No War in Sri Lanka – President

Abour Report not Valuable – President

MIG deal 100% transparent - Gothabaya

(October, 20, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) President Mahinda Rajapaksa who speaking at his ever monthly media (Janapathi Janatha Hamuwa) meeting at Temple Trees last night (October 19) says the country is not facing a war but is implementing only an operation within the uncleared areas.

"Who is saying we are facing War? It's false. We are not facing war", President Rajapaksa said.

President Rajapksa also commented on the recent visit to Sri Lanka on her Human Rights Mission by Louiee Abour, The Commissioner for Human Rights to the World Body.

"How can she find out enough to fill a full report on Human Rights in Sri Lanka while on a 4-5 days' visit? It's so very difficult that we can't accept her report," President Rajapaksa said.

"How can we be satisfied with the value of her repot lacking any deep observations?" he asked.

Meanwhile, a top level Minster in the government, Champika Ranawaka , echoed the President's comment in follow-up: "We don't care about her report", he said.

The monthly media meeting orgnised by the president's office. Chief Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Rajitha Senanratna, and Douglus Devananda and few Ministers' secretaries including secretary of Defence Gothabaya Rajapaksa, P.B. Jayasundara and Lalith Weeratunga attended the media discussion. Others invited by the President were pro-Government Journalists some of whom are in the payroll of the Government.

The program was broadcast live on several television channels and radio stations in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile some journalist posed questions to the President and other ministers on current bad political developments in the country and the sky-rocketing cost of living. But they felt they did not get satisfactory or responsible answers to their questions; they felt their questions were given slighting answers.

However, speaking to the rare media meeting, Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa said, "the deal of the MIG27 was the only one hundred percent transparent arms deal in Sri Lankan history. The Sri Lankan newspapers tried to create black mark for us with their selfish motivations but they failed. Now I'm ready to file a court case against those journalists and their newspapers."

Meanwhile some of pro-Government Journalists say have more media freedom under the current government than in the past. "Sir … I'm strongly satisfied in the implementation of media freedom in the Country. The Media here and their members are now never facing any problems," Hudson Samarasinghe who was a political party supporter and Journalist said.