Diplomatic double dealing, thud and blunders


My dear Mahinda Ayya, Ayubowan, vanakkam, assalamu alaikkum and best wishes as the war glory like all personal glory fades away and Sri Lanka finds itself at a gory diplomatic dead-end with the international community`s most powerful sections including the United States and the European Union. The diplomatic mess and muddle is multi faceted ranging from a vital economic issue like the extension of the GSP+ facility by the EU to the religious farce and fiasco involving the Prime Minister and a special presidential envoy in Japan. Despite big talk and boasts that there was no need to respond to any panic button or stitch in time to save the garment industry, the government at last appears to be wearing its best dress for the battle ahead.

Last Friday, the President held a crisis meeting on the GSP issue and four ministers were appointed to court EU leaders on this issue. The ministerial committee comprised G.L. Peiris, Milinda Moragoda, Mahinda Samarasinghe and Rohitha Bogollagama. They were told by the President to act fast and deliver the garments.

Rising above party politics, the UNP also gave its coat and tie to this battle. Deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya wrote to leaders of EU countries pleading for an extension of the GSP+ facility. He said that withdrawal of this facility would only affect tens of thousands of innocent workers and their families while the indicted regime with its giant cabinet would continue to bust up at least ten million rupees a month in maintaining each of the 111 ministers.

EU experts in a preliminary report said the administration had failed to implement most of the international covenants guaranteeing civil, political and human rights. The European Commission has sort and explanation from the Sri Lankan government on this issue but no answers have yet been given. A final decision is expected to be taken by EU foreign ministers before the end of this year. Another big diplomatic muddle involved a private trip to Japan by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and another delegation led by Minister Chamal Rajapaksa who went as a special presidential envoy. The two senior government dignitaries went for a ceremony billed as an `Exposition of Sacred relics of Lord Buddha.

The exposition of the so-called relics was to be held in Kobe in Japan. Apparently, due to some procedural problems or diplomatic blunders, the Prime Minister found himself being treated like any ordinary person at the Tokyo Airport and was virtually forced to give his fingerprints. If that was not bad enough worse still was the deportation of one monk who was in the delegation that accompanied Minister Rajapaksa. The Chief Buddhist Prelate of Japan has now said he had nothing to do with the exposition of the so-called relics and it seems that a major diplomatic problem has been created due to mishaps and mishandling. As usual a sacrificial goat has to be found and the innocent member appears to be Sri Lanka`s Ambassador Jayantha Palipane. The fiasco in Japan and other controversies involving Britain and Canada provoked a stormy debate in parliament. Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara hit out at some of the foreign missions and said the way they treated Sri Lankan political leaders could even be taken up in Parliament as a breach of privilege. But, parliament was apparently not aware of the story behind the story or the thud and blunder that led to all this thunder.

Britain and the United States also appear to be taking a tough line relating to human rights issues in Sri Lanka and the resettlement of more than 250,000 displaced people in the North. Some medial reports said the British High Commission in Colombo turned down personal visa requests by former foreign secretary Palitha Kohona and parliamentarian Arjuna Ranatunga. Similar to the situation that the Prime Minister faced in Japan they were requested to come in person and follow the normal procedure. The High Commission issued a statement clarifying the position but it is clear that Britain is reacting to Sri Lanka`s rejection of its appeal to restore human rights, media freedom and expedite the resettlement of the displaced people. The Obama administration`s tough line towards Sri Lanka was put on the breakfast table with Sri Lanka`s ambassador not being invited to President Obama`s Ifthar.

A big controversy arose in Canada also with Sri Lanka`s ambassador Daya Perera a well-known lawyer saying he wanted to quit by December 31 over various issues including the deportation of a Canadian MP from the Colombo Airport. Mr. Perera was told to come back immediately but Canada reacted by giving him a high national honour and the message to the Sri Lankan government was clear.

Economically if not politically, the administration is coming to the awareness that it cannot afford to isolate itself and antagonize the international community. In 1976 the then Premier Sirimavo Bandaranaike followed a similar policy. But the personal glory of presiding over more than 101 nations in the Non-aligned Movement led to an economic crisis and one year later she was left with less than 10 seats in parliament instead of more than 100 nations.