Dayan’s name deliberately removed from the statement by Minister Bogollogama

(October 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The President of Sri Lanka has hailed his official three days visit to Vietnam as a success. He had visited some important historical places and also has signed a bilateral agreement between the countries.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo released a statement that titled , “JOINT PRESS COMMUNIQUÉ: issued on the occasion of the State Visit of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam from 22nd to 24th October 2009”.

The original draft is said to have been prepared by the Coordinating Secretary to the Foreign Minister mentioning Dr. Dayan Jayathillake’s name, who was part of the delegation. But this statement was later amended to by Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and Dr Dayan Jayatillake’s name was removed from the text altogether.

The final amended statement stated: “The President was accompanied by Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of Export Development and International Trade, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion, Mr. Alewi Mowlana, Governor, Western Province, senior officials and a group of business personnel” without mentioning Dayan’s name.

Removal of Dayan Jayatillaka’s name is part of the ongoing campaign of the Foreign Minister to marginalize Dayan in Foreign Office related work. It was reported that Minister Bogollagama was instrumental in the removal of Dayan from his post in the UN in Switzerland due to personal jealously of Dayan’s involvement in successfully thwarting the UN effort to bring War Crime Charges against Sri Lanka.

-Sri Lanka Guardian