Spanish Translation

As the President who has participated most in the affairs of Parliament since the Executive Presidency was established, I am in Parliament today to further demonstrate by determination that there should be closer links between Parliament and the Presidency. 

From the time I was elected President I have presented all budgets in Parliament. I was able to obtain the continuous support of Parliament for the economic and development programmes presented in these budgets. I participated at the conclusion of the last budget debate to further widen the cooperation between Parliament and the State.

Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris said yesterday that it was unreasonable for the international community to expect a complete remedy for all issues in the short span of two and a half years since the Lankan conflict ended. 

Addressing the diplomatic community in Colombo he pointed out that certain other countries which have faced similar situations had taken a number of years to come up with lasting solutions to major issues.

Sri Lanka entered in to a BOT agreement with China Merchants Holdings (International) Co., Ltd, a listed flagship company of China Merchants Group on 12^th August 2011.

The total investment in the project is expected to exceed US$ 500 million and is Sri Lanka’s single largest private-sector foreign investment project. The terminal comprises a total quay length of 1,200 m and a depot land area of 58 hectares, with water depth of 18m. The project is expected to take two phases, with Phase I to be ready for operation by early 2013. Pursuant to the BOT Agreement, China International Container Terminal (CICT), the operating company, is a joint venture established between China Merchants Holdings International, Aitken Spence Plc and Sri Lanka Ports Authority for the design, construction and management of the Colombo South Terminal. China Merchant holds 55% of CICT while Aitken Spence Plc holds 30% and SLPA, 15%.  

Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of External Affairs met with an 8-member delegation led by the Managing Director of Gazprom International Mr. Gulev Veleriy at the Ministry of External Affairs in Colombo.  Associated with the meeting was the Ambassador for the Russian Federation in Sri Lanka, Vladimir P. Mikhaylov.

Gazprom is one of the world’s largest energy companies.  Its major business lines are geological exploration, production, transportation, storage, processing and marketing of hydrocarbons as well as generation and marketing of heat and electric power.

Sri Lanka looks forward to increasing cooperation in trade and investment from China, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in an interview with Xinhua.  

President Rajapaksa said China and Sri Lanka have seen the cooperation in many spheres, which has contributed to the regional stability and development.

 "The high level exchanges between our two governments and the other interactions in areas of mutual interest have been most useful in developing the best relations between us. In fact it will be right to say that the relations between China and Sri Lanka are at the highest levels of friendship and understanding," said the President.

 In spanish

By David Blacker

Last week, I attended a seminar conducted by the Colombo-based Marga Institute, a think tank devoted to studying and influencing human development in Sri Lanka. Marga is in the process of putting together a review of the UN Secretary General’s advisory panel report on Sri Lanka (the well-known Darusman Report), which will analyze several aspects of this document, including its legal credibility; the manner in which it makes its allegations and narrates the series of events that made up the final stages of the war; the recommendations of the report; and, very importantly, the impact all of this will have on the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka, via accountability and restorative justice. The seminar itself was to elaborate on the thinking behind the review, discuss the draft, and possibly include the conclusions of such discussions in the final review.

Read More … 

Courtesy: Defence.lk

In Spanish

"The false claims and allegations made by Tamil Diaspora together with the LTTE international network will be laid to rest with the release of the factual analysis reports, said Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa.  

He expressed these views addressing the gathering at the launching of the report titled "Humanitarian Operation Factual Analysis July 2006 - May 2009," on Monday (Aug 01), at the Hilton Colombo.  

Secretary Defence further questioned, "Why should the government, which directly looked after the family of LTTE leaders, kill those who surrendered to the military?"  

"The sole purpose of these allegations is to discredit Sri Lanka and disrupt the prevailing peace in the country," he said commenting on the Channel-4 canard, 

 "11,000 former LTTE cadres have been rehabilitated and reintegrated to society thus far. Medical supplies were released to the North even up to the last day of the humanitarian mission, which ended on May 18, 2009", he further stressed.

The Government of Sri Lanka has noted the statement by the British Foreign Office Minister for South Asia, Alistair Burt on the Channel 4 documentary telecast on 14th June 2011.  

This documentary, like the Darusman Report, does no more than put together a sequence of events and images, to justify a conclusion arrived at in advance.  The origins of this footage are yet to be established, and no one has so far taken responsibility for its contents.  It is a mere collection of visuals previously aired through LTTE websites and a miniscule section of the international media, at the behest of parties with vested interests to undermine the present efforts at reconciliation and development taking place in Sri Lanka.  The views expressed in the film are without any guarantee of authenticity.

Statement by Sri Lanka High Commission, London on the Channel 4 Film “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields” 

The Government of Sri Lanka categorically denies the allegations that it has deliberately targeted its own civilians, as the Channel 4 alleges in its film “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields”. 

Mr President 

Excellencies 

Madam High Commissioner 

Distinguished delegates

I wish to commend the constructive manner in which you, Mr President, have been conducting the work of the Human Rights Council. Our deliberations have been guided by you with sagacity and sensitivity, aimed at achieving the objectives of our agenda in a fair and equitable manner. You have the fullest cooperation and support of my delegation for the work of the Council.

