Contours of a new Sri Lanka

Friday, 22 May 2015

Minister Mangala
Samaraweera's Lecture at
the German Council on
Foreign Relations
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank all of you for so
graciously hosting me here
today at the prestigious
German Council on Foreign
Relations.
I have heard so much about
your work as the premier
network for foreign policy in
Germany for well over 60 years.
To be here at your institute on my first official visit to your great country as
Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, is indeed an honour, and I have been
overwhelmed by the warmth with which I have been received by everyone since
my arrival on Wednesday.
My topic today is Contours of a new Sri Lanka.
As you are aware, Sri Lanka is an ancient land with a recorded history dating
back thousands of years. A land where a rich civilisation thrived, steeped in
tradition and culture. An island located mid-way between east and west in the
ancient sea routes known to many, and featured prominently in ancient maps.
Germanys own links with Sri Lanka date back many centuries:
-As early as the 8th century, Archbishop Harbanus Maurus of Mainz wrote about
an island called Taprobane that abounded in precious stones and elephants.
-In the introduction to his book Germans in Dutch Ceylon, Major Raven-Hart
wrote that all the really vital accounts of lives in Dutch Ceylon were written by
Germans serving in the Dutch Forces.
-The German Zoologist Ernst Haeckel, recounting his visit to Ceylon in 1881,
called it the island of marvels
-Freudenberg and Company initiated by Philipp Freudenberg was a major name
on Sri Lankas economic horizon during the time of World War I. Freudenberg
was appointed Consul in Ceylon.

-Professor Wilhelm Geiger whose son is famous for having invented the Geiger
scale was well-known for his contribution to unravelling Sri Lankas past, and
for the scientific study of the Sinhala language. His translation of Sri Lankas
ancient chronicle, the Mahavamsa, is still regarded as the most authentic
translation of that monumental work.
-Another prominent German linked to Sri Lanka is Marie Musaeus Higgins, a
German Buddhist educationist who founded a leading education institute for
girls in Sri Lanka well over a century ago. The school is named after her, and
remains even today as one of the leading private education institutions for girls
in the country.
In this context then, why do I speak of a new Sri Lanka?
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I speak of a new Sri Lanka in the context of the changes ushered in after the
Presidential election in Sri Lanka on the 8th of January this year.
As you all know, 19th May 2009 saw the end of three-decades of violence
unleashed by terrorism in my country. In the immediate years that followed, we
failed as a nation, to achieve meaningful reconciliation. The past 6 years or so
since May 2009 saw Sri Lanka take an unfortunate journey on an autocratic path.
In a manner very similar to the way in which the Enabling Act in Germany was
passed through force, blackmail and other methods President Rajapaksa too
tried to make himself President for life. Civil liberties were curtailed,
independence of institutions including the judiciary was compromised,
democracy was weakened, the rule of law was undermined, and good
governance practices and human rights were violated with impunity.
In the words of President Maithripala Sirisena who addressed the nation last
Wednesday on the 6th anniversary of the end of the conflict though the
Government at the time achieved some success on infrastructural development
since May 2009, the nation failed to mend the broken hearts and minds of our
people who suffered from prolonged conflict.
We failed to address the causes of conflict in a manner that would guarantee
durable peace, meaningful reconciliation and non-recurrence.
Divisions in society were becoming deeper along religious and ethnic lines,
freedom of speech and expression were curtailed, and fear and intimidation
pervaded society.
Our nation which had been a prominent and respected member of the
international community, including in the United Nations, for long years,
abandoned her natural foreign policy of engagement, and chose instead, to
follow a policy of antagonising traditional friends and partners, and isolated
itself from the world community.
It was in this backdrop of a sense of total despair, that several parties in
Opposition, which I like to call the Rainbow Coalition joined forces. We came
together to field a common opposition candidate, Mr. Maithripala Sirisena, at the
Presidential election in January 2015, in response to the call by a large section
of people in Sri Lanka who were yearning for change.

