Daily News Editorial

A solid reassurance

24 September 2016

In a landmark address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Maithripala Sirisena has outlined his vision and ambitions for Sri Lanka’s future. The crux of his address was that there would be no more wars or conflicts in Sri Lanka.

Addressing the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Sirisena stressed that his Government has taken effective measures to strengthen democracy, rule of law and good governance in the country paving the way for a positive change to ensure that there will be no more wars on Sri Lankan soil.

This statement, made before top world leaders and the International Community, will hopefully lay to rest the fear psychosis being created by the Joint Opposition and several other factions that the separatist war could recommence in Sri Lanka soon. He told the gathering of eminent world leaders that “the reconciliation process underway has learnt from the bitter experience of a brutal war of three decades” and that he would guarantee “my country will not see the cruelty of war and terrorism again”. For this noble purpose, Sri Lanka welcomes the collaboration and the blessings of the whole world, he noted.

Lest racist and divisive elements interpret this in different way, the President reassured that Sri Lanka being a free, independent and a sovereign nation with territorial integrity, will find its own home-grown recipe for the reconciliation process. Both the President and the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have emphasized time and again that there will be no foreign element in the ongoing accountability and reconciliation process.

It is not possible to heal the wounds of conflict overnight. Indeed, some countries which resolved their conflicts decades ago are still searching for lasting peace. This is why Sri Lanka has asked for more time and space for its reconciliation process after a war that traumatized the nation and sowed the seeds of discord for three long decades. The complex process of reconciliation and nation building has to be done step by step.

“We have no hurry. We tread each wise step with care, vigilance, patience and persistence,” said the President, alluding to this pragmatic policy. The present exercise of drafting a new Constitution with the agreement of all political parties is part of this initiative of achieving a Sri Lankan identity and lasting reconciliation among the different communities and religious groups that call Sri Lanka home.

The other major thrust of the President’s speech was the importance of eradicating the menace of narcotics from the whole world. Stressing that illicit drugs have become the most serious challenge faced by all societies today, the President drew the attention of the audience to the importance of fighting the menace both collectively and individually.

Describing narcotics as “a great obstacle” for the progress of the world community, the President agreed with several other world leaders who had previously spoken of the subject that illicit drugs have become the most serious challenge faced by our societies. The President’s clarion call to the United Nations and the International Community to fight illegal drugs collectively and individually through a robust, more organised international programme received a very favourable response from the august gathering.

The President also referred to the importance of eliminating poverty, one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, noting that 2017 has been declared in Sri Lanka as Poverty Alleviation Year. He observed that economic development and poverty alleviation should go hand in hand. He rightly highlighted the nexus between economic prosperity and free education (as well as free healthcare), to which all post-independence Governments in Sri Lanka were committed.

His speech also touched on an aspect that most world leaders did not mention – the lack of moral values in today’s society which he said had led to a plethora of societal problems including crime and terrorism. In the President’s own words “in many parts of the world, we see the unfortunate proliferation of anger, hatred, and brutality. I would call that the contemporary society is experiencing a crisis of morality. I believe that all states should pay heed to the cry for moral values”. The world should recognize the role that can be played by the leading religions in moulding a morally righteous society, he added.

Pointing out that the future belongs to the youth, President Sirisena outlined his Government’s commitment to giving them better educational and vocational opportunities that would one day propel Sri Lanka to the ranks of developed nations. His reference to a knowledge-based economy is timely as Sri Lanka is poised for a major economic and social transformation in the next few years.

The warm reception accorded to the President’s UN speech and to the President himself by the International Community is indicative of how far Sri Lanka has come on the world stage after the fall of the previous regime under which Sri Lanka almost became a pariah state. It is only by becoming key player in global affairs that we can march ahead, not by isolationism.