Respect UN Charter provisions against threats to POLITICAL
INDEPENDENCE of member states of member states – President
President Mahinda Rajapaksa reminded the world of the provisions in
the United Nations Charter of calling on all nations to refrain from the
threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political
independence of any state in their international relations.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the nation at the 65th
Independence anniversary celebrations in Trincomalee. Picture
by Sudath Silva |
He said that nothing contained in the present Charter shall authroize
the UN to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic
jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such
matters to settlement under the present Charter.
President Rajapaksa said this while addressing the nation on the 65th
Independence anniversary celebrations held at the Eastern post city of
Trincomalee today.
President stressed that Sri Lanka is a country that always respects
the Charter of the UN and that all member countries, whether powerful or
weak, should respect its Charter.
Urging the importance of unity among all people he said that as much
as racism, religious differences too can be a cause for the destruction
of a country.
Those who try to provoke religious rivalry in the country do not
serve their religion, but serve the interests of separatism in the
country. We cannot leave room for what could not be achieved through
terrorism to be gained by this means, he said.
President also said not only the government but the opposition too
has the responsibility to safeguard the freedom we have won.
Protecting the country and building reconciliation is not support
extended to the government or the opposition but doing one’s duty by the
land of one’s birth, he said.
Full text of the speech:
We celebrate this 65th anniversary of Independence with great freedom
and the immense pride derived from it. I offer my respectful salute to
all who sacrificed their lives and shed blood and sweat for Sri Lanka’s
freedom and independence.
You are aware that the city of Trincomalee that we are gathered in
today is an area with a very important history. For thousands of years
Sri Lanka was important to the world because of the Trincomalee Harbour
located here. In the past this port was called the Port of Gokanna-titta.
As stated in our Chronicles it was in this area that the two merchant
brothers – Thapassu and Bhalluka – set ashore with the hair relics of
the Buddha. During the Kandyan period, when we had been deprived of
higher ordination of the Sangha, the monks who brought higher ordination
from the ancient land of Siam, also arrived at Trincomalee.
When we were important in the world because of this port, the Dutch
arrived and established a fort at Kottiyar and captured this area. The
evidence of history is that to secure power in Asia control over this
port of Trincomalee should be obtained.
That is why even after the country received independence in 1948 the
British maintained their naval camps in this area. The camps of foreign
naval forces that were in the country since 1795 were removed in 1957.
You will recall what the LTTE Tigers subsequently did to gain control
of this port and city that had become a nerve centre in the Indian
Ocean. The Buddha statue at Trincomalee was protected with barbed wire
fencing around it. There was no peace or freedom even for the sacred
statue. On the day when the first provincial council elections were held
after this area was liberated, the terrorists sunk a ship that was
anchored in this harbour.
We have arrived in Trincomalee today having broken all those shackles
of slavery. Therefore, by holding our Independence Day celebrations in
this city important to the world for thousands of years, we show the
world the importance we attach to both world peace, freedom and
reconciliation. Nearly four years have gone since Sri Lanka became the
only country in the world to have totally eradicated terrorism. However,
throughout this entire period we have had to face continued challenges
to protect the freedom and independence of our motherland.
For this very reason we have now come to a very strong situation.
Similarly, facing up to these challenges have increased our desire to be
committed to our freedom.
False publicity and propaganda
Our interest in gaining economic strength has similarly increased.
Sri Lanka’s foreign policy is that of non-alignment. It is necessary
for us to build a new era in foreign affairs based on this policy. This
is essential for the freedom of Sri Lanka today. In addition to our
traditional relations we have established new links with Asian, African,
Arab and Latin American countries.
We respond to the publicity against Sri Lanka carried out abroad by
inviting foreign countries to come to Sri Lanka. We have seen that the
best answer to false publicity and propaganda carried out in foreign
countries is development and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
Do not believe something just because it is said, because you have
read reports, critics have said it or the media has published it. We
tell the people of the world – Come! Come Over and See for yourselves!
Along with gaining independence in 1948 we were able to be seated as
an equal member of the United Nations Organization. Article 2 of the
United Nations Charter states that the organization is based on the
principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.