Despite an election campaign which was deeply flawed and one-sided, the
rainbow coalition of the opposition scored a decisive victory on the 8th of
January, on a platform promising far reaching democratic and constitutional
reforms.
Asias oldest democracy reasserted its commitment to democracy by dislodging
an emerging dictatorship in typical South Asian style, laid back and non-violent.
Instead of the stones, pellets and bullets of the Arab Spring, Sri Lankas
Rainbow Revolution succeeded through the power of the ballot.
Over 81% of registered voters exercised their franchise on 8th January, (which I
believe is the highest turnout since independence) silently, peacefully and
decisively, resulting in a swift transfer of power the very next day.
As keen followers of international affairs, you must all be familiar with the
monumental changes that have been taking place in my country since the
Presidential election that took place on the 8th of January this year. The people
of Sri Lanka, through this singular act, conveyed several powerful messages:
-reaffirming their faith in the best traditions of democracy, they showed how
formidable a power elections can prove to be;
-they also indicated to the world their vision for their country by choosing to
vote for a leader who promised them good governance, the rule of law, strong
democratic institutions, reconciliation, sustainable economic development,
peace, and most importantly, the creation of a new political culture devoid of
divisive politics and the preservation of the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multireligious and multi-lingual nature of society;
-further, they sought through this election to set standards for their leaders to
abide by. Calling for an end to impunity and corruption, people demanded that
their elected leaders and public officials are made accountable for their actions
and inactions.
After a long time, since the 8th of January, Sri Lanka is once again the centre of
the worlds attention for the right reasons.
Of course, this change brings with it great responsibility that the new
Government must live up to. President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil
Wickremesinghe and the Government are deeply conscious of this fact.
For the first time in our nations history, the two main political parties,the United
National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) have reached
consensus to move forward in unison for a common cause that is, to work
towards achieving important national objectives, in keeping with the aspirations
of the people of our nation.
Following the election, President Sirisena was appointed as Chairperson of the
party that was earlier headed by the former President, the Sri Lanka Freedom
Party (SLFP). Although this phenomenon may have seemed strange to
observers of Sri Lankan affairs, this act made it possible for the President and
the Government to secure the support of the Sri Lanka Freedom party which has
a majority in Parliament.

Working together with so many different partners is a new experience for us

which requires the Government to chart its path carefully and mindfully, through
consensus building.
This new approach helped the country achieve several important victories for
the nation during the past 4 months as articulated in the Governments 100 Day
Reform Agenda which received the endorsement of the people at the January
8th election.
Chief among these was the enactment of key legislation in Parliament and steps
required to heal the wounds of our nation.
In his addresses to the nation, the President has consistently articulated that
achieving meaningful reconciliation is the only way forward for the sustainable
progress of our nation.
President Sirisena and the Government are committed to building a nation
where diversity, openness, tolerance, and acceptance of others and their
differences are cherished and celebrated; and, in the development of the nation,
no individual and no community is left behind.
The contours of a new Sri Lanka will be based on the vision of a nation that is
reconciled, democratic, and prosperous, with a united and entrepreneurial
people, at peace with themselves, and at peace with the world. A nation that
works in engagement and in cooperation with the international community and
international organisations to address issues of concern, not only for Sri Lanka,
but for the region and the global community as a whole.
On the 6th anniversary of the conclusion of the conflict earlier this week,the
President emphasised that development and reconciliation are the
Governments main objectives and that this should be the priority and
underlying theme that must inspire the people of Sri Lanka including the
security forces in carrying out their duties and responsibilities towards the
nation in their day to day efforts in future. He emphasised that the reconciliation
process would primarily need to include truth seeking, justice, eliminating fear
and suspicion, building trust among the communities as well as rebuilding
destroyed physical infrastructure. In the future, this day will be used to reflect
on the causes of suffering and will commorate the suffering of all.
The emphasis on the twin objectives of reconciliation and development on the
6th anniversary of the conclusion of the conflict, closely follows the adoption of
the Declaration of Peace by the Government earlier this year on the
Independence Day (4th of February), where the nation paid respects to all who
lost their lives to violence, and pledged to never allow our land to be
traumatized again by the shedding of blood of her citizens.
In a clear departure from the triumphalist approach adopted in the past, the
people of Sri Lanka, this year, finally had their freedom to grieve restored.

