Sri lankan foreign missions in several countries have become white elephants spending local tax payers money for  much needed foreign exchange lavishly without bringing any benefits to the island nation , internal audit report revealed.     

The  Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated action to temporarily close down the Sri Lanka Embassy in Oslo, the Kingdom of Norway; the Sri Lanka Embassy in Baghdad, the Republic of Iraq; and the Sri Lanka Consulate General in Sydney, the Commonwealth of Australia; with effect from 30 April 2022.

The decision with regard to the temporary closure of the two Missions and Post was taken by the Government of Sri Lanka following careful deliberation. 

It is part of a general restructuring of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic representation overseas, undertaken by the Foreign Ministry in the context of the current economic situation and foreign currency constraints faced by the country. 

Massive expenditure has been recorded at Sri Lanka’s 63 foreign missions and at the Foreign Ministry in Colombo in the first four months of this year even as the country faced its worst-ever economic crisis leading to the government being unable to pay for basics to provide for its citizens.

The Prime Minister’s Office expressed concern with senior officials when they sat to discuss further cost-cutting measures and were questioned why these expenses were not slashed immediately.

According to statistics available, in the first four months of this year, a whopping US13.7 million dollars had been spent on maintenance and salaries in the 63 Sri Lankan missions overseas, which had been recruiting huge numbers of staff.

Sources said that these missions recruited 439 people from their respective countries and 852 people had been sent from Sri Lanka to these missions.

The matter which is now being examined by the Prime Minister himself, has led to serious queries as to why such massive expenditure was ignored when the government was running out of money even to purchase a shipment of fuel.

In addition to the foreign missions, a total sum of Rs.359.8 million had been splurged by the Foreign Ministry in Colombo in the first four months of this year with a staff of 643 people employed.

A detailed report on the Ministry’s expenses has now been sought. Sources said that out of the 63 missions, steps were taken only to shut three missions overseas amid the economic turmoil but discussions are now ongoing to slash the staff and bring down the maintenance in the existing missions.

A detailed probe has commenced over the massive expenditure by the individual missions and Foreign Ministry in Colombo

Kimarli Fernando, the Chairwoman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) aka the notorious daughter-in-law of the Dilmah mogul has once again proven to be the worst head in a state-run body in her latest act at the Office of the newly sworn in Tourism and Land Minister, Harin Fernando.

Following the SJB MP’s shocking swearing in as a Cabinet Minister in the current regime, Fernando the SLTDA Chairwoman made an unannounced visit to her new political authority on the date (May 20) itself.

Kimarli, who is unanimously condemned by the business community of Sri Lanka and more recently the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce over her notorious conduct of misusing public funds in her nepotism whilst being an accused for contempt of court, was seen to have lingered in the ministerial office for no reason, depicting no embarrassment over her uninvited arrival.   

The SLTDA Chairwoman made everyone in the Ministry uncomfortable by her unannounced visit without a reason and unwillingness to leave, our correspondent revealed.

Harin Fernando the new Tourism and Land Minister told her he would like to have a discussion with her on Monday after talking to his new team. Kimarli, however, was seen still in her presence unwilling to leave the building, demonstrating a rather unprofessional behaviour towards her political authority.

Given her history of unlawful land acquisition and being politically privileged, Kimarli Fernando never saw herself as a person committing unpleasantries but someone craving for advantage of the moment. Her unpleasantness as a public servant has always been seen by those outside and more accurately, those oppressed due to her unlawful conducts.

Nonetheless, we hesitate to believe that Kimarli should be despised by those around her at this gravity. Notwithstanding her scandals, as the daughter of G.C. Wickramasinghe, one of the best and most reputed former directors of Aitken Spence, Fernando should be given a chance to cleanse herself and still be truthful to her title as the SLTDA Chairwoman.

Kimarli should act professional now, without scarring her father’s name, without abusing the privilege of being a woman, and without insulting all the women who hold top positions in the state-run bodies of the country.

Her era of lawlessness and power abuse including the acquisition of a land rich of biodiversity, one worth millions of rupees and owning a tiger-sightseeing rock, to serve her nepotism must end at some point.

Dear Honourable Minister Harin Fernando, you should also be cautious of people like Kimarli who abuse power upon being bestowed a government title. It will be healthy to keep your title as the new Tourism and Land Minister in the long run as well.

Previous report:

US, Japan, India, Australia Should Address Crises Across Region 

(Tokyo, May 19, 2022) – Leaders of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia should reach agreements on new measures to address human rights crises and democratic backsliding in Asia, Human Rights Watch said today. The Quad, a security alliance of the leaders of the four countries, is meeting in Tokyo on May 22, 2022.

“The Quad needs to place Asia’s massive human rights and humanitarian crises at the heart of its discussions and decisions,” said John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “Although each has vastly different causes and features, the human rights crises in Afghanistan, Myanmar, North Korea, and Sri Lanka should all be high on the security agenda.”

A central purpose of the Quad alliance is to counter the rising authoritarian influence of the Chinese government in Asia. To advance that goal, the Quad needs to better promote human rights institutions, democratic governance, and the rule of law domestically and regionally, Human Rights Watch said. Quad leaders should reach common positions on addressing major human rights crises in the region and speak publicly on specific concerns.

On Myanmar, Quad leaders need to move beyond relying on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its failed “five point consensus.” Quad leaders, along with like-minded ASEAN members Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, should agree on a stronger, coordinated effort to steer the Myanmar junta toward reform, including by increasing restrictions on its foreign currency revenues and weapons purchases.

Like-minded countries should develop a clear, time-bound approach to pressure the junta to end its abuses. The approach should include imposing and better enforcing new sanctions on oil and gas revenues, as well as on human rights abusers and military entities. Quad countries should support a United Nations Security Council resolution imposing a global arms embargo on Myanmar, which purchases large amounts of weapons from both China and Russia.

On Afghanistan, Quad leaders should agree to coordinate with other governments to press the Taliban to abandon their restrictive and abusive policies and practices, including bans on women’s secondary schooling and restrictions on women’s travel, employment, and dress. Japan, India, and Australia should urge the US to reach an agreement with Taliban authorities about restrictions in place on the Afghanistan Central Bank and on World Bank-administered assistance for education and health. These restrictions are severely exacerbating the country’s economic situation and are driving its humanitarian crisis.

On North Korea, Quad leaders should agree to integrate human rights issues into diplomatic approaches and support including human rights benchmarks in any future negotiations with Kim Jong Un and the North Korean government. They should also discuss outreach to the government to offer assistance to address the gravely deteriorating economic and humanitarian situation and the new Covid-19 outbreak.

On Sri Lanka, Quad leaders should recognize that the roots of the country’s current economic and political crisis lie in longstanding corruption and a lack of transparency, and that the route to stability and economic recovery depends on increasing respect for human rights, strengthening the rule of law, and ensuring accountability. The Quad should support economic programs, including from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), that seek to protect the most vulnerable from the worst effects of the economic crisis, while promoting political reforms to better protect fundamental rights and seek justice for past abuses.

Quad leaders should recognize that their credibility to speak on human rights abuses also requires addressing the many deficiencies in their own records. Human Rights Watch has extensively raised serious human rights issues for decades with the governments of the US, Japan, India, and Australia.

“The Quad should recognize that working to improve the human rights of people in Asia is consistent with addressing the authoritarianism of the Chinese government,” Sifton said. “Genuine security in the region depends on people in Asia being able to fully exercise their fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms.”