Indiscriminate checking of Sri Lankan travel documents by foreigners at Sri Lankan airports is outrageous.

Ambassador Waranakulssoriya should be thanked for bringing this sordid practice to the notice of the public. While the foreign airline liaison officers can be expected to check the documents at their respective airline counter, it is indeed and insult to Immigration authorities of Sri Lanka, if the foreigners are allowed to dictate to them.

In the case spotlighted by the  Ambassador  the passenger was travelling to Italy and the ‘specialist’ comments came from a British national who in fact ‘prevented’ a Sri Lankan from exercising  his freedom of travel. While the Government should investigate the concerned issue to compensate the traveller, as a matter of urgency, all foreigners in the airport who ‘have the right’ to over-ride the Sri Lankan Immigration authorities should be removed.

Everyone knows how the British authorities, including the visa section of the British High Commission treat would be travelers to the UK. Further , the British Government continues to extend a Nelsonian eye to the LTTE fund raising and propaganda work in the UK while a group of MPs are promoting anti -Sri Lanka sentiments under the guise of unethically formed Tamil Group in the Parliament.

Hence, the British agenda for Sri Lanka is still smacks of colonialism and if they are allowed to decide about the travel documents of Sri Lankans over and above the SL Immigration authorities, Sri Lanka will be opening herself for abuses by the vested interests which can even affect internal security.

If at all any specialist services are required Sri Lanka should get such services from friendly countries in the region such as Malaysia, Singapore, China or Russia. Even then the final authority at the airport should be the Immigration Department.