Statement by H.E.Mahinda Rajapakse President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka at the General Debate of the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly - New york on 23rd September,2011

Mr. President of the Sixty Sixth Session of the General
 Assembly

Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen

It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Your Excellency Nassir Abdul Aziz Al-Nasser on your assumption of the Presidency. 

I must also congratulate His Excellency Ban Ki-moon warmly on his re-election as Secretary-General and we look forward to working with him constructively.

Human Rights Watch Challenged by the Sri Lanka Mission to the UN

H. E. Dr. Palitha T.B.Kohona
Ambassador & Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

Unveiling Ceremony of the Olcott Statue

Ven Maha Sanga
Congressmen
Distinguished guests

It gives me immense pleasure to be able to participate in this event today, held in honour of Colonel Henry Olcott, the American spiritualist who with Madam Blavatsky, became the key personalities in the revival Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the latter half of the 19th century.  At the time Colonel Olcott came to Sri Lanka, Buddhism was under considerable pressure from the colonial regime and religions introduced by different colonialists, and, was on the decline.  Buddhist education had suffered and Buddhists were largely marginalized in the country where Buddhism had flourished for more than two millennia. Buddhist intellectuals had all but disappeared.  Olcott and his Theosophical Society friends were very much active in the revival of Buddhism, and its restoration as a dynamic force in the country.  Buddhist leaders were reinvigorated and had their confidence reignited. 

H. E. Dr. Palitha T.B.Kohona
Ambassador & Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

Introduction – “Lies Agreed Upon”

I wish to welcome you to the screening of the video, “Lies Agreed Upon”, which is a point by point response to the Channel-4 videos, one of which was screened in New York a few weeks ago, and the Darusman Report. 

The Channel-4 video paints a harrowing picture of the final stages of the war, and it all but convicts the Government and the Security Forces of Sri Lanka of waging a deliberate war against the Tamil population. 

Full text of the statement by the President:

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.

Form 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 in the conclusion of the last budget debate to further widen the cooperation between Parliament and the State.