Releasing a message for the anniversary of the end of the war, former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa called upon the people to cherish the peace won by the war veterans and to protect it to build a better Sri Lanka together as ‘Sri Lankans’.

In the message posted on his Facebook page, Rajapaksa called on the people to remember all those whose lives were lost or forever changed by the conflict.

“Let us honour the brave personnel who dedicated their lives for our future. Let us be grateful to them and their loved ones for their sacrifice”, Rajapaksa said.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, brother of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was the defence secretary of Sri Lanka during the presidency of his brother and saw the end of the war in 2009.