February 4, 1969
Page 2662
THE 21ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF CEYLON
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I invite the attention of the Senate to the 21st anniversary of the independence of Ceylon and extend my congratulations to the people of that young nation.
At a time when the stability of new nations is a serious question mark in our world, the maturity that Ceylon has reached in 21 short years is heartening. This country has survived as a parliamentary democracy in a part of the world not known for such success.
Mass educational efforts have sharply increased the literacy rate, and the standard of living continues to grow.
Industrial development has increased, and the birth rate has declined, resulting in an annual growth rate for the economy of 7 percent.
Ceylon has not accomplished this stability and this growth without significant international assistance, and its Government is quick to acknowledge this help. But this has been truly international aid, and Ceylon has not been forced into unilateral dependence on one foreign power. This, Mr. President, is one of the most encouraging aspects of this nation's growth.
Ceylon has demonstrated that the developed nations of the world, the United Nations, and the World Bank can work together on behalf of an undeveloped country – to a point where that country can achieve a significant level of self-sufficiency.
As we congratulate Ceylon today, and as we look forward to many more years of continued freedom, stability and growth for her people, I think we can also note with pride the means to her success. We can look with some hope to a time when her experience is the rule rather than the exception.