EXCLUSIVE NEWSThose who had hoped for reconciliation in Sri Lanka with the defeat of the Tigers feel that this signals the lack of space for peace in Sri Lanka.
(July 17, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Highly respected diplomat and academic scholar Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka was fired from his post as permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, by the Government of Sri Lanka.
According to reliable sources, we can suppose it is because of the 13th amendment debate (in which Dr. Jayatilleka came out in favour of it) and the rising influence of Sinhala racist parties Jathika Hela Urumaya and National Freedom Front in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile sources in Geneva confirmed to the Sri Lanka Guardian that “The Government of Sri Lanka informed Dr. Dayan by fax that his contract is being terminated effective August 20, 2009.”
Those who had hoped for reconciliation in Sri Lanka with the defeat of the Tigers feel that this signals the lack of space for peace in Sri Lanka.
-Sri Lanka Guardian
Removal of Dyan Jyatilleke was long over due as Ambassadors are not expected to holler out loud in public media. They cannot compromise their position by entering into public debate and then adding that they are expressing "personal views". An ambassador has NO PERSONAL VIEWS. So, while Dyan Jayatillke is clearly an acceptable but troublesome person for a newspaper or an academic department, HE IS A TOTAL MISFIT AS A DIPLOMAT.
The claim that his demise signals "the lack of space for peace " is completely wrong. The context in which the 13th amendment came into being was very different to what is there today. Do we want political Thugs, be they Denananda or Pilliyan or one of the TNA thugs to take our the north or the east with a lot of powers devolved into their hands?
Local over-lords are a thing of the feudal era. Decentralization of parts of the country is the best way to guarantee that those parts remain undeveloped.
Dyan J is now an out-dated old man who should be retired so that he can go to CUBA and preach Marxism slightly modified and colored up to remove the drab grayness of state controlled bureaucracies favoured by these failed leftists.
Jathika Hela Urumaya, led by an extremist has done everything they can to create a havoc in the nation. especially among different nationalities who have lived peacefully. J.H.U is an unarmed "....." group that has no academic foundation itself and it is obvious that J.H.U hates world political icons such as Dr.Jayathilake.
J.H.U. please respect our soldiers victory over terrorism and help us to rebuild Sri Lanka instead of ruining it.
We have to agree that Prabhakaran's soul still lives among us and this time it is hiding behind the buddhist wardrobe.
I know politics is a dirty game but this govt. has descended to the lowest levels of decency in that it simply picks people's brains and talent for its own propaganda purposes.
And when the deed is done `to hell with them. We don't care'
Rajiva was expelled and now Dayan.
I have this gut feeling the information counsellors in diplomatic missions (non-career diplomats and journalists) should be applying for jobs were they to keep the home fires burning.
I still recall former Lake House Chairman was not even given time to clear his desk when the govt changed hands in 1994.
I suppose with his UN connections Dayan could easily fit in somewhere where he would be fully appreciated.
Whatever said and done the European and US bosses have a much more human approach to those they employ.
Then again we are still the petty-minded nation with unnecessary prejudices and personal vendetta when it comes to public behaviour.
It's too sad to see the govt. of SL do not recognize the excellent work done by intelligent people like Dr. Dayan.
People like Mervin Silva still making chaos all over in Kelaniya but MR ignores it. As the astrologer predicted if he cannot appoint educated qualified people to top positions and if he cannot impose law an order in ths country, no matter how many wars you win...you will LOOOSE. It's a matter of time. Nothing will last foever MR!!!
If Ambassador Jayatilleka's appointment has been terminated as a result of his stance on the 13th Amendment it seems a curiosity which seems disproportionate to the rationale that he was merely supporting what President Mahinda Rajapaksha overviewed as favourable for Sri Lanka in a post LTTE climate towards reconciliation.Hence it makes the decision by the Government if this is indeed the case, somewhat lopsided as well as mind boggling.Will it be the Presidents turn to be 'fired' rather come under fire which he already has,next?
If Ambassador Jayatilleka's appointment has been terminated as a result of his stance on the 13th Amendment it seems a curiosity which seems disproportionate to the rationale that he was merely supporting what President Mahinda Rajapaksha overviewed as favourable for Sri Lanka in a post LTTE climate towards reconciliation.Hence it makes the decision by the Government if this is indeed the case, somewhat lopsided as well as mind boggling.Will it be the Presidents turn to be 'fired' rather come under fire which he already has,next?
Dayan did an excellent job in defeating LTTE lies and propaganda in the international forums including UN. But, his idealogical baggage does not allow him to see the new reality. Dayan's recalcitrant attitude regarding the solutions to the non-existent 'tamil problem' does not help finding a common values and living of sri lankans irespective of their etinicity. His ideas actually aggravate the SL situation by promoting ethnic based enclaves through his favourite 13th amendment. Not only his ideas about 13th create more chaos but also lead to ever lasting civil wars/terroism in the future.
The constitution of Sri Lanka or amendments to it, shall be in accordance with the wishes of people of Sri Lanka, but not to please any foreign powers or according to wishes of Dayan Jayatillake. Thank you again for the great service you done defeating the terror in SL. You could have done more in the international arena if not for your idealogical garbage.
