President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday called on Asian leaders to unite against outside interference, especially by those using human rights as a tool. Addressing the Fifth Summit of heads of state of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Dushanbe in Tajikistan, the President said that Asian countries must not allow outside powers to suppress the power of Asia. He said the Asian region, as the forerunner of the next century, should be strong and powerful in every aspect. “At this gathering, I especially request to not damage and interfere in the sovereignty of the countries because of allegations of human rights violations.” He emphasised that freedom and democracy were indispensable features of every country. Any effort to influence and intimidate free nations was not acceptable in any way. President Sirisena pointed out that one important factor was vital to face the challenge posed by terrorists and violent extremists and said the cooperation among nations is essential to face the challenge of terrorism. “Peace plays a vital role in alleviating poverty too. As much as peace is essential to win the battle against poverty, defeating terrorism is imperative in order to ensure equal economic prosperity for every citizen,” he stated and pointed out that in this endeavour, strengthening economic objectives is also essential.