Sri Lanka yesterday celebrated the traditional New Year with the country’s president calling for national unity, according to an official statement.President Mahinda Rajapakse in the statement said that the traditional New Year becomes more meaningful through the embellishment of friendship and unity.“It is best if every step is taken to build good relations and co-operation with each other during this season of festivity. The observance of the many important traditions associated with the New Year strengthens great unity and understanding,” Rajapakse said in his New Year message.Sri Lanka is celebrating the New Year just a month before it also celebrates three years since the end of a bitter war between the military and Tamil Tiger rebels.The rebels fought for 30 years for an independent Tamil homeland in the Tamil dominated north and east of the country.However with the defeat of the rebels in May 2009 the Sri Lankan government faced allegations of committing human rights abuses in its attempt to bring a quick end to the conflict.Sri Lanka’s Acting Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena in a statement yesterday said that Sri Lanka continues to face obstacles as it looks to achieve “economic victories” three years after defeating the rebels.He called on the public to unite and march forward with one objective as it celebrates the traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year.The traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year include a host of festivities at auspicious times which will continue till Monday. Xinhua