http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/09/26/news02.asp

Politicians, professionals hail President’s UN speech
Rasika SOMARATHNA
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s stirring speech to the UN General Assembly, in which (among other matters), he called on the international community to drop pre-conceived notions and help the country achieve sustained development and peace, is being hailed by both politicians and professionals alike as a resounding success and a speech in which the President had put the record straight fearlessly.
Senior government member and Minister of Irrigation and Water Management Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday described the speech as an eye-opener for powerful nations to rethink their approach towards issues in smaller countries.
”The President has put the record straight by emphasizing that it is clearly impractical to conceive of universal remedies for problems which afflicts our societies and that we strongly believe in home-grown solutions for them to be sustainable,” he added.
“The President’s comments on terrorism and his calling for a cohesive and sustained approach globally to counter it, is both timely and is of paramount importance for all nations to give due consideration on an urgent basis,” he added.
The minister also praised the President for bringing up the Palestine matter within the forum fearlessly where the President reiterated that the right of the Palestinian people to a State of their own within secure borders should be recognized. The minister said that the President in his speech also clearly outlined before the international community Sri Lanka’s achievements during the brief span of 30 months since the Lankan conflict ended.
Senior Lawyer Dr. Jayatissa de Costa PC said that the President in his speech had given voice to various concerns harboured by smaller countries and developing nations.
Dr. Costa said that most importantly the President in his speech had called for international friendship in not only to help relevant nations in their hour of need but also to combat the scourge of terrorism collectively.
The President by saying ‘I am deeply mindful that the battle for peace is every bit as important and difficult as the struggle against terror’ has emphatically relayed the message that the government fully understands the magnitude of the task at hand and is committed and prepared to face it.
National Language and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that unlike some other speeches at the UN President Rajapaksa’s one had garnered wide interest all round the globe.
The President had given a clear message that nations should do away with inconsistent standards and discriminating approaches when it came to dealing with terrorism, he added.
The minister also praised the President for bringing the attention of the world body to the importance of safeguarding the interests of developing countries.