A new meaning to diplomacy for Lankan envoy
Dr Jacob GeorgePublished: May 28, 2009 6:35 AM | Updated: May 28, 2009 6:38 AM
I refer to Malaysiakini's report titled ‘Protesters are jokers, says Sri Lanka envoy'.
I would have thought diplomats are taught to be objective, professional, highly sensitive and diplomatic but then, this fellow who goes by the name of Dr D D Ranasinghe surprisingly failed where it mattered most.
He gave a new meaning to the meaning of ‘diplomacy' when he called over 7,000 Malaysians of all walks of life, who protested last Sunday over the predicament of minority Tamils in Sri Lanka, as jokers.
If you are indeed shocked - don't be.
For that was what High Commissioner to Malaysia, the arrogant Dr D D Ranasinghe stated when asked to respond to the Malaysian version of the anti-Sri Lanka rally in Batu Caves, Selangor.
The innocent question prior was whether his government would take the protesters' concerns into consideration.
He is reported to have remarked with arrogance to a plain and simple question.
An elementary question, which even my 12-year-old daughter, could answer with tact and diplomacy, if necessary even with a ready 'spin!'
His remark: "It doesn't matter to us. We won't take any action. Why should we? They are jokers!"
He forgot that the said rally was a reflection of what peace-loving Malaysians always do - address injustices all around the world be it in Bosnia, Palestine, Rwanda, Somalia or this state terror that was nothing but a well-coordinated massacre of political opponents with the precise, detailed logistics and information given by a traitor.
And this was what we Malaysians were addressing - and at a rally organised by the World Tamil Relief and the Coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) movements that drew several thousand people.
Perhaps the High Commissioner was so very excited that finally the Sri Lanka government had declared victory over the armed separatist group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), with the death of its leader V Prabhakaran.
The LTTE has been fighting to establish an independent state in the north of the country.
In the process, thousands have been killed and about 100,000 made homeless, almost all of them being Tamils.
My call is to the United Nations - for - once again they have failed miserably to address this genocide and massacre and the question now lingers whether they will now address the world's call to bring war crimes chargers against the Sri Lankan government and its leaders.
And I cannot but support the following resolutions called for:
1. The immediate lifting of all restrictions on the international community so that they can assess the catastrophe and offer relief.
2. The establishment of an independent Tamil state, pending which a UN peacekeeping force should be deployed to maintain peace; and
3. The Malaysian government to offer assistance to Sri Lankan Tamils, and to withdraw support for Sri Lanka's draft resolution before the UN calling on member nations not to interfere in internal affairs.
But right now, there must be an open apology from this man who represents the government of Sri Lanka in Malaysia.
If he fails to do so, he better get out of my country.
Malaysians does not tolerate such self-righteous and insensitive fools masquerading as diplomats.
I call upon the European Union and the UN to conduct a comprehensive investigation into allegations of rape and torture that is coming out from the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps that girls are being raped and youths are being taken away by the Sri Lankan army to be tortured and killed.
If this is indeed true, it will mean only one thing and you do not have to be a rocket scientist to state that this is not the end of the struggle of the LTTE but the beginning of a new front that will eventually emerge to right the continued wrongs done to the Sri Lankan minority Tamils.
Dr Jacob George is the president of Consumers Assocation of Subang and Shah Alam, Selangor
I would have thought diplomats are taught to be objective, professional, highly sensitive and diplomatic but then, this fellow who goes by the name of Dr D D Ranasinghe surprisingly failed where it mattered most.
He gave a new meaning to the meaning of ‘diplomacy' when he called over 7,000 Malaysians of all walks of life, who protested last Sunday over the predicament of minority Tamils in Sri Lanka, as jokers.
If you are indeed shocked - don't be.
For that was what High Commissioner to Malaysia, the arrogant Dr D D Ranasinghe stated when asked to respond to the Malaysian version of the anti-Sri Lanka rally in Batu Caves, Selangor.
The innocent question prior was whether his government would take the protesters' concerns into consideration.
He is reported to have remarked with arrogance to a plain and simple question.
An elementary question, which even my 12-year-old daughter, could answer with tact and diplomacy, if necessary even with a ready 'spin!'
His remark: "It doesn't matter to us. We won't take any action. Why should we? They are jokers!"
He forgot that the said rally was a reflection of what peace-loving Malaysians always do - address injustices all around the world be it in Bosnia, Palestine, Rwanda, Somalia or this state terror that was nothing but a well-coordinated massacre of political opponents with the precise, detailed logistics and information given by a traitor.
And this was what we Malaysians were addressing - and at a rally organised by the World Tamil Relief and the Coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) movements that drew several thousand people.
Perhaps the High Commissioner was so very excited that finally the Sri Lanka government had declared victory over the armed separatist group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), with the death of its leader V Prabhakaran.
The LTTE has been fighting to establish an independent state in the north of the country.
In the process, thousands have been killed and about 100,000 made homeless, almost all of them being Tamils.
My call is to the United Nations - for - once again they have failed miserably to address this genocide and massacre and the question now lingers whether they will now address the world's call to bring war crimes chargers against the Sri Lankan government and its leaders.
And I cannot but support the following resolutions called for:
1. The immediate lifting of all restrictions on the international community so that they can assess the catastrophe and offer relief.
2. The establishment of an independent Tamil state, pending which a UN peacekeeping force should be deployed to maintain peace; and
3. The Malaysian government to offer assistance to Sri Lankan Tamils, and to withdraw support for Sri Lanka's draft resolution before the UN calling on member nations not to interfere in internal affairs.
But right now, there must be an open apology from this man who represents the government of Sri Lanka in Malaysia.
If he fails to do so, he better get out of my country.
Malaysians does not tolerate such self-righteous and insensitive fools masquerading as diplomats.
I call upon the European Union and the UN to conduct a comprehensive investigation into allegations of rape and torture that is coming out from the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps that girls are being raped and youths are being taken away by the Sri Lankan army to be tortured and killed.
If this is indeed true, it will mean only one thing and you do not have to be a rocket scientist to state that this is not the end of the struggle of the LTTE but the beginning of a new front that will eventually emerge to right the continued wrongs done to the Sri Lankan minority Tamils.
Dr Jacob George is the president of Consumers Assocation of Subang and Shah Alam, Selangor
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