Who is Dayan Jayathileke to take a stand different to Government of Sri Lanka while conducting business in an official capacity? He cannot vent his personal opinions while holding a pubic office. When he is out of line he should have resigned from his office before he was removed. His opinions of the 13th amendment are only good for LTTE. When we are talking about national reconciliation this man was advocating more and more separation. Perhaps, he is influenced by the NGO and the Tamil Diaspora in Switzerland. However, any public official who cannot articulate the government position vividly to the outside world should not be holding any public office.
i am not wondering JHU and tamil nationalist capitalist Nadesan in samepage. history will give the respect to Dayan .
Nayanananda Ratnayake
Nadeshan,
why do you say "Do we want political Thugs, be they Denananda or Pilliyan or one of the TNA thugs"....why can't you talk about Mervyn Silva. it is a known fact that 85% of the MPs are thugs.
Well it is a pity to lose the services of Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke to SL specially when responding to biased, partial, international community with hidden agenda to dismantle SL.The way he defeated the recent West based attack on SL at UN, backed by the the blessings of Indian born Dravidian Navi Pillai, Miliband, Clintons etc. is praise wirthy & commendable for centuries to come in the hearts of Motherland loving patriotic Sri Lankans.Infact conspiracy was there many years ago, born in overseas centres, to remove him with strong political backing in foreign affairs stage in the govt. as his services went extra miles highlighting the weaknesses of diplomats in London, Europe who were sleeping while terror boys were parading & masquerdaing in Western streets, having God Fathers in foregn ministry top brass defending these weak diplomats who were a waste of govt. money....To reply Nadesan that Dayan is a misfit...Dayan is a born intellectual in international affairs much much older than his appointment of a foreign diplomat.His services were so noble & rewarding compared to the ill founded or no service, many LAW Pundits in the govt. & in SL arena rendered during the crucial hours.Undoubtedly, Dayan is a couargeous man with a spine & guts to speak what he feels right in front of anybody & no body can prevent contributing his valiant services for the yeras to come, as he did & his dad did to our country.His brilliant eloquency in language is many many miles ahead than many of the stammering, words knotting, laughing than expressing, politicos of the regime. Congratulations Dr. Dayan, do not get disheartened, SL needs your knowledge for ever & you a true SL son & an asset to our country.We love you.
I genuinely feel sorry for Dayan if the above news item was true. The onetime revolutionary who finally found his foot in the high echelons of diplomacy has to end his career this way says something about the man than the Sri Lankan state. He knew very well that his ideals are incompatible with the Sri Lankan state's purpose and its existence, yet he decided to join the Sinhala Buddhist establishment hoping to contribute to and put some sense into its ideology.
He was used by the undemocratic Sri Lankan state as a human shield in the international human rights forums and institutions to deflect barrage of condemnation and criticism emanating from the conduct of the brutal war which was not essentially against the LTTE but a war on Tamil Speaking People. He successfully did what he was expected to do where neither other rightwing Sinhala Buddhist nor a career diplomat could have done.
If Dayan is regretting the final episode of his short lived diplomatic career, then he has to blame himself and not the state which he is fond of defending at all cost to his intellectual honesty.
Dayan Jayatilleka, from the point of view of SL has served its purpose at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.Now that they have got what they wanted, DJ is of no further use to them.
Dr continued to plead for the enforcement of the 13th amendment.at least the Tamils will be greatful to you.
Reply to Wijethilake:
You aright.
Mervyn is also a thug. As a Tamil I was mostly thinking of the Tamil thugs. Prabhakarn was the thug par excellence who was not satisfied even with provincial councils. If we have powerful provincial councils you can be sure that Mervyn will some how arrange to become a chief minster and terrorize the people under him. So you have given more arguments against having provincial councils -thank you.
The system of provincial councils etc is a means of keeping a vast number of political thugs and their cronies in power. We don't need so many rungs of bureaucracy.
Leon has said that "Tamils have to be greatful to Dayan" (Leon probability means "grateful" ) - but I think Dyan has been looking after Indian interests and NOT the interests of Sri Lankan Tamils or the Sri Lankan state. This is after all not the first time that he worked for the Indians. How much was he paid by RAW?
MR probabaly knew Dayns double-agent charaqcter and used him when he could, just as India is doing.
The best way to look after the interests of Sri Lankan Tamils is to ensure that NO DEVOLUTION OF POWER into the hands of political thugs be carried out right now.
We want to leave room for new leaders who will not be crushed by thugs. New young leaders from the Tamil community will evolve soon, to fill the vacuum created by the assassinations of the Tamil intelligentsia carried out by the LTTE with the connivance of the TNA, the Diaspora and their client pseudo-Marxist apologists like Dyan J.
I have an ultimate motive for defending Dayan Jayatilleke. I do not think our paths crossed except when he visited the Sunday Leader when I was a member of the staff.
But I have known his father from whom I took the post of Colombo Correspondent for Times of India when he took over as Newsweek columnist.
I would be not doing justice to Sinhalese like Dayan who transcended narrow Sinhala chauvinism against all odds.
He chose to defend Mahinda's strategy of wiping out terrorism. But he also advocated that Tamils have grievances and these needed redress.
For his stubborn stance against earning the wrath of Sinhala nationalists he spoke like a true patriot of Sri Lanka.
Dayan deserves all the kudos he could get. He has his father's blood flowing in his veins.
He is but a true journalist and he is not one governments in power can dictate to and he is not a pawn in the power game of Sinhala nationalism.
Hopefully by November he could become a voice for the oppressed when Mahinda and his ilk are thrown out.
I say this with all sincerity and I wish him a responsible ministerial portfolio in the next government.
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