Mahinda Rajapaksa

Mahinda Rajapaska (born 18 November 1945) is the 6th President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as Prime Minister from 6 April 2004 until his victory in the 2005 Presidential election. He was sworn in for a six-year term as president on 19 November 2005. He was re-elected for a second term in office on 27 January 2010.

Quotes

 * We always support peace... and we will keep supporting peace for all people. In Sri Lanka we also fought thirty years of war against terrorists. So the whole development process, the economy went down. We suffered for thirty years but now we have peace for the last four years. In 2009 we managed to eradicate terrorism. Though we have eradicated terrorism, now we have to face the international community, which is pressurizing us. Now our issue is that some of the countries are criticizing though there are no bombs blasting in our country. Every March or every six months in Geneva we are facing a confrontation with these countries. Some of the Western countries are bringing resolutions in the Human Rights Commission.
 * Quoted in DNA-India, "Sri Lankan president Mahindra Rajpaksa seeks more time to deal with the Tamilian issue", January 9, 2014.


 * All international laws are made by big, powerful countries but applied only on weaker ones like ours.
 * Interview with Hindustan Times, September 17, 2013.


 * I say: be fair. Be objective. Don't just come to conclusions based on one-sided "evidence."
 * Interview with Hindustan Times, September 17, 2013.


 * Reflecting on the work of the UN, matters of a political nature have overridden the most basic issues, which affect the underprivileged and marginalized, who dominate world society.
 * United Nations, Sri "Lanka urges UN to study global inequality, failure to lift millions out of poverty", 24 September 2013.


 * Centuries of growth in advanced economies have left little carbon space for the developing world, challenging their growth. The thin lines of balancing economic development and protection of the environment will remain a great challenge in future development policy-setting. It is therefore critical that developed countries honour their commitments and compensate damage to the environment, on the basis of common but differentiated responsibilities.
 * United Nations, Sri "Lanka urges UN to study global inequality, failure to lift millions out of poverty", 24 September 2013.


 * If anyone who wants to complain about human rights violations in Sri Lanka, whether it's torture, whether it is rape, we have a system.
 * Quoted in Independent.ie, "Sri Lanka defends rights record", 14 November, 2013.
 * If there is any violations, we will take actions against anybody, anybody. I am ready to do that.
 * Quoted in BBC News, "Sri Lanka's Mahinda Rajapaksa hits out at critics", November 14, 2013; and quoted from Indepentdent.ie, "Sri Lanka defends rights record", 14 November, 2013.


 * We need an alternative. In the end, they [the US and the West] are not punishing Iran. They are punishing us, small countries.
 * On the United States' and European Union's combined sanctions against Iran, as quoted in The Hindu, "U.S. move hits small nations: Rajapaksa", January 31, 2012.


 * I have succeeded in uniting the territory. Now, I am entrusted with the task of uniting the hearts of all sections of our people. I willingly take over the noble task of creating peace among our communities.
 * Quoted in The Hindu, "Rajapaksa promises peace and prosperity at Independence Day speech", February 4, 2010.


 * Discipline is not revenge. The nation can only be built through commitment, discipline and elimination of corruption.
 * Quoted in The Hindu, "Rajapaksa promises peace and prosperity at Independence Day speech", February 4, 2010.


 * As for what I achieved in the first term, I have brought peace to this country. Eliminated terrorism and brought peace. Now my aim is to develop the country. After that, the priorities are the people whom we have to win over – the hearts and minds of the people. Now Sri Lanka is one country; it's not divided. So what we want is to see that the whole nation gets all the benefits, not only one area, not only one community. To develop the economy so that all the people benefit.
 * Interview with The Hindu, November 23, 2010.


 * The message to my people is that I am concentrating on development work. I want to make Sri Lanka a hub for the development of knowledge, energy, commerce, naval transportation, and aviation. To achieve that, our people must stay together, rally round the government and achieve it – for the people. To the international community, my message is they must understand our position. We defeated terrorists, not freedom fighters. The whole world is facing this problem. So they must realise what we have achieved and help to develop the country, develop the North-East. They must help us not to widen the gap between the communities but to bring them closer. The past is past; you don't dig into the wounds. We must think positively, not negatively.
 * Interview with The Hindu, November 23, 2010.


 * My country has been influenced by the core Buddhist values of non-violence, loving kindness, compassion, equanimity and mindfulness. With this sense of direction, our Government has committed itself "Towards a new Sri Lanka", guided by a vision of peace, where every Sri Lankan citizen may live with dignity and self-respect, in freedom and without fear, free of want, and where every child may enjoy childhood and grow up with hope and expectation.
 * Mahinda Rajapaksa; Address to the United Nations General Assembly, September 20, 2006.

About

 * It is a revolution against a dictator [referring to Rajapaksa]. This should be a lesson for all South Asian countries. This verdict has opened up a free space through which the democratic values and reforms can be pushed in. People really wanted a change and wished to end the authoritarian rule of Rajapaksa.
 * Kushal Perera, a political analyst and writer on Mahinda Rajapaksa loosing to Maithripala Sirisena in 2015, quoted on The Indian Express (January 9, 2015), "Maithripala Sirisena sworn-in as Sri Lanka’s new President"