11 August 2022 06:27 pm
“Our country cannot afford the consequences of offending India or China, Sri Lanka’s biggest donors, creditors and true friends in need for more than a millennia,” he added.
"I have information that the ship is sailing in the direction of Sri Lanka, ignoring Sri Lanka's request to differ the visit. But the Chinese now have made a request to permit the ship to dock at Hambantota International Port to replenish essentials such as food water and fuel as the research vessel is manned by a crew of more than 2,000. Now this is a humanitarian issue. If Sri Lanka does not handle this extremely sensitive issue prudently, diplomatically and in a shrewd manner, there is a strong possibility of China as well as India getting offended," Mr. Sirisena emphasised.
Addressing a ceremony held to mark the opening of the main media centre of the SLFP at the party office last morning, Mr. Sirisena went on to say that the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) must take full responsibility for this blunder as they have without any analysis, data review or intra-national sensitivity of the sailing of the research ship have reportedly said ‘OKAY, COME’, when the request came to the MFA for permission to dock the ship at the Hambantota International Port, he charged.
“I don’t think, Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry was aware of this request. The officials, when the request came should have consulted the top diplomats, experts of diplomatic and naval affairs and the political leadership as sailing of a ship of this type is a sensitive issue, Mr. Sirisena stressed.
During his tenure as the 6th executive President from 2015 to 2019, a large number of war ships, educational and research ships have docked in Colombo, Galle and Trincomalee ports adhering to international, naval and diplomatic protocol after obtaining prior permission and politicians, the public and school children paid visits to these ships.
“My government had extremely friendly relations with all the nations with financial and military power and there was no issue of their ships, aircraft or war ships visiting Sri Lanka. The entire global community was our friend. I got my eyes wet when the head of the Pakistan delegation made a speech in support of Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Commission sessions of the UN once,” he said.
Commenting on the opening of the SLFP’s main media centre, Mr. Sirisena said in the modern world of technology, governments are formed and toppled by the media. Politicians are also made and destroyed by the media.
‘I have good experience in this respect. When I stepped out of the SLFP in late 2018, I did not have a cent for the presidential election campaign. But it was the social media, print and electronic media with their strong social mobility campaign elevated me to the presidency. But sadly, the same scenario took place in the last three years of my presidency when the media castigated me in a brutal way that made me unpopular,” Mr. Sirisena lamented. (Sandun A. Jayasekera)