We request all parties to respect the principals of operational diplomacy to safeguard humanity at this need of the moment.
Editorial
A group of Sri Lankans working in Kuwait have been brought to Sri Lanka and many of them have been infected with the coronavirus. Unfortunately, the Kuwait officials and the Sri Lankan diplomatic mission in Kuwait have taken careless steps to send these Sri Lankans back to Sri Lanka without any medical examination.
 |
| In Kuwait |
This incident demonstrates the harsh reality of diplomatic relations and the deteriorated administrative system of the Sri Lankan embassies abroad. Most of the people who work in the embassies maintained by the taxes of the people of this country do not care about the service of the people but their comfort.
According to the framework by Paul Kreutzer, there are ten principals in operational diplomacy, national interest, credibility, clarity, comprehensiveness, understanding, perceptiveness, circumspection, confidence-building, decisiveness, and perseverance. Where are these operational principles gone? Indian General KA Muthanna described diplomacy as “the conduct of international relations by negotiation and engendering goodwill and mutual trust rather than by force, propaganda, or recourse to law.” Teach us, how can we maintain the goodwill and mutual trust if our men and women are being discriminated? Is that because we are people of a poor nation?
Even though Sri Lanka is a poor country, it has cared for the thousands of foreign nationals who were unable to leave the country due to covid-19 pandemic. When they needed help the people in Sri Lanka stood by them without hesitation. We, the people in Sri Lanka have been treated fellow travellers and others stranded in Sri Lanka due to pandemic equally and respectfully.
True, we are poor. We don’t have adequate funding and income to fulfil the basic needs of our citizens. But our poverty did not hinder the suffering of the other. However, it is very sad how the richest countries in the world treat foreigners working in those countries.
 |
| Labour Minister of Romania Violeta Alexandru |
Sri Lankans have been treated very badly by Kuwait officials. It is a very sad state of affairs. It is also a demonstration of the corrupt nature of Kuwait's selfish aims. Most of the Sri Lankan expatriates who have been sent to Sri Lanka without having undergone any basic medical examinations are working as housemaids in Kuwait. Most of them work for very little remuneration. Kuwait authorities have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their lives. It is a fundamental duty of man to do to another man in this unfortunate moment. In this case, we call on Kuwait and other countries in the Middle East and elsewhere to respect that basic quality of humanity.
Contrarily to what Kuwait did to us, another incident involving Sri Lankan expatriates was reported from Romania. 36 Sri Lankans who were working at a textile factory in Botosani, Romania, was fired recently. One of them is infected with the coronavirus. The local government in the area abandoned them but central government took the firm decision to help Sri Lankans. The patient was immediately rushed to the hospital and the rest were quarantined. After the quarantine period is over, the authorities in Romania are making arrangements for new job opportunities. Labour Minister Violeta Alexandru and the Romanian authorities should be commended for their restless efforts in the face of various hardships due to the pandemic. This action is admirable. This is a sign of genuine diplomacy.
Covid-19 poses many challenges for us. What is important is that all countries should come together and work together to stabilize the global order. The only way to control the disease is to eliminate the possibility of spreading the virus as early as possible. At least preliminary medical examinations should be carried out and the relevant reports should be submitted to the relevant authority before people are taking from one place to another. Therefore we request all parties to respect the principals of operational diplomacy to safeguard humanity at this need of the moment.
Post a Comment