Praise for PM's Bandung address

Convenors of the Association for International Friendship and Solidarity Nanda Kaluthanthri and Dr. T. Jayasinghe state in a press release that the address of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse at the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung deserves the unreserved appreciation of all Sri Lankans for making the country proud at the recent Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung.

His address was not just another Conference Paper but, a bold and outright exposition of the problems facing Asia and Africa. "When compared to the contents of the Sri Lankan contribution in 1955 at the inaugural conference which was a blatant capitulation to the western powers, the address of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse was an exposure of the very same powers. He successfully rekindled the flame of the Non Aligned Movement by highlighting the problems faced by the people of Asia and Africa with regard to poverty, disease, hunger, oppression, terrorism etc. etc.

"As a leading crusader of the Arab cause he did not fail to give the highest priority to the Palestinian question in his list of unfinished business discussed at every international fora during the last fifty years.

His proposals to work within and beyond the UN Framework in meeting the emerging threats to international peace and security and to have an Asian as the next Secretary General of UN deserves our commendation.

This trendsetting proposal is an eye-opener to all Asians and Africans. "The bottom line of the whole address was the boldness in the approach without mincing words and soft peddling thorny issues. We appeal to the governments in Asia and Africa to adopt this address as the base for any future plans and programs for Asia and Africa.

"This Bandung conference saw the emergence of Hon. Mahinda Rajapakse as an international figure and the astonishing depth of the contents of his address has taken him to the ranks of the other distinguished world leaders," the release adds.