Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse declared victory against Tamil Tiger rebels on Tuesday and stressed that the government would seek a political settlement to the island's long drawn-out separatist armed conflict in the post-Tamil Tiger era.

Making the victory speech at parliament after his troops successfully ended a three-year bitterly fought military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the president said "We will work towards a solution acceptable to all parties."

"The international community should never doubt our ability or our commitment to resolve the problem. We need assistance and not to place obstacles," Rajapakse said.

"No community would be treated as minorities. All are equal. There will only be two kinds -- patriotic people and a small number of unpatriotic people," the president added.

He appealed to the minority Tamil diaspora to return to the island and start rebuilding the nation ravaged by the separatist war.

Recalling his campaign against the Tiger rebels, Rajapakse said every inch of the land has been liberated and his government's writ now extends to all parts of the island..

Sri Lankan military commanders officially conveyed to Rajapakse Monday evening the end to the military campaign after news filtered that the troops had eliminated the rebels' senior leadership while capturing the last bits of territory under rebel hold.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2009)