• Slogan rejecting 225 MPs is a rejection of this democratic system. I urge you to understand its danger from a historical perspective
• Dont’t drag country back to such a period of horrific violence
• Do not harass or insult those who serve in the police of the tri forces who have dutifully served our country

By Kelum Bandara  

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that every second the youth protested, the country was losing vital dollars and the government would take all possible measures to address the current issues since the other parties refused to accept the request for an all party government.  

In his televised address to the nation, the Prime Minister said his government ended the war that plagued the country for 30 years , and he never intended to leave people suffering in queues to purchase gas and fuel .  
He said he is sensitive to the sufferings of the people and he, along with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would leave no stone unturned in the efforts to overcome the current difficulties.  

Commenting on the slogan rejecting all the 225 MPs, he said history is full of examples to prove repercussions of assaulting parliamentary democracy . He urged the youth in the protests not to drag the country back to such a period of horrific violence.  

He said there was a lot of blood shed during the 88/89 period due to the rejection of democracy at that time .  
“Around 60,000 young lives were lost as a result of the violence unleashed at that time,” he said .  
He said, “I see national flags fluttering in your hand . You have received that freedom due to the enormous sacrifices made by the three forces ,” the Prime Minister said.  

Needless to say, with the closure of our international borders and the travel ban within the country, foreign exchange inflows were halted and subsequently, foreign reserves dried up as they were used up for sustenance.  
You know the situation has become serious when tankers providing fuel have arrived at the port, but we are unable to clear it for want of foreign exchange.   Your parents will attest to the bloody past that shrouded our history.   A movement was birthed in the North of our country during the 1970s and 1980s by the youth who killed elected people’s representatives on the streets as they protested governance, by declaring their refusal for elections and a parliament. The ensuing distress affected not only those in the North but also those in the South of Sri Lanka for over 30 years due to that political movement. Tens of thousands paid with their lives as landmines and bullets claimed Sri Lanka’s children.  

People lost their homes and gradually, school children began to take to the streets in protest. The next inevitable step was to forcibly conscript school children into this evil war.  
I urge our sons and daughters this evening to consider this carefully and protect our nation from once again slipping into a time as dark as that in our history, through these actions.  

My one humble plea is that you do not harass or insult those who serve in the police or the tri forces who have dutifully served our country.  

Remember that today you walk the streets without fear of oppression protesting, because those war heroes sacrificed their lives to save this country for you.  

Keep in mind that these very same war heroes came back to battle for you during the recent pandemic.  
My Sons and Daughters, I see how proudly you wave our national flag during your protests, and it fills my heart with joy. However, do not forget those who laid the foundation for that flag to be freely hoisted anywhere in our homeland.