Dr Sudath Ggunasekara Mahanuwara

Foreign Ministry clueless about top US spook’s clandestine visit

Posted on August 16th, 2023

By Saman Indrajith Courtesy The Island

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told Parliament yesterday that his ministry had received no information about CIA Chief William J. Burns’ alleged visit to Sri Lanka on Feb 14.

Making a ministerial statement in response to a series of questions raised by SLPP dissident MP Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera on June 22, the minister said that his ministry only provided necessary diplomatic clearances for the aircraft to fly to Sri Lanka.

Minister Sabry said that he had been aware that two aircraft of the United States Air Force had arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Feb. 14 and according to the information provided by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation and Airport and Aviation Services Lanka Ltd, a number of US officials had officially entered the country.

The Minister’s response to Ven Ratana’s queries: This is my answer after consulting all the relevant agencies. While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the link between the foreign countries, entities, institutions and ministries departments and institutions in Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not the focal point for the subject area that comes under the purview of the MCC. It is noted as an expert committee was appointed by the Cabinet in December, 2019 to review the MCC agreement and the final report was handed over to the former President in June, 2020. The proposed SOFA is an agreement between the US and Sri Lanka, according to the line ministry in this regard also the Ministry of Defence and information required in this regard could be obtained from the Ministry of Defence. ACSA is also an agreement that comes under the Defence Ministry. Relevant line ministry in this regard is the Defence Ministry and further information may be obtained from the Ministry of Defence.

Therefore, it is appropriate to ask the relevant line ministry – the ministry of Defence regarding the reimplementation of these agreements and its current status and the purposes. I am aware that two aircraft belonging to the American Air Force arrived at the Katunayake BIA in the afternoon of Feb 14, 2023. According to the information provided by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation and Airport and Aviation Services Lanka Limited, they have officially entered into the country.

The two planes that had arrived at the Katunayake International Airport under No RCH 23/992142A and RCH 231/00215A. I further mention that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had done only the necessary diplomatic clearances for the aircraft to fly to Sri Lanka. The chairman of the Airport and Aviation Services Lanka Limited has informed that the names, passport numbers and Visa number of the persons who came in the two aircrafts could be obtained from the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

Further the Airport and Aviation Services Pvt Ltd has informed this ministry that they are not aware of the fact to which organisation in the United States the said group belongs to and responsible for and have met with the parties or organizations in Sri Lanka bearing what responsibilities and what matters to the agreement were discussed in this meeting. And therefore, some of these questions seem to be referred to the wrong ministry. So, based on the evidence that we gathered, and the information which we acquired from different agencies, this is the information which I can provide to the question raised by Ven Aturaliye Ratana Thera on June 22, 2023.”

A concerned citizens opinion.

 Dr Sudath Ggunasekara Mahanuwara 8.9.2023

First of all, it is absurd and not ethical for the Foreign Minister or the   Ministry in charge of Foreign Affairs of this country to give a foolish reply like this saying that it is clueless about top US spook’s clandestine visit. Then why do we have a Foreign Ministry maintained by tax payers’ money to maintain such a ministry with a cabinet minister and one or more so-called Sate Ministers with a big staff with many Secretaries, Director Generals and many others maintaining a large number of embassies in foreign countries etc. Is it only for providing employment here and abroad for politicians and their kith and kin and friends at the expense of the public coffer. If the officer interviewed doesn’t know, then it is his duty to make inquiries from someone who knows it and provide it to the party who made the request. Because he /she as a member of the public has a right to know it as it is a matter of public interest.

In the light of the above quite strange but certainly  serious revelation of external/US interference in the internal governance of this country, the country’s President Ranil Wickramasinha owes a full explanation to the nation as the people of this country with whom sovereignty is supposed to be vested with, have a legitimate right to know as to know who came and why they came and what secret business they had with the Head of State  of this country elected under strange and dubious circumstances by the Parliament. At least the main opposition or the other MPP who are in the opposition should demand the President to make a full statement to Parliament immediately as the people of this country are entitled to know what their present President elected by Parliament in terms of the section 40 of the constitutions to fill the vacancy of the post of President to carry out he mandate given to President Gotabhaya in 2019 only and the mandate given to the SLPP in 2020 by the people in May 2020.

I opine   whether the President is acting on the notion that the Constitution has not specifically imposed any restrictions for his independence to take any decisions he deems fit, as the relevant section of the Constitution says only that any person so succeeding to the office of President shall hold office only for the unexpired period of the term of office of the president vacating office” while it has not said anything as to what he can and what he cannot do. But I do not think that is correct. Because he is not a president elected by the people of the whole country as the Constitution has laid down. I would argue that he has no power or authority to bypass the mandate of his predecessor. What is more is he was also elected by a Parliament elected on completely a different mandate to what he sought in 2020 general election and got routed. losing even his own seat not winning a single seat in the whole country.

Furthermore, I opine it is the bounden duty of the SLPP more than anybody else to advice their own President not to by-pass the red line. If he still insists that he as the elected” President of the country can take any decision then of cause the ball is in their court. Under these circumstances why can’t the SLPP withdraw their support  to the President, if they want to save their skin at the next election at least. Whatever it is both parties, the President and the SLPP must not play Dr JEKYLL AND HYDE as both parties will then dig their own graves or a single grave, so that they can sleep together even there, as they do now, even by accident, due to strange political exigencies unique to Sri Lanka.