They were free to reflect and remember those whose lives were lost or marred
by violence. The fact that there are no victors in conflict is something that is well
understood by the Government and the people. The toll that violence unleashes
is not a price future generations of our nation deserve. Every possible step
therefore, will be taken by this Government, to ensure non-recurrence. We also
want to learn from Germany's example and look to suffering of the past years as
an exhortation to humility and moral honesty.
While meaningful reconciliation would take time, as it involves a process of
healing, it is nevertheless an essential factor for the countrys progress.
Recognising this, the Government, within days of assuming office, appointed
two very senior former civil servants as Governors in the former conflict
affected Provinces of the North and the East with a view to initiating measures
to strengthen civilian administration. These posts were previously held by
military personnel.
Along with this step commenced a series of additional measures to address the
particular requirements and grievances of the people in these areas. This
includes seeking tangible solutions to the complicated issue of land ownership.
The High Security Zone in the Northern Province is being progressively
reviewed and land is being returned to the people. 430 acres of land was
released on 23rd March and 570 acres on 10th April. While a gazette notification
was issued releasing 818 acres in the Eastern Province, a restraining order was
issued by the Supreme Court on the release of this land. I am told that this has
now been lifted which will allow the release of this land to proceed without
further delay.
-Restrictions placed on persons visiting the North were lifted with immediate
effect.
-Involvement of the military in civilian activities has ceased.
-Resettlement related issues of the internally displaced are being addressed in
consultation with the relevant entities including UNHCR.
-The Government is working with the UN Country Team and the UN SecretaryGeneral to obtain assistance including technical expertise through the UN
Peacebuilding Fund for reconciliation projects including capacity building for
the Northern Provincial Council and resettlement.
-All Sri Lankan refugees living overseas have been invited to return on a
voluntary basis. Some have already begun returning from South India.
-Carrying out its pledge to ensure media freedom, all restrictions on media
personnel including the practice of referring visas for clearance to the Ministry
of Defence were immediately discontinued.
-All foreign media personnel who wish to visit Sri Lanka are now welcome to do
so and travel to and report from any part of the country, freely, without fear of
intimidation.
-All news websites that were blocked were unblocked within a matter of days.
-An open invitation was extended to all media personnel living in exile to return
to the country.

-Right to Information was made a fundamental right through the 19th

amendment to the Constitution that was enacted on 28 April.
-Demonstrating its commitment to engage actively with civil society and the
human rights community including human rights activists, the NGO Secretariat
was shifted away from the purview of the Ministry of Defence and placed under
the Ministry of Policy planning and Economic Affairs.
-The most important piece of legislation enacted by the Government during the
last 4 months, in keeping with its promise to the people, is the 19th Amendment
to the Constitution.
This repealed the controversial 18th amendment to the Constitution which
sought to concentrate power in the Executive Presidency.
The provision to make independent appointments to important Commissions
was restored by this amendment. A Constitutional Council will be established
very soon, as per this amendment, to provide for the establishment of
independent Judicial Service, National Police, Public Service, Elections, Bribery
and Corruption, and National Human Rights Commissions.
Term limits on the Executive Presidency that were lifted by the 18th amendment
were once again restored. A President can now hold office only for a maximum
of two terms. The duration of one term which was previously 6 years was
reduced to 5 through the personal intervention of President Sirisena.
The adoption of the 19th amendment by near unanimity, with only one Member
of Parliament voting against, was a remarkable victory for the people of our
country.
-The passage of this amendment was a remarkable victory for democracy and it
is our hope that this significant step which saw the opposition and government
MPs work together would be a model and turning point in our political history. It
is our firm belief that the two main parties will continue to work together in
Parliament even after the General elections, to formulate important national
policies that are required for the countrys long-term progress.
-The long delayed Assistance and Protection to Victims and Witnesses Act was
enacted in February with all Members of Parliament voting in favour.
-While some detainees have already been released, a process of review of all
cases of persons held in detention has begun. This process is being carried out
under the purview of the Solicitor General with the ICRC working closely and
holding weekly meetings with the officers concerned.
-We recognise the important role that Sri Lankan communities overseas,
irrespective of their ethnicity, can play in contributing to the reconciliation
process in the country and for the nations development as a whole in various
sectors. We invite them and urge all of them to play a constructive and
meaningful role in our nations progress.

The Government is also investigating into large-scale fraud, corruption and

malpractices that had taken place in the past decade. Legal action and
constitutional measures are being taken to address these issues. Steps are
being taken to bring about attitudinal changes so that people comprehend and
realise the need for good governance for the greater benefit of all. The
Government is taking action to ensure that expenditure for development,
whether with local or foreign funds, are clearly used for the intended purposes
alone, with necessary transparency. We are also determined to ensure that due
processes are followed at all times.
In the contours of a new Sri Lanka, foreign policy will have a prominent role.
After all, for much of our thousands of years of recorded history, Sri Lanka has
been a country that interacted actively with the world outside. As an island
nation, the people of our country have always welcomed visitors. There are
many records of visitors being overwhelmed by the warmth with which people in
Sri Lanka have welcomed them.
In the framing and pursuit of foreign policy, we will be guided by what best
serves the interests of all our people and not by any ideological fantasies.
We are determined to restore our nations image as a responsible member of the
international community.
For much of Sri Lankas history since Independence, Sri Lanka was considered
to be an important member of the international community including in the
United Nations.

