Many Sri Lankans in Geneva have been following the debate, if one may call it that, over the recall of Ambassador Dayan Jayatillaka who has without doubt become controversial. He is considered to be an aggressive personality who certainty cannot be ignored. We need to asses his contribution, warts and all.

It is being said here that he had jeopardized our relations with Israel and that was why he was recalled. However that may be let me address another issue.

Some commentators in Colombo seem to think that our previous Perm. Reps. did nothing when they were here and that it is only with the advent of Amb. Jayatillaka that Sri Lanka ’s interests were protected. Let me, as one who has been here for years and was at one time attached to our mission, state that this is the furthest from the truth. It is an insult to those Perm. Reps. who slaved for the country before Amb. J. came out here. Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe who served in this Mission in the early eighties would testify to this.

I shall name the greats who served here, all of them from the career Foreign Service none of whom played to the gallery and sought publicity for their work. They worked in the best traditions of their profession and served with absolute distinction; I recall the names of the late Amb. A. T. Jayakody, Amb. Jayantha Dhanapala, Amb. Bernard Goonetilleke; I also recall that the present PR in New York, Amb. Palihakkara who is reported to be doing an excellent job of safeguarding our interest, but quietly once again, who also served here in Geneva some years ago. They served here when Sri Lanka was up against the wall, perhaps in more difficult times than now. At that time, not only the holier than thou Western countries but also a large number of pro LTTE NGOs were working against us and even organizing demonstrations outside the Palaise.

Amb. Dhanapala was in Geneva at the time of the pogrom of 1983 when Sri Lanka ’s name was mud on account of HR violations. It required much skill to convince the world outside our shores that it was neither the work of the government nor of the Sinhala masses setting upon innocent Tamil citizens. It was Ambassador Dhanapala who also convinced the government in Colombo to get its act together. I know this for a fact as I was in the mission then. There were no resolutions condemning the country in the period that he was Ambassador.

It was the same when Ambassador Goonetilleke was here; he too did our country proud as did Ambassador Palihakkara. They worked at a time when the LTTE was not banned and their NGOs were most active.

They worked, as stated earlier, quietly and effectively to kill resolutions against Sri Lanka. Those of us here recall in particular the efforts of the Ambassador of Norway, Eide, who took the lead in seeking to shame our country. We also recall how India between 1983 and 1987 both covertly and overtly worked against us in Geneva. Our Perm. Reps. worked tirelessly and quietly without giving publicity to what they achieved. We are certain that the likes of Bradman Weerakoon and also Tilak Marapone who visited Geneva during those times will bear this out.

As stated earlier, some misguided elements in Colombo seek to make out that it was only in these last two years that Sri Lanka’s honour has been protected. To believe this is absolute nonsense and a gross injustice to competent Permanent Reps. who served here before who did well by our country.

Ambassador Dayan J. has certainly stood up against bullying particularly by certain western countries that have not missed any opportunity to denigrate us. While his style and statements may have pleased politicians in Colombo, it has certainly not helped our country; for example his attack on Miliband should have not come from him. His statement that he was of the view that the British Monarchy was archaic was wholly uncalled for and his most recent attack on Israel (although we all agree that Israeli’s overkill in Gaza was inhuman and criminal) should not have come from someone representing Sri Lanka.

He has apparently put his foot in his mouth for he has spoilt our relationship with that country which has been assisting us in our war effort. Maybe this is the reason for his recall.

It is in a sense pity for he undoubtedly is a very intelligent man and only if he would think before he speaks, he could with the experience he has gained in the past two years, serve our country better. We believe that he should be rapped on the knuckles and allowed to stay and complete his term and be absorbed into the Foreign Service and sent as our Ambassador to Cuba but please don’t send him to New York for he is not incapable of starting the Third World War!