour himself, defence secretary, armed forces commanders and former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

Sri Lankan government announced militarily defeating the Tamil Tigers and capturing all LTTE held territory on 18 May, three months ago today.

The president and military leaders are being honoured by every province since then. Tuesday’s celebration marked the turn of Sabaragamuwa province.

The Sri Lankan government has thereafter arrested the new leader of the LTTE, Selvarasa Pathmanathan, reportedly in Malaysia.

He is currently being questioned in a secret location in Sri Lanka. (Both Sri Lanka and Malaysia have refused to reveal the country in which he was arrested).

President Rajapaksa was apparently commenting on the arrest as he talked about taming anybody that threatens Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan military, the president said, became the “most disciplined armed force in the world” during the last stages of the conflict.

President Rajapaksa highly praised the security forces that “made a huge sacrifice” for the country.

He did not directly mention the recent controversies over the murder of two youth while in police custody and a student being abducted and brutally assaulted allegedly by a group of police officers.

But the journalists say he indirectly warned the police as he said that he is not prepared to “protect those make a black mark on security forces.”

Sri Lankan state is accused by the human rights groups, including Amnesty International, of failing to punish the culprits of serious human rights violations.