On behalf of the
Government and people of Sri Lanka I congratulate
you, Madam President, on your assumption of the high
office of the presidency of the General Assembly at its
sixty-first session. I am happy to note that a lady from
a sister Asian country will guide us through the current
session. As Sri Lanka was the first country in the
modern world to elect a woman as Head
of Government — Prime Minister Sirimavo
Bandaranaike — your assumption of this high office is
of special significance to us. To Mr. Jan Eliasson I
convey our gratitude for the leadership he provided
during the work of the sixtieth session.
In 1970, when I was first elected to the
Parliament of Sri Lanka, a paragraph in the Preamble
to the Charter of the United Nations gave substance
and direction to my future political life. It was “to
reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the
dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal
rights of men and women and of nations large and
small”. Having been a human rights campaigner at the
grassroots level throughout my political life, I found it
natural that my new Government should be committed
to carrying the message of democracy to all corners of
our multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious
country. “Democracy, equity and prosperity” is our
clarion call.
In addition, my country has been influenced by
the core Buddhist values of non-violence, loving
kindness, compassion, equanimity and mindfulness.
With this sense of direction, our Government has
committed itself “Towards a new Sri Lanka”, guided
by a vision of peace, where every Sri Lankan citizen
may live with dignity and self-respect, in freedom and
without fear, free of want, and where every child may
enjoy childhood and grow up with hope and
expectation.
However, Sri Lanka’s dream is threatened by a
terrible affliction that impedes development,
undermines democracy and challenges fundamental
freedoms. I refer to the bane of terrorism which
confronts my country and many other countries of the
world. I reaffirm my Government’s firm commitment
to supporting all global efforts to combat terrorism
whenever and wherever it raises its ugly head.
Terrorism has become closely intertwined with
organized crime. It is now directly linked with people
smuggling, the trade in illicit drugs, the illegal trade in
small arms and money-laundering. Terrorism is a major
impediment to development and poses a terrible
challenge to civilized society. We support all measures
undertaken in the United Nations to meet this
challenge. We have ratified all United Nations
conventions in this regard.
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In our capacity as Chair of the ad hoc committee
on measures to eliminate international terrorism we
shall spare no effort to realize the international legal
framework to facilitate our common struggle against
terrorism. It is our fervent hope that the comprehensive
convention on international terrorism will soon become
a reality.
The illicit trade in and trafficking of small arms
and light weapons has contributed to the escalation of
many local conflicts because of the easy availability of
arms for non-State actors. Sri Lanka is concerned that,
despite the commitment of the international community
to wipe out this menace, the impact at ground level
throughout the world is limited. We hope that the
United Nations Plan of Action on this matter will be
fully implemented and its scope further expanded in
the future.
With regard to terrorism, I speak from personal
experience in my own country. Exploiting minority
concerns, which we are addressing politically, a
ruthless terrorist outfit in Sri Lanka, the LTTE, has
been terrorizing our people for over two decades. In an
age when the world seeks dialogue and peace, the
LTTE devotes its full force to violence, suicide
bombings, massacre of civilians, indiscriminate armed
assaults and the conscription of young children for war.
Assurances given to the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict on
the conscription of children for armed combat have
been blatantly violated.
At the presidential election in November last year
people in certain parts of Sri Lanka were cruelly
deprived of their freedom to vote. Furthermore, in an
act of ethnic cleansing more than 60,000 Muslims were
forcibly expelled from their homes in the north.
Our Government believes that some of the
concerns of minorities in my country have deep roots.
In this connection I recall the following words in the
Constitution of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
“since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the
minds of men that the defences of peace must be
constructed”.
Soon after my election, despite the violence
unleashed by the terrorists, I expressed the conviction
that we needed to address the causes of the conflict
from a fresh perspective and with a new approach to
develop a sustainable solution. We examined this issue
with an open mind, and looked at every option with a
view to evolving a national consensus to achieve an
honourable peace in an undivided country. A
consultative process is currently under way to prepare
constitutional proposals to address the concerns of the
minorities. I have invited the LTTE to participate in the
process of seeking a solution to the conflict through
dialogue.
As one of the oldest democracies in Asia, we are
firmly convinced that the restoration of democracy, the
creation of space for dissent, and the promotion of
human rights in the conflict-affected areas are essential
elements of a successful and sustainable process of
peace. I hope that the international community will
continue to extend to us its fullest support towards the
transformation of the LTTE into a democratic civilian
organization.
Our Government firmly believes that terrorism
cannot be eliminated through military means alone. We
remain fully committed to talking with the LTTE,
either directly or through a facilitator. It is our hope
that the LTTE will transform itself from a terrorist
outfit into one that is committed to dialogue and
democracy. Our Government stands ready to respond to
any display of good will and a move towards a non-
violent approach.
