President Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka Agrees With Oxford Union to Cancel Speech

OXFORD, England, December 1, 2010 - Statement issued by Mr Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President of
Sri Lanka.

For security reasons the speech by His Excellency President Rajapaksa of
Sri Lanka at the Oxford Union, the home of free speech, has been cancelled.
This is a decision that has been made unilaterally by the Oxford Union,
reportedly as a result of pressure applied by pro-LTTE activists.

His Excellency said:

"I am very sorry this has had to be cancelled but I will continue to seek
venues in the UK and elsewhere where I can talk about my future vision for
Sri Lanka."

His Excellency went on to say:

"I will also continue in my efforts to unite all the people of our
country whether they live in Sri Lanka or overseas. As a united country we
have a great future. If we allow divisions to dominate we will not realise
our true potential. We have had thirty years of division and conflict. We
must now secure peace and harmony for all Sri Lankans."

Contact: SYakub at bell-pottinger.co.uk +44(0)7768237632