Mr. President,

Consequent to the liberation of our people from the clutches of terrorism in May 2009, and mindful of the insurmountable challenges faced in its aftermath the Government of President Rajapaksa has embarked upon several initiatives in the areas of resettlement, rehabilitation, economic development, reconstruction and reconciliation to benefit those whose lives were affected by 30 years of conflict. In the immediate aftermath, the Government's priority has been the resettlement of the approximately 290,000 IDPs, while ensuring that they are provided adequate shelter, food, security and livelihood support.  Today, ninety five percent (95%) have been resettled. It is envisaged to resettle the remainder, once the demining process is completed. 

Statement by H.E. Kshenuka Senewiratne, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN, Geneva on the Statement of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay on 30 May 2011  

Mr. President,

 My delegation is perplexed to note the High Commissioner’s reference as stated, to the report of the Secretary General’s Panel of Experts on accountability in Sri Lanka.  It is widely known that the said report was borne outside of an intergovernmental process.  It is a report which was initiated solely by the UNSG to advise himself on the modalities, applicable international standards and comparative experience relevant to an accountability process in respect to the conflict in Sri Lanka.  It is extremely unfortunate, Mr President, that the High Commissioner has thought fit to refer to it in her report to the 17^th Session of the HRC, a document which was compiled by a Panel to advise the SG, that too at his own request, and well exceeding its mandate, thereby bringing into question her objectivity. In this context, the High Commissioner has resorted to drawing on recommendations culminating from a report of a non intergovernmental process, which also has no official status in the UN system.  This Council would agree that at no point has it sought this so called information referred to by the High Commissioner.

The Government of Sri Lanka has consistently espoused and been guided by the gentle tenets of Buddhism, which emphasizes Karuna, Metta, Muditha and Upeksha meaning  -kindness, loving compassion, thoughtfulness and equanimity said Kshenuka Senewiratne addressing a large international gathering at the commemoration of the  2600^th Anniversary of Sri Sambuddhathva Jayanthi, which  was celebrated at the United Nations in Geneva on the 11^th May 2011. This commemorative event was organized by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Geneva, at the United Nations Assembly Hall, which is considered a most prestigious venue. This occasion was also graced by Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Disaster Management and Mr. Kassym Jomart Tokayev, United Nations Under-Secretary General and the newly appointed Director General of the United Nations Office in Geneva, who is the former Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan.

Need to build new financial order to better face future crises – President  

“Essential that globally influential economies act in a globally responsible manner”   

The global economic crisis taught us many lessons that varied across nations. All countries learnt both common and individual lessons, from this crisis, which left behind a trail of serious damage across nations and shook the very foundations of the financial structure of the world. It is therefore, clear that if we are to safeguard the world economy in the future, we would need to build a new financial order and a model that will better equip us to face crises of this nature, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his inaugural address to the 49th South East Asian Central Bank Governors’ (SEACEN) Conference, in Colombo today (25).

Commenting on the theme of the conference - “Post-Global Financial Crisis: Issues and Challenges for Central Banks of Emerging Markets” - he said that in seeking to build a new financial order much attention has been paid to regulate and supervise financial institutions which are considered to be “too big to fail”. This is indeed commendable, since the fall of major global financial institutions damages the international financial structure in a permanent manner.

‘Inconvenient and difficult decisions also necessary for nation’s progress’ 

The people of our country must change their attitudes about future progress of the country, similar to the manner in which they began to think afresh about achieving victory over the forces of terror. There is the need for an enormous attitudinal change from children to adults to achieve national development, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the nation at the 63rd celebration of Independence in Kataragama today (4 Feb). 

This is the true freedom that we believe in, he stressed. 

Similar to the success of our conviction that terrorism could be defeated, we have also shown our ability to build large power stations at Norochcholai, Upper Kothmale and Kerawalapitiya, build massive ports in Hambantota and Colombo, develop major irrigation schemes as in Moragahakanda and Uma Oya, and make our cities clean, he said. 

He pointed out that all of this will not make our freedom meaningful in the absence of a law-abiding society. ‘Therefore, we are committed to building a law-abiding society. The respect for discipline in a society is essential for development.’ 

President Rajapaksa added that the country cannot be developed solely on popular decisions. ‘Inconvenient and difficult decisions are also necessary for the nation’s progress. It is the nation’s responsibility to take hard and difficult decisions to bring light to the future of our children, rather than take popular decisions that will lead them to darkness ahead’, he said.

With great determination and patience, we have built mutual understanding and trust among the people about the nation's development. Strengthening this should be among our wishes for the New Year, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his New Year message.

We look towards the future at the dawn of this New Year with renewed determination, firm commitment and many positive expectations, he said adding, ‘Our aim is to recover with speed all that was lost to Sri Lankan society in more than three decades'.

The purpose of celebrating Christmas is to enshrine the message of peace and love in one's heart, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his Christmas message. 

Following is the message: 

I wish a Happy Christmas to all Sri Lankans and citizens of the world who celebrate the birth of Christ at this Christmas!

The purpose of celebrating Christmas is to enshrine the message of peace and love in one's heart. It is especially a time to spread the message of love and compassion towards the poor and peace among all peoples.

Today, we in South Asia commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and I have the pleasure on this occasion to extend warm greetings and best wishes of the Government and people of Sri Lanka to the Governments and people of South Asia.