NNA |
Update: May 15, 2022 10:58 p.m. STI

Colombo [Sri Lanka]May 15 (NNA): Admiring the resilience shown by the people of Sri Lanka, the United Nations said it stood with the people and hoped for a peaceful recovery from the current crisis, local media reported.
“Today the United Nations stands with Sri Lanka, we admire the resilience shown by its people and look forward to a peaceful recovery from the current crisis,” said the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Hanaa Singer- Hamdy.
On the occasion of Vesak Day, popularly known as “Buddha Jayanti”, Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, on behalf of the Secretary-General and the United Nations Country Team in Sri Lanka, wished everyone, reported Colombo Page.
“Hate is, indeed, never appeased by hatred in this world. It is only appeased by loving-kindness,” she quoted Dhammapada in her Vesak Day message.
“As Sri Lanka and the world journey through these troubled times, may this teaching of the Dhammapada Buddha guide you,” Hamdy said.

Hanaa Singer-Hamdy said Buddha’s message of compassion, tolerance and mutual respect holds true today.
Hanaa Singer-Hamdy recognized the contributions of Buddhism to the world. She further said that then Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar presented a proposal to the United Nations General Assembly to make the Buddhist holy day an international day of celebration. And so, Vesak was declared a Day of Celebration by a General Assembly resolution in 1999, Colombo Page reported.
“Do no evil, cultivate merit, purify one’s mind – this is the teaching of the Buddhas,” she added.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts affecting large numbers of citizens, leading to massive protests over the handling of the situation by the government.
The recession is attributed to currency shortages caused by a drop in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as reckless economic policies, including the government’s decision last year to ban chemical fertilizers in a bid to to make Sri Lankan agriculture “100% organic”. “.
Due to a severe shortage of foreign exchange, Sri Lanka recently defaulted on all of its external debt amounting to approximately $51 billion.
The economic situation has led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the former finally succumbing to public pressure and resigning on Monday, shortly after protests outside the Prime Minister’s residence have become violent. (ANI)