“WITHOUT PREJUDICE”
1) 2022 was rocked by covert behaviour by Sri Lanka High Commissioner to Canada Harsha Kumara Navaratne, a ‘civilian’ appointed by former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He used his position as Sri Lanka first representative in Canada to promote and assist a ‘rogue’ delegation of Sri Lankans in November in a serious ‘crime of deception’. This diplomat left station in Ottawa and journeyed to Sri Lanka early October (2022) sans an announcement on the high commission website. His stay in Sri Lanka was termed “private visit’ (according to Dy. High Commissioner Anzul Jhan) and funded by this group including ‘business class’ flight.
The questionable conduct of this “diplomat” under the guise of “reconciliation’, has brought ‘diplomacy’ to disrepute tantamount to insulting all patriotic Sri Lankans in Canada.
Kudos to Chairman, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Mr. Vish Govindasamy who refused to tow the line by refusing to recognise the ‘rogue’ delegation. He turned down a request from Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry to be part of this deception.
2) It follows that Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry has been in shambles since 2009. One case in particular in our own backyard needs to be exposed. A foreign service officer (2000 batch) who was appointed to Sri Lanka’s High Commission in Canada (based in Ottawa) in 2008, still remains in Canada functioning today as Deputy High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Canada. This lady has overstayed her 3-year term by 11 years. Word on the street is that she has personal/political connections within the ministry that favours her extended stay. How cruel this can be to other foreign service officers waiting in lne for overseas diplomatic appointments. Can this sort of injustice happen in the modern world? Maybe only in Sri Lanka.
(1) and (2) above is in direct conflict with the “Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961”. Word on the street is that the Canadian High Commission in Colombo was also an accessory to this ‘crime of deception’. A junior officer who was acting Head of Mission for Canada in Sri Lanka is responsible for this lapse in judgment.
Canada’s Foreign Ministry announced last month that Mr. Eric Walsh has been appointed Canada’s new high commissioner to Sri Lanka replacing David McKinnon (2017-2022).