I
cannot understand how the Diplomatic Missions have any right to be called up to
be lectured to by some suspect individuals, masquerading as politicians about
Mosque Burnings
Worse,
do
they then have any rights to call a press conference and call upon the Govt. to stop these alleged crimes?
http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Ensure-no-impunity-for-hate-crimes-EU-130055.html
http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Ensure-no-impunity-for-hate-crimes-EU-130055.html
Don’t get me wrong. A hate crime is a
hate crime and NO one has any right to burn people’s places of worship or their
businesses and it is in the Govt. best interest to protect these people, as
well as take all necessary steps to prevent their recurrence.
What I am concentrating on here is the GALL
of these foreign diplomats accredited to Colombo, to go at the behest of SOME
members of the Muslim community, and I believe they are self- appointed with NO
real authority of any sort, to listen to what they say, NOT have it properly
corroborated and instead of USING NORMAL DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS to express concern
and have it dealt with that way, use the BULLY pulpit to castigate the lawfully
elected Govt. of the day, that if anything has the interests of ALL communities
at heart!
The diplomats having gathered to listen
to these people, should have merely said we will open our channels with the
Govt. of Sri Lanka and inquire into the status of the investigations and the
steps taken to protect vulnerable communities. They SHOULD HAVE RECUSED
themselves from being led like sheep to a Media Circus and forced to make a
statement! Worse, if I am not mistaken, this was done in a Mosque, not a place
to call a press conference.
Has our Foreign Ministry forgotten
protocol? I know we have two new Ministers, but at least the Secretary to the
Ministry must know the protocol of what they can and cannot do in a host
country, and to my knowledge, this is OUTSIDE OF THEIR permitted activity.
They need to inform the foreign
ministry, if they leave Colombo for over one night, but should they not inform
or get permission if they wish to make a press statement calling the Govt. to
account.
They have NOT used the back channels
open to them, and instead broken all protocol, and it is time the Sri Lankan
Government, HARSHLY condemns their action. Is it due to the GSP + conditions
that they do not wish to rock the boat? That is sad. What is wrong is wrong and
this is WRONG and we must have the courage to state this. Otherwise the
Ministers have NO BACKBONE. They are mere lackeys of foreign powers to do their
bidding and cannot stand up for their country when in international eyes, the
Country is branded without foundation and proof, and there is NO proof that any
of the alleged incidents have been carried out as an organized campaign of intimidation,
rather more sporadic from individuals with personal agendas.
THE FOREIGN OFFICE MUST RELEASE AN
IMMEDIATE STATEMENT THUS
The Government of Sri Lanka strongly
condemn the action of a number of Diplomats representing their Governments, in
making statements to the Media, flouting ALL Diplomatic Niceties and Protocol. They
have repeated allegations, NOT proved by the investigating authorities, made by
some members of the Muslim Community, purporting represent the Community, and
who have little following, or those made by Government members in their
personal capacity.
There are back channels that can be used
to inquire into these acts of vandalism that are alleged to be hate crimes, and
BY THIS ACTION has further NEGATIVELY affected the state of communal harmony,
by convincing our brethren in the Muslim Community that there is an organized
series of Hate Crimes been committed and continuing unabated, when there IS NO
SUCH proof.
This reprehensible action by SOME
members of the Diplomatic Community, has worsened rather than lessened the fear
as it legitimizes or states as fact something that has yet to be proved. We
would therefore appeal to the members of the Diplomatic Community to desist
from such action in the future, as we have had prior experience of their
interference that actually interfered the peaceful conclusion of the Civil
Disturbances during the LTTE rebellion. As in that past instance, the proof
came much later, and is surfacing only now, and similarly, it is possible, that
persons making allegations and rousing fear are doing it for their personal agendas
rather than to protect their community.
Media can actually make a situation
worse by pointing to small isolated incidents and trying to make a case for
organized and planned violence, as it is the STORY they want not necessarily
the merits of the facts. Using this means to achieve a goal therefore is NOT in
the interests of the security of Sri Lanka and will make the task of the
security forces to investigate these incidents that much harder.
The GOSL respectfully requests our
honored representatives of Overseas Governments to follow usual procedures that
are UNIVERSALLY USED to bring their concerns in communicating with friendly
governments, especially one that is Democratically and Elected and legitimate
in all respects. Thank You
Sally knew the new Ministers have NO clue about Protocol and the Foreign Secretary and others in the Foreign Ministry don't want to stick their necks out to defend the Country, not knowing when they will be replaced. In short the GOSL is currently impotent especially as the PM is away, NO ONE does anything!
ReplyDeleteSri Lanka is literally behaving like a beggar, now accepting food from the EU, USA, China India, Japan and whoever else that gives, so they don't want to upset this gravy train and let the foreigners in Sri Lanka walkover them like dirt! That is the plight.
ReplyDeleteThat donkey Hilmy Ahamed writing in the FT is must stirring a hornet's nest. He should just shut up and let the Police do their job without giving GANT (Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara Thero) too much publicity.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ft.lk/article/619825/All-the-President-s--racist--men-
The president is NOT harboring him, and it is NOT him who is responsible for these hate crimes.
It is easy to point fingers at the obvious joker in the pack, but that just breeds hate when someone is just accused as it suits the writer. We have a greater issue here of the inability of the state to enforce the law due to pressure groups on the Buddhist and Muslim sides. We have to first surmount that rather than pick a fight with a nut. It belittles the writer when he points his finger at a loose cannon as that is all this coward is. He should not write rubbish to add salt to wounds. He should instead address the real problem in our midst, a swing to the fundamentalism that breeds hate as is quite apparent the world over.
Let it NOT spill into Sri Lanka.