Having joined the UN 60 years ago in 1955, Sri Lanka has contributed in many
ways to the UN system including its norm setting processes. Many
distinguished Sri Lankans have held important positions in the UN and its
agencies. They have chaired important conferences including on the Law of the
Sea and presided over the General Assembly as well as the Security Council. As
a trade dependendent small island nation, the rules based international order
has served us well and we are committed to its preservation and development.
The last few years saw Sri Lanka drift from this traditional position of
engagement not only with the UN but with the entire international community.
Sri Lanka strayed from her traditional position of engagement and consensusbuilder to confrontation, non-engagement and intransigence. This was an
aberration.
We recognize the importance of the UN and multilateral agencies as vehicles for
international discourse and norm setting for the common good.
Since assuming office, President Sirisena undertook his first State visit to India,
our closest neighbour with whom the people of our country share civilizational
ties.
He also visited China and Pakistan and participated in the Commonwealth Day
celebrations in London as Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth.
Having had the honour of receiving His Holiness Pope Francis within days after
being elected, President Sirisenas Government has been privileged in receiving
several foreign dignitaries during the last 4 months.
Prime Minister Modi visited Sri Lanka in March marking the first substantive
bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 28 years.
The Prime Minister of Bhutan, the Emir of Qatar, several Foreign Ministers
including the US Secretary of State (the first in 43 years), deputy Ministers in
charge of Foreign Affairs, and several senior UN officials honoured us by their
visits.
All this was achieved within just over 100 days in office. We are extremely
appreciative of the support that the Government has been receiving from the
international community.
We are continuing our dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
We appreciate the understanding shown by the international community in
February, by allowing the Government time until the September session of the
Human Rights Council, to carry out consultative processes and take steps to
address the setting up of necessary independent, credible, domestic processes
to deal with issues pertaining to Missing Persons, and Accountability.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparations and
guarantees of non-recurrence visited Sri Lanka in late March early April.
We will be receiving the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary
Disappearances in early August.
It is our hope that the High Commissioner for Human Rights will also visit before
September.

At the highest levels of Government, deliberations are taking place on the best
means to deal with Missing Persons issues and Accountability issues. The
Government recognizes the importance of these processes to achieve
meaningful reconciliation.
As you would all agree, to be effective and successful, such processes need
careful thought and deliberation. They must also receive the widest possible
support and acceptance to succeed and be aimed at guaranteeing nonrecurrence. The relevant high authorities in Government are seized of these
concerns and remain engaged in deliberating on these issues with due
seriousness.
The Governments intention is to work with ICRC in establishing a mechanism
that addresses the concerns pertaining to Missing Persons.
The South African Government very generously shared with us, their experience
in truth and reconciliation in February. We will continue to work with South
Africa as well as other partners, in formulating mechanisms to deal with issues
of reconciliation and accountability that would suit our requirements.
Sri Lankan soldiers recently participated actively in earthquake relief efforts in
Nepal. They are expected to continue to assist in projects that the Government
of Sri Lanka intends to undertake in rebuilding Nepal in the future.
As they disengage from commercial and civilian activity, it is our hope to have
them contribute increasingly to such humanitarian efforts including UN
peacekeeping.
Although the Government has achieved much during the last 4 months,
ensuring that the contours that I set out are translated into lasting reality is a
challenging task.
Another pillar of the new government's foreign policy is engaging with the
diaspora. Per capita Sri Lanka probably has one of the largest diasporas in the
world and it is also one of the most illustrious diaspora communities. But to our
loss they have not featured prominently in our foreign policy making, and as a
country we have done little to harness their capital, relationships and knowledge
for our development. As a first step we hope to have a Diaspora festival in
Colombo towards the end of the year. This celebration of the diaspora will bring
talented members of the diaspora from all walks of life - artists, scholars,
businesspeople are just a few examples - and residing across the world to
assist in Sri Lanka's reconciliation and development efforts.
A lower middle income country, Sri Lanka is striving to reach upper middle
income status. Our key challenges include increasing investment including in
human capital, realigning public spending, enhancing the role of the private
sector, increasing exports and productivity and ensuring inclusive growth while
achieving sustainable development. Economic growth in our country has been
among the fastest in South Asia. Yet, due to the policies that were adopted in the
last 8 years or so, proper procedures were not followed and some statistics are
somewhat suspect.

