Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena declared that invaders had not succeeded in “vandalizing our rich and unique culture” as he praised Sinhala Buddhism in a statement to mark Poson Poya Day and rejected claims that his government was facing international pressure.
In a statement on Saturday, Mr Sirisena marked the “the establishment of Buddha Sasana with the arrival of Arahath Mahinda… which occurred 2,323 years ago as the most significant milestone of the Sinhala culture”.
“We received an extraordinary spiritual stimulant and cultural pride through Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy,” he added.
“We should recall on this important Poson Poya Day that none of the external forces that invaded our country from time to time could succeed in vandalizing our rich and unique culture,” the president declared.
The statement comes as Mr Sirisena has increasingly asserted his government has not been under the influence of the international community, as Sri Lanka comes under scrutiny once again at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Earlier this week he stated that “some alleged that I have betrayed my country through my government’s foreign policy”. “I reject such allegations,” he reiterated. “No nation has tried to influence or pressurise the Sri Lankan government.”
The president has also repeatedly stated his government would not allow any international involvement for an accountability mechanism for mass atrocities committed during the final stages of the armed conflict, a key component of a co-sponsored UN resolution passed last year.
In a statement on Saturday, Mr Sirisena marked the “the establishment of Buddha Sasana with the arrival of Arahath Mahinda… which occurred 2,323 years ago as the most significant milestone of the Sinhala culture”.
“We received an extraordinary spiritual stimulant and cultural pride through Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy,” he added.
“We should recall on this important Poson Poya Day that none of the external forces that invaded our country from time to time could succeed in vandalizing our rich and unique culture,” the president declared.
The statement comes as Mr Sirisena has increasingly asserted his government has not been under the influence of the international community, as Sri Lanka comes under scrutiny once again at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Earlier this week he stated that “some alleged that I have betrayed my country through my government’s foreign policy”. “I reject such allegations,” he reiterated. “No nation has tried to influence or pressurise the Sri Lankan government.”
The president has also repeatedly stated his government would not allow any international involvement for an accountability mechanism for mass atrocities committed during the final stages of the armed conflict, a key component of a co-sponsored UN resolution passed last year.