25 March 2913-We must rebuild a society that loves its enemies as well, President Mahinda Rajapaksa stated during the opening of a monument marking the massacre of 31 Buddhist monks in the Nuwaragalatenna area in Arantalawa on July 2, 1987.
The President stated that the memorial of this massacre is not a symbol of one race but of all peace loving people of the world.
He added that the LTTE terrorists did not respect any religion in the country remembering the massacre of the Buddhist monks and the devotees at the Kattankuddi mosque.
The President stressed that the monument is in no way a sign of hatred towards any race but a symbol that future generations can look upon to remember the people who helped protect Buddhism and the race.