In his reply he has stated:
‘The contents of your article are factually incorrect and misleading.
‘Mr Kapila Fonseka, Counsellor/Information & Media, a member of Sri Lanka Foreign Service (SLFS), had completed the usual three year period of his tour of duty in London by August 2010. He stayed in London beyond this period in view of the high level visits in October and in November/December. On conclusion of these visits, his transfer was expedited, due to a request made by the officer, based on urgent personal reasons.’
Whilst acknowledging the Acting Commissioner’s comment, our source at the High Commission who is unaware of the end of the term of Mr Kapilla Fonseka, confirmed to us that he was expelled following representations from the London branch of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) of the President Mahinda Rajapakse.
The staff agreeing with us to maintain anonymity further clarified that SLFP’s Janaka Alahaperuma and Anura Medagedera who are in the forefront of controlling the High Commission in London from outside, played a huge part in the decision for the urgent recall of Kapilla. Though Kapila Fonseka was expected to be recalled anytime after his term, his urgent recall was due to the accusation of establishing contacts with the opposition United National Party Dr Jayalath Jayawardene and Dr Wickramabahu Karunaratne of the NSSP in London.
Janaka Alahaperuma is also a member of the rightwing British Sri Lankan Forum and is involved in the petition campaigns for the government of Sri Lanka. He was the source used by the Sri Lanka government to petition against the Channel 4 for revealing war crimes in Sri Lanka.
Anura Medagedera has earned the name Jayaweve Medegadera since the defeat of the LTTE. He is the Secretary of the SLFP in the UK. He is claimed to have forgotten the traditional salutation of Aybowan when meeting people instead will say Jayaweva (victory) since May 2009.
Both Janaka Alahaperuma and Anura Medagedera are the founder members of the extremist group ‘Sri Lanka Against Terrorism’.
Our High Commission source said ‘even the Acting High Commissioner P M Amsa is under considerable pressure from both these men and the Sinhala Balamandalaya’.
We reproduce an insight article published in the Lankanewsweb datelined 1 July 2009 for the readers to understand the problems encountered by the Sri Lankan High Commission in London.
The Lanka News Web expose reveals the current position of the SLAT, which was formed with the intention of acting against the Tiger terrorists in the international arena.
Sources from the Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK told Lanka News Web that the SLAT-UK has gained much power following the defeat of the LTTE terrorists and has now started to interfere with the functions of the high commission as well.
The latest victim of SLAT-UK is Deputy High Commissioner Sumith Nakandala. While Nakandala’s actions since he assumed office was subject to heavy scrutiny by the SLAT-UK, he has now been recalled by the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry at the end of the month.
Although a diplomatic posting lasts for at least three years, Nakandala has not been able to carry out his work for more than one year. A diplomat is often recalled by his/her country only if the respective official is found to have acted in a manner that severely threatened the sovereignty of the country he was sent to serve in. Otherwise, the respective officials continue with their work without any hindrance.
The government in power does not in any way have an impact on the work of career diplomats, as their primary task is to build close ties between the two countries and to improve bi-lateral relations.
A great task has now fallen before career diplomats to work to negate the bad impression created of Sri Lankan in the international community. In such a backdrop, the politicization of the functioning of career diplomats would be unfavorable to the country and would further jeopardize Sri Lanka’s ties with the international community.
The first salvo against Nakandala was fired by Chief Priest of the Thames temple, Ven. Pahalagama Somarathne Thero. Although it could be argued that the Thero’s intervention in the functions of a career diplomat was due to his lack of knowledge on the relevant matter, it needs to be highlighted to prevent the functions of a career diplomat from being politicized.
The first victim of the SLAT was Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Norway, Esala Weerakoon. The reason for recalling Weerakoon was his objection to the holding of a photographic exhibition organized by the SLAT and the Sri Lankan government depicting images portraying killings that had taken place during the ethnic war.
Weerakoon based his objection on the fact that such an exhibition in Norway, which is home to a large number of Sri Lankan Tamils, would destroy the good relations built between the embassy and the Tamil community. He added that breaking the difficultly built ties with the Tamil community in Norway would indeed stand against the future exercise of finding a permanent solution to the ethnic issue.
However, regardless of the explanation given by Weerakoon, he was recalled due to the pressure exerted by the SLAT. Weerakoon’s case is one instance that showed the politicization of the Foreign Service.
It was the SLAT-UK founder member Anura Medagedara that played the key role in Weerakoon’s incident.
Medagedara allegedly prefers to maintain close links with members of the government and use their powers to consolidate his own position. It is learnt that at the hands of the likes of Medagedara, career diplomats have been reduced to a sad plight.
It is also learnt that Medagedara is currently involved in releasing news on certain irregularities taking place in the Sri Lankan embassy in Europe in an alternative media as well as a website with the intention of intimidating the official in question.
According to sources at the Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK, the reason for the SLAT to build a hatred towards the deputy high commissioner is the non receipt of a warm welcome from the administration staff when members of the SLAT had arrived at the high commission with milk rice (kiri bath) to celebrate the defeat of terrorism in Sri Lanka. The administration staff at the high commission serves under the deputy high commissioner. Furthermore, the failure of the administration staff to give priority to the SLAT members at the last Independence Day celebrations in February has also stood against the deputy high commissioner.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) office in London also plays the role of the invisible force that handles the operations at the high commission. In fact, members of the SLFP branch office are said to be more powerful than the high commissioner.
It is the permanent President of the SLFP branch, Attorney Rani Bulathwela and its Secretary, Anura Medagedara who have taken the advisory role of the new Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK, Nihal Jayasinghe. According to SLFP members, Bulathwela acts with the blessings of Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.
The “Peace Walk” organized by Bulathwela-Medagedara and the high commissioner stands testimony to the wisdom and organizational skills possessed by them. The event was organized in response to the “Black Flag Day” organized with a strength of 20,000 people by Tiger sympathizers.
However, the “Peace Walk” was attended by about 300 people.
It is in fact unfortunate that at a time when all communities have to be brought together, High Commissioner Jayasinghe, following advice received by Bulathwela and Medagedara has acted to further distance the Sinhalese and the Tamils by organizing such walks.
Sri Lankan Against Terrorism are now spread all over the world. Career diplomats have now become their key targets. They are unable to grasp the fact that career diplomats functioned in an independent and an unbiased manner.
Sri Lankans against the SLAT-UK have now expressed concern over career diplomat Lionel Fernando, who is currently Sri Lanka’s ambassador to France and President’s Counsel Daya Perera, who is currently Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Canada as they are feared to be the next targets of the SLAT.
A retired career diplomat residing in the UK told Lanka News Web that the Sri Lankan government had two options. One was to recall all career diplomats and fill the vacancies with SLAT members to flatten the country’s Foreign Service or to allow the career diplomats to carry out their work in building the severed ties with the international community.
Otherwise, he said it would be pertinent to rename the organization to Sri Lankans Against Career Diplomats rather than Sri Lankans Against Terrorism.
 Our news report "Senior Official victim of witch hunting in the Sri Lankan High Commission...){kind=link}
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