UN General Assembly
1961

192* We do not want to enter into this pattern of argument. We do not wish to divide ourselves into groups trying to find alignments. We stand with the rest of the world and we think it is a complete mistake to try to either into arguments for or against, to try to arrive at solutions in that way. That is not the answer. Recriminations will get us nowhere. It is no good trying to pretend that the fault is entirely on the other side, that one particular country has distinguished itself by its clean record in foreign affairs. We in the non-aligned nations, certainly we in Ceylon, do not propose to enter into that argument, and we shall maintain our independence and strive for what we believe to be the true principles set forth in the Charter. We are not going to enter into arguments as to who is the best defender of the Charter, whether it is the countries of the Western world or of the communist world. We want the Charter to exist and we want both those great groups of countries to stay clear of our affairs and of the affairs of the rest of. the world. They should let the rest of the world develop in peace towards the form of government, the forms of social and economic development, that our countries require.