(Kathmandu,
1 December 2018)
The
Right Honourable K. P. Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal,
Dr.
Thomas G. Walsh, Chairman of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF),
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It
is an honour and a pleasure for me to be at this Asia-Pacific Summit held in
Nepal, where I have passed some of the happiest days of my life. I was struck
by the warm welcome and hospitality of the Nepalese people.
I
would like to express my appreciation to the Prime Minister of Nepal the
Honourable K.P. Sharma Oli, for inviting me to take part in this Summit, in
conjunction with my first official visit to Nepal. It provides a valuable
opportunity for meeting peoples from across the world who are dedicated to the
promotion of peace, prosperity and humanity in our world.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The
world today is going through global uncertainty, trade tensions and power
competitions, especially in our region. Traditional and non-traditional threats
are posing profound challenges, sometimes from unexpected directions. The
incessant reports of disasters, terrorism, hunger, disease, migration and
displacement, poverty, injustice, discrimination, prejudice, and bigotry in our
daily life are overwhelming. There are negative forces everywhere eroding the
foundations of peace. In all parts of the globe we can see thoughtless
dissipation of material and human resources that are necessary for the
conservation of harmony and happiness in our world.
With
the rapid rise of information technology and the globalisation process, the
peoples and the nations of the world have become increasingly inter-connected
and interdependent. This global interdependence has compelled, and resulted in,
increased cooperation to identify the causes of the problems that threaten
harmony and to find the right solutions that will help to ensure peace and
stability on this planet, which is home to all of us. No nation can survive in
solitary splendor. We have to engage with each other, either bilaterally or
regionally, to project and protect our national interests and to seek peace and
mutual prosperity. Only by promoting a culture of peace in this world of
interdependence will it be possible to create harmony between diverse
communities and societies.
I
need hardly emphasise that peace is essential for sustainable development, that
peace and development are two sides of the same coin. Sustainable peace is more
than the mere absence of war or conflict. It is a positive force that springs
from within the mind of each human being, each family and each society, not
merely a temporary condition imposed by force. Research on global attitudes
today indicates that humans are more receptive to traffickers of hate than to
advocates of loving-kindness or compassion. At the basis of conflict is
ill-will, which seeks to hurt and to destroy and thus open the way to conflict
which, in its turn, spews out an ever renewing cycle of hate and fear, snuffing
out the light of peace.
To
break away from this vicious cycle, to reignite the hope of peace, we need to
construct a culture of peace that will nurture the positive traits in human
nature, to work together not just to promote greater mutual respect and
understanding, but also to foster greater confidence in our own ability to stay
firmly on the path of peace.
Peace
is a critical need not just for our time but for all time; not just for some
countries but for all. Countries, such as Myanmar and Nepal, which have
suffered severely from lack of peace, acquire a keen sensitivity to its links
with the critical challenges this Summit is addressing today: interdependence,
mutual prosperity and universal values. At the base of all three is
partnership. It is as partners that we can hold together these rocks on which
the edifice of a peaceful, progressive world can be built.
Partnership
implies a relationship between equals. Interdependence is not the opposite of
independence but the result of equally independent entities recognizing the
need for cooperation, accepting that one plus one equals more than two. Mutual
prosperity springs from the practical application of the concept of
partnership, working together for the benefit of all partners, that all may
enjoy the fruits of joint labours.
Universal
values constitute both the seed from which true partnerships spring and the
fruit that good partnerships bear. Nowadays, it often seems as though universal
values no longer have a place in this world where norms are set by the powerful
with little reference to the needs and constraints of those who do not possess
the privileges of wealth and influence.
Yet
there are values which few would deny to be of universal relevance. For
example, the four Sublime States, the Brahma –vihāras, loving kindness,
compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity, can surely be accepted as values
conducive of goodwill, cooperation, and positive partnership, anywhere,
everywhere, any time.
As
Myanmar grapples with the daunting task of creating peace and sustainable
development out of an unhappy, tangled legacy, we look to critical challenges
as opportunities for us to gain true friends who share our belief in equal
partnership for peace.
I
believe this Forum will offer opportunities for us to reach out to one another
in our efforts to find positive, unifying ways of meeting the critical
challenges of our times.
All
lovers of peace wish you success. Thank you.
PHOTO:
MNA
Ref;
The Global New Light of Myanmar
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