Belated thanks to Lord Naseby for supporting Lanka

While the British political establishment is being rocked with stories of shocking personal conduct, news of a low key turf war in our diplomatic quarter in Republic Square has surfaced.

It all started in London where Sri Lanka's friend Lord Naseby fought a three- year war with Whitehall's bowler- hats to gather some critical information from the reports of the British Defence Attache' in Colombo about the last months of the Tamil separatist conflict.

How was the good lord to know that his efforts to do a good deed to clear Sri Lanka of multiple charges would ruffle the feathers of those over in Lanka.

So when the media broke the news of Lord Naseby's speech at an Upper House debate supportive of the harangued Sri Lanka, several citizens wrote to the British politician with much affection for this country, saying "thank you".

Strangely enough there was only silence from the Yahapalanaya government. It would have remained totally silent had the media not asked a question.

It took a bold step by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Wasantha Senanayake to throw political caution exercised by some to the winds and send a formal letter to Lord Naseby breaking the government's deafening silence.

State Minister Senanayake thanked Lord Naseby for his "invaluable work" on behalf of Sri Lanka. He said the information made public by Lord Naseby "makes it clear that the Sri Lanka armed forces fought a much cleaner war than is often alleged in the international arena." Hoping that "we in Sri Lanka will be able to build on your efforts" the State Minister said he hoped the British Baron would visit Sri Lanka once again, very soon.

Lord Naseby’s speech quoting the then British Defence Attaché in Sri Lanka has also been received by deafening silence by the otherwise vociferous ‘ Eelam lobby’ in that country. Sometimes, ‘silence is golden’ seems to be their principle.