Human Development Indicators in the country are impressive by regional and

lower-middle-income standards. Sri Lanka has surpassed most of the
Millennium Development Goal targets set for 2015. Yet, considerable challenges
remain in terms of dealing with an ageing population, poverty in certain districts
including in the conflict affected areas, addressing unemployment issues,
effecting structural reforms including public sector reform, increasing publicprivate partnership and increasing competitiveness.
So as you see, the contours of the new Sri Lanka are not without challenges.
Yet, the Government is willing to deal with these issues and remains committed
to the important and historic journey that it undertook on the 8th of January to
ensure the realization of the aspirations of all the people of our country.
This is not a task that we can achieve on our own.
We need the support of the international community especially to ensure that
the gains that we have made in the last four months are not lost but built upon
and strengthened further.
We need the worlds democracies to stand with us and support us to ensure that
the people of our country do not become discouraged and fall prey to autocratic
or racist forces while we travel on this journey. We need to demonstrate to our
people that reconciliation, peace, rule of law and good governance are essential
features for sustainable development, progress and prosperity.
Support for Sri Lanka in this endeavour also means understanding that certain
processes take time and must be approached with due appreciation of the
sensitivities involved, which, if disregarded, could endanger the journey that we
have embarked upon.
The German Government and the people of this country have been supporting
Sri Lanka for long years ranging from the construction of dams to development
assistance and vocational training. A large number of initiatives funded by
private individuals from Germany are also helping Sri Lanka in numerous ways.
We are delighted with the initiative by Germany to establish a vocational training
institute in Kilinochchi that will be functional next year. German expertise in this
sector is unparalleled in the world and we are deeply appreciative for the
decades of service rendered by the German Technical Training Institute in
Moratuwa which trains hundreds of automobile and other technical trades every
year.
Further to my discussions today, I am pleased to say that we are exploring a
new chapter in relations between Lanka and Germany that will help cement our
strong ties. Through the twinning of Lankan and German cities we hope to
establish people-to-people contact that will help expand our already multifaceted relationship. In particular we look forward to the exchange of
knowledge, best practises and experiences in all the areas of our public life including governance, economic development, technology and education.

The new Sri Lanka's economic policies have also been calibrated to serve the
interests of our people. Post-war growth was unsustainably propelled by
consumption and construction. Our policy is to create sustainable growth by
unlocking Sri Lanka's long untapped economic potential through foreign direct
investment, trade and tourism.
Sri Lanka has long been a paradise for German tourists, and we are now making
it a paradise for German investors. With relatively well developed infrastructure
and human capital our immediate priority is to reset the investment climate by
making Sri Lanka the most secure, efficient and competitive investment
destination in South Asia. As noted above, we have re-established the
independence of the judiciary and we are in the process of creating a rule based
system where all companies will enjoy a level playing field. Merit and merit alone
will be the sole criterion of success in the new Sri Lanka. Second, we are
making our economy more efficient through smarter regulations - we
collaborating with industry, academia and our international partners to make
rapid progress on the World Bank's ease of doing business index. Efficiency will
also be improved through the reviving of a "one stop investment shop". Third,
Sri Lanka is a gateway to India, Pakistan and the broader Indian Ocean region.
We have successfully signed free trade agreement with India and Pakistan, and
we are currently trying to upgrade the FTA with India to a Comprehensive
Economic Partnership Agreement. We are also currently in the third round of
negotiations to sign a free trade agreement with China and discussions with the
United States for further trade access are also underway.
Over 100,000 German tourists visit us each year. As we embrace the world again
we hope this number will increase. But we are also putting things right at home.
Sri Lanka climbed 11 places on the Tourism Competitiveness Index this year and
we hope to build on that success in the coming years and resorts in the
previously war-ridden Eastern Province - where many of Sri Lanka's finest
beaches are found - opened recently.
The German model of social market economy is something Sri Lanka can learn
from. The space and opportunities for us to work together and cooperate have
now expanded. In the ambitious yet essential journey that we have undertaken
to ensure durable peace and prosperity for our people, we require your
assistance more than ever before. We trust that the Government and the people
of this country who have been working with Sri Lanka for very long years will
continue to stand by us and intensify support for us in this important journey.