Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has called for an honorable peace in the war-torn country where both government forces and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels are observing a one-month ceasefire in the north and east.
In a new year message issued on Monday and carried on official Daily News on Tuesday, Kumaratunga said as much as it has been during the past several years this year too the only wish of the people is a peaceful and prosperous country.
She called for resolution and determination to fulfill this hope under whatever the challenges have to be faced and sacrifices to be made.
Describing the path of peace as a "hazardous and painful" one, the president said it is not defeat to one party or victory to another. What is required is an honorable peace, she stressed.
In the cause of achieving peace remedies were essential not only to curb obstacles but also basic facts underlining the problems. The spirit of rancor, hatred and vengeance have to be totally abandoned, she said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the country is stepping into the new year with thousand and one hopes and wishes at heart.
The path open for them to traverse towards the fulfillment of these hopes and wishes was not flower strewn but an extremely hazardous one, he said.
He said that the Sri Lankans were embracing in their arms not a beautiful bouquet flowers but a thorny branch. He appealed the people in the country to tread the hazardous terrain and make the thorny branch bloom.
(Xinhua News Agency January 1, 2002)
