Sri Lanka, May 18 -- Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today (18) issued a special statement to commemorate 16 years since the defeat of terrorism in Sri Lanka, which he described as a hard-fought victory over a threat that had plagued the nation for over three decades.

In his message, Rajapaksa emphasised that his sole wish is for Sri Lanka to remain a sovereign nation, united under one lion flag, even long after his lifetime.

He reflected on the collective national dream of building a country where every citizen could live in peace, security, and with equal rights across every inch of the island, free from what he described as the most barbaric terrorism in the world.

Rajapaksa noted that he carried that dream as a leader of the peo...