Mr. Prime Minister, Now It’s Time to Use the Big Stick !
It was learnt that new Ambassador to Japan was asking the Foreign Secretary to appoint a senior officer of the Foreign Service to run the Mission. If the Ambassador is a “brilliant” administrator, he does not need a senior Foreign Service Officer to run the Mission. We believe that you would face similar situations in the future when you visit some of the countries where inexperienced new Ambassadors are heading the Missions. We have already heard the LTTE issue in London and failure of the officers to monitor such activities.
An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by A group of the Sri Lankan Foreign Service Officers, is follows;
( October 15, 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) According to the news, during your visit to Japan, you have promised the media to create a new Foreign Service on returning to Sri Lanka as the Foreign Ministry officials have made certain blunders on many issues. You made similar statements on two previous occasions. We whole heartedly welcome your comments and determination to revamp the Foreign Service. We consider it an urgent requirement. However, creating a new Foreign Service should not be narrowed down to a process of appointing your classmates or associates to the posts of Ambassadors and other ranks.
More often the Foreign Service has been the object of ridicule and criticism due to many reasons including its inability to withstand undue political pressure, especially during the previous regime. Therefore, it is our considered view that there should be a meaningful process to revamp the Foreign Service to cure all its ills. We have been debating this issue for years. In fact, after 08th January 2015 election a number of letters were sent to you and H.E. the President requesting to restructure the entire Foreign Ministry to make it serve Sri Lanka better. Unfortunately, the walls created between you and the rest of Sri Lankans by some fanatic officers of your office has prevented such vital information reaching you. Since formation of the new government we have been eagerly looking forward to meeting you to bring to your attention our concerns on our views on conducting foreign policies, Foreign Service, appointments, promotions, administrative issues and matters on political victimization during the last regime.
With regard to the unprofessional conduct of the officers in the Sri Lanka Mission in Japan, we wish to state that the Ambassador should take the full responsibility for any shortcoming. Besides, you cannot expect anything more that from a political Ambassador and a senior officer who has failed all his departmental examination on number of occasions and obtained his promotions through political channel. Unfortunately, this officer has got a cross-posting to Bahrain as the Sri Lankan Ambassador. Not only him, many officers recently appointed as Ambassadors have not fulfilled the requirements to become Ambassadors. More importantly, 06 of them have got cross-postings as Ambassadors after serving abroad more than three years. One of them got appointed to Iran as Ambassador just two months before retirement. This is prejudicial towards officers eligible for such posts in Colombo.
It was learnt that new Ambassador to Japan was asking the Foreign Secretary to appoint a senior officer of the Foreign Service to run the Mission. If the Ambassador is a “brilliant” administrator, he does not need a senior Foreign Service Officer to run the Mission. We believe that you would face similar situations in the future when you visit some of the countries where inexperienced new Ambassadors are heading the Missions. We have already heard the LTTE issue in London and failure of the officers to monitor such activities. We are also aware of what is happening at the Sri Lanka Mission in Geneva. Despite the irresponsible behavior of the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka, there is also secret discussions to appoint a mistress of a senior Ambassador to Geneva.
Considering your explosive remarks on the Foreign Service and failure of the government to put the Foreign Ministry on to the correct path, we wish to bring the following to your kind attention.
1. Appointing of a commission to probe allegations against some officers in the Foreign Service and mismanagement of affairs at the Ministry during the previous regime and appointments made to the Missions soon after January 08 election. We wish to highlight that there had been gross violation of rules and regulations by the high ranking officials of the Ministry when spending public funds and granting promotions as well as making appointments. Some officers had engaged in politics during the previous regime. In the past, the entire Ministry was geared to serve Rajapakse family and not the country. These issues need to be investigated and those responsible should be punished. We are acutely aware of grave harm inflicted to the entire Foreign Service by senior officers of the ministry. We wish to express our displeasure on the way of conducting the investigation on the allegations against the former Secretary Mrs. Kshenuka Senavirathna and others involved in Geneva Missions repairs.
2. Appointing of a committee to investigate the issues related to political victimization during the previous regime and Ambassadorial appointments made after 08 January election.
3. Appointing of a committee to receive recommendations on restructuring of the Foreign Ministry and the Missions abroad to make them better institutions that could serve the country.
It is our view that the Minister of Foreign Affairs could have avoided the present debacles at the Ministry. However, he just began to run the Ministry after the January 08 election without making any structural and administrative changes. He did not pay a serious attention to the issues related to appointments within the Ministry and the Missions. He trusted some crooks who licked the boots of the Rajapske family and its cronies and entrusted them with important tasks. Some officers made use of good intention of the Minister for their personal gains. As a result, the Ministry receives undue criticisms from all quarters of the society. We strongly believe that it is also required to appoint a new Foreign Secretary capable of running the Ministry to the expectations of the country.
More specifically, a diplomat should be an excellent writer, analyst, negotiator, advocate and communicator, with broad knowledge and understanding of how the host country works, and have ability to quickly acquire basic expertise in a new field. A diplomat needs to be very adaptable, a self-learner and a quick study. In the present milieu, only skill a Sri Lankan diplomat needs to rise to the top in the service is knowing how to work with the bureaucracy and having the right connections.
We hope that you would have a serious look into the matters highlighted above.
