The Official Website of the Royal Family of Jaffna (Sri Lanka)

Arya Cakravarti Dynasty

KEYNOTE SPEECH BY
H.R.H. RAJA REMIGIUS KANAGARAJAH OF JAFFNA

Your Royal Highnesses,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Director General of ICD Mr. Mark Donfried and to the members of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy for your kind invitation and thank you for your warm welcome.

It's a great honour for me to be here with you today to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Today, I would like to say a few words about the Berlin Wall. On 8th May 1945 after World War II, Germany was divided into four zones, East Germany became a communist country under the control of the Soviet Union. At the same time West Germany was democratic country and allied with France, Britain and the United States.

But until 1961 East German citizen were allowed to travel to West Berlin without any difficulties. After 1948 the life style in the West was much better than the East. Later travelling to West Germany became difficult and the open border between East and West Germany was closed by the East German Government in 1952. After the border was closed it became more difficult and dangerous to escape to the West.

In the years between 1949 and 1961, thousands of people from East Germany fled to democratic West, most emigrants were young and well qualified. The country was losing its educated professionals, skilled workers and intellectuals. Their loss threatened to destroy the economic viability of the East German state. They also had problems with the two currencies in Germany and especially in Berlin.

On Saturday 12th August 1961, East German authorities signed an order to close the border and they built a barrier to close off the people from East access to West Berlin.

The Berlin Wall, in the early morning hours of Sunday 13th August 1961, East Berlin residents were awakened by the sounds of military vehicles, tractors, crane and trucks. They built a wall around Berlin to prevent people from leaving.

The original wall, built of barbed wire fence and cinder blocks, was later replaced by a series of concrete walls including guard towers. There were 302 guard towers and 20 bunkers. The second Wall was built in June 1962 in order to prevent people escaping to the West. The building of the Berlin Wall in August 1961 divided families and neighbourhoods in what had been the capital of Germany.

Before the Wall was built daily half a million people cross the border from one part of the city into the other. Many people from East Berlin worked in the western part of the city. They did their shopping, enjoyed cinema and discos.

During its 28 years history, according to the official statistics says that at least 136 people lost their lives trying to escape over the Wall from East Berlin into West Berlin. We should not forget the victims and it is an important part of history to remember. It was a symbol of the Cold War until it fell in 1989.

On 18th October 1989, the Head of State of Germany of that time had to resign and the new government prepared a new law to lift the travel restrictions.

On 9th November 1989, the East German authorities announced that all German Democratic Republic citizens could travel to West Germany and West Berlin. Later that evening the border guards opened the crossings, as the authorities decided to allow East Germans travel freely to the West.

I would like to mention that during my ancestors were ruling in Sri Lanka. There were three Kingdoms and the country was divided with boundaries. But there was one King from the South, he cleared the boundaries and United Sri Lanka. But, unfortunately we were effected with war for Thirty Years and due to the war many people have to leave the country and many lost their loved once. But after Thirty Years of War in 2009 now we have got peace.

But still some people are trying to disturb the peace. I believe that communication is the best way to deal with conflicts. As long as you don't communicate, you cannot find a solution and to resolve conflicts only communication will lead to a successful solution and for everlasting peace we should all work together.

I would like to share with you that my belief is that every human being on the planet has the right to live in peace. This is the most basic human right. But peace in the world among people, communities and nations have been so difficult to establish.

We must first realize what barriers and divisions keep us apart in order to achieve real peace, unity and harmony.

It is my sincere wish that people should come forward to build a harmonious world of lasting peace. Do not fear change. If you change your thoughts, you change your life. The fastest way to achieve peace is to change your thinking. Some may think peace is difficult. In order to achieve peace in the world, we have to work together. Therefore I urge all people around the world to come forward and join hands for the happiness and by working together with common goal, we can make this planet a special place in which we all can live in peace and harmony.

I wish all the people around the world peace and may God bless you all.

Thank you very much.