I shall now quote it,
* The Organization is based on the Principle of the sovereign
equality of all its Members.
* All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the
threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political
independence of any state, or any other manner inconsistent with the
Purposes of the United Nations.
* Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United
Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the
domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to
submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter.
We are a country that has always respected the Charter of the United
Nations. We strongly hold the position that whether powerful or weak,
any country in the United Nations Organization should respect its
Charter.
It is necessary to state on this occasion that as much as racism,
religious differences too can be a cause for the destruction of a
country. If anyone is trying to build religious rivalry in Sri Lanka
again, they do not serve their religion, but serve the interests of
separatism in the country. We cannot leave room for what could not be
achieved through terrorism to be gained by this.
Today in Colombo and the South the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslim
people live together. In the East the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim people
live together. The best example of this is Trincomalee.
In Ampara too all three communities live in harmony. In building of
the Velgama Raja Maha Viharaya here in Trincomalee, at a certain era the
Tamil Hindus also contributed as much as the Sinhala Buddhists. That is
not all, in Kandy where the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha is
enshrined; the land to build the Meera Makkam Mosque was donated from
land of the Asgiriya Temple.
When the people live together in unity there are no racial or
religious differences. Therefore, it is not practical for this country
to have different administrations based on ethnicity. The solution is to
live together in this country with equal rights for all communities.
Speaking in Tamil too President Rajapaksa said gave the example of
people of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities living together in
harmony in Colombo and the South with Trincomalee being a very good
example for this. He reminded that the building of the Welgama Raja Maha
Viharaya in Trincomalee was through the joint efforts of Sinhala
Buddhists and Tamil Hindus and that land for the Meera Makkam Mosque in
Kandy was given from a Buddhist temple.
He added that when the people live together there was no room for
ethnic or religious differences. It was not possible to divide the
country on racism. The best solution is for all live to live together
with equal rights. Religious differences, just as racial differences
lead to destruction of the country. Anyone who causes such division
supports the division of the country. We will not leave room for that.
Speaking further in Tamil he said: My friends in the Sinhala , Tamil
and Muslim communities all of you have a very high culture. I would urge
you to trust your neighbour and not leave the country as done by the
Diaspora that has left the country and live aboard.
Speaking in Sinhala again the President said,
Value of freedom
If freedom is a heavenly state, it is not a state one can fully
achieve. There was a time when you went past the road blocks in fear of
death. When you trod in fear past the roadblocks you did not see the
potholes. You did not have the time to think of cleanliness of the city
or new road signs. But when the fear of death and the roadblocks are no
more, you notice the potholes on those roads. What is next needed is a
concrete road. Once concrete roads are given to the entire country and
the roads are properly carpeted one notices the absence of modern
signboards. When these are completed we seek roads with more lanes for
traffic.
The expectations in a free country are also like this. The more
freedom is obtained; the people expect a more advanced life.
If you count the decades from 1948 to 58, and onwards, there is no
doubt that the decade of freedom from 2008 to 2018 will become the
greatest era in our country. It is in this decade that we gave full
meaning and content to the statement by Mr. D. S. Senanayake at the time
of independence that “freedom was obtained to reduce sorrow and
increased happiness.”
We are a nation that has suffered immensely for freedom. All
political parties in this country should understand this. It is not only
the Government, but the Opposition too has the responsibility to
safeguard this freedom we have won. Protecting the country and building
reconciliation is not support extended to the Government or the
Opposition. It is support given to the country. It is doing one’s duty
by the land of one’s birth.
It is necessary that I place before the world a reference in Buddhist
teaching about the value of freedom. In preaching to a young Brahmana
named Ambatta, the Buddha related the example of Gomariththa to show the
importance of being able to live freely even under the most trying
conditions. The bird refer to Kata Kirilli, commonly known in villages
as Gomariththa (common wagtail) is found in paddy fields that builds its
nets under the mud raised by ploughing the field. The Kata Kirilli too
should have the freedom to live within its nest the way it wishes.
The Sri Lankan people are also entitled to this freedom. Therefore
the people of my country should have the right to live freely.
Wish you a bright and prosperous future!
|