Yesterday he wished the world "May all beings be happy"

Bandula Jayasekara at the United Nations

US: Three decades ago in 1970 a young lad from Ruhuna entered Parliament as the youngest Member in that Parliament.

That lad like his party the SLFP had an indigenous identity. He appealed to the masses and the masses appealed to him.

The SLFP was never a racist party and the young MP was a humanist. He proved it to his country and to the world later in life those human qualities. He became a campaigner for human rights. He never forgot his friends and reached out even to the people who abused him or worked against him.

Those were his rural qualities. His feet were firmly on the ground, a son of the soil. It was a long journey to the top.

He stood like a rock during turbulences and storms in his party. He did not change his colours or leave his party.

Last year he reached the top against all odds and became the 5th President of Sri Lanka. Yesterday, he walked in to the United Nations General Assembly clad in our national dress, with his Kurakkan Satakaya and addressed the world.

He spoke of Buddhist values of kindness, compassion, non-violence, the right of all his citizens to live in freedom and with dignity.

He spoke of the Sri Lankan dream, threatened by terrorism. Standing in front of the World at the United Nations, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and President of the Pearl of the Indian Ocean wished the world "May all beings be happy".