Diplo-mutts put Lanka on world tightrope

Gone are the days when Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) was really recognised and respected for the calibre of our crop of great diplomats like Dr. Gamani Corea, who headed the UNCTAD (they say that one wag from Korea once asked where this Corea is!) Dr. Neville Canekaratne, Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala etc. who headed various UN bodies and shone in their fields.

With the gradual politicisation of this field, where career diplomats were confined to the Foreign Office desks, a crop of political affiliates took over and diplomatic postings for plum destinations became political rewards for services rendered to the ruling government. Due to this policy, we have ex-IGPs, ex-Election Commissioners, ex-Judges, ex-Army men etc. sitting as diplo-mutts in various world capitals, thus providing inducements to the current public servants too to toe the line of the government if they too wanted to end up having cosy lives as diplo-mutts in some world capital, with all the benefits that come with such a posting. We have also seen offsprings and siblings of senior public servants such as judges, etc. being posted to these embassies in various capacities – again to buy their loyalties in executing the demands of the ruling government.

So, it is no wonder that our foreign service has become a real cropper with the country facing stinging indictments from world bodies for many violations and strictures being issued against the country which ultimately affect its citizens.

“Diplomacy is more than saying or doing the right things at the right time; it is avoiding saying or doing the wrong things at any time” – Bo Bennett

Calistus Jayatilleke