We continue to take unilateral humanitarian
measures, which extend even to terrorist cadres. As a
responsible Government we will continue to provide
unhindered access to conflict-affected areas to the
International Committee of the Red Cross, United
Nations agencies and other recognized humanitarian
agencies.
More than 53,000 Muslims were evicted from
their homes by the terrorists following the recent
violence. They are the innocent victims of the LTTE’s
ruthless policies. Following Government counter-
measures, almost all have now returned to their homes.
The Government has assumed responsibility to provide
medical supplies, food and other essential items to the
internally displaced persons living in the affected
areas.
I am pleased to state that, despite the conflict in
our country, the economy of Sri Lanka continues to
grow at a commendable rate. In the first quarter of this
year we recorded growth of 8.1 per cent — the highest
in 28 years. With our determination to further enhance
growth with equity, we have adopted an economic
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strategy that will provide opportunities for all citizens,
while giving adequate space to the private sector as the
engine of growth.
We continue to maintain the highest rating in
South Asia on the Human Development Index. We
have already achieved some of the Millennium
Development Goal targets in primary school
enrolment, gender equality and maternal and infant
mortality rates. We hope that the increased economic
opportunities in the country will further encourage the
LTTE to opt for a negotiated peace.
We follow a pro-poor development strategy, with
a focus on regionally balanced growth. Our objective is
to achieve overall development while raising the
income levels of the poor through the empowerment of
communities living at the grass-roots level. In this
connection, Sri Lanka hopes that debt forgiveness will
continue to be expanded to encourage the development
of developing countries. It is only right that those who
reach the heights of development should pause to lend
a helping hand to those who have fallen behind due to
circumstances.
I wish to acknowledge the role of President
Clinton, the United Nations Special Envoy for Tsunami
Recovery, and the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan,
for their assistance with tsunami-related support. I also
acknowledge the support given by many other
countries. I am pleased to state that, despite being a
developing country, we are now well on the way to
recovery from this massive disaster, in many instances
as a result of the efforts of our own people. We urge
our development partners to stay involved with us in
this long-term effort.
We in Sri Lanka see the United Nations as
indispensable in creating a just and secure world order.
We, the 192 Members of the United Nations, must
continue to have faith in our collective capacity to
reform the United Nations so that it is made more
effective and more relevant to the needs of its
Members in facing the challenges of the twenty-first
century.
We are pleased with several important measures
that have been adopted since the sixtieth session. Given
my personal commitment to the promotion of human
rights at both the local and international level, the
establishment of the Human Rights Council, with
enhanced status and capacity to promote and protect
human rights worldwide, is a cause for delight. I am
happy that Sri Lanka was elected to the Council last
May. In honouring a pledge made during the
presidential election last year, we have already started
work on crafting a human rights charter in Sri Lanka.
Consistent with our goal of safeguarding human rights,
my Government will establish an international panel to
observe investigations into certain alleged human
rights violations that my Government has already
condemned.
The establishment of the Peacebuilding
Commission is another important landmark
achievement of the United Nations this year. We are
pleased that Sri Lanka has been elected to its
organizing Committee as a founder member of that
important body. The needs and concerns of those
affected, the specific theatres of conflict, and the
realities on the ground of each specific situation must
necessarily be taken into account in the Commission’s
work.
We are also encouraged by the general agreement
that the Security Council must be strengthened, as it
does not reflect current geopolitical realities. We
therefore look forward to the continuation of work
towards Security Council reform, towards making its
composition more representative and its decision-
making more democratic. It is essential that the
Security Council reflect the current geopolitical
realities in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
For long years now, on the basis of our
commitment to human rights and dignity, we have had
a lasting interest in seeing the emergence of peace in
the Middle East. Recognition of the rights of the
Palestinian people is of concern to me and to my
country. Many Sri Lankans have in recent years made
the Middle East their temporary home. We are pained
by the recent escalation of violence in that region and
the devastation in Lebanon. It is our sincere hope that
Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) will pave the
way for peace and security for Lebanon and the region.
The Preamble to the Charter requires that we
“unite our strength to maintain international peace and
security”. Let us all, Members of the United Nations,
focus sharply on this commitment. Let us dedicate
ourselves to its realization and let us mobilize our
collective energies towards the achievement of peace
and security worldwide.
Let us make peace the goal of the present decade.
Let us all unite for peace. May all living beings be free
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of suffering, be healthy and be prosperous. May the
blessings of the Noble Triple Gem be with you all.