By Sena Thoradeniya

(Continued from April 28, 2025)

1. Fairy mistress”, wicked witch or monster-mother? Different types of magical femininity?

In summary, we state that US Ambassador Julie Chung is a master in Public Diplomacy”,  euphemism for espionage, information gathering, psychological warfare and propaganda, reaching out to targeted sectors, using persuasion or soft power”, establishing and maintaining personal contacts and alliances, advocating democracy, freedom, human rights, shared goals, and engaging in many cultural interventions, regarded as weapons of advocacy”.

Mostly nobodies were brought to the table of high politics, given photo opportunities with her which were distinct from working through formal diplomatic channels. Outreach”, greater social inclusion”, coalition building” were Chung’s beautiful words, a symphony of elegance. Contacts were cultivated and friendships pursued with the objective of influencing the team nexus into favourable actions, in other words getting it to refrain from actions that may be unfavourable to the US interests. 

Is Chung the fairy mistress”, showing different types of magical femininity? Fairy lover, wicked witch or monster-mother, a magical woman? When she meets with locals for us it is like reading genre fiction; that readers will always know something about the sort of text they are about to read; they come equipped with anticipation as informed, expectant readers. So, we know looking at the people she meets with what sort of a text we are about to read in her X messages!  

2. How Julie Chung sponsored USAID projects

In this third part of our essay we discuss how Julie Chung sponsored USAID projects and promoted LGBTIQ activities in Sri Lanka.  Actions carried out by her predecessors in connection with these two acts were omitted for obvious reasons.

We have given a detailed account of US dignitaries who visited Sri Lanka since GR came into power and immediately after his ouster in our book Galle Face Protest: Systems Change or Anarchy?” (2023). The list is too long. (Mike Pompeo, US Secretary ofState,  Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs (who was deeply involved in the regime change in Ukraine), Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Amanda Dory, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense,Samantha Power, the Administrator (Head) of USAID , Dustin Shiau, Senior Regional Programme Officer of the USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher, US National Security Council Senior Director for South Asia,  CIA Chief William Joseph Burns (his  visit was a closely guarded secret), Jedidiah P. Royal,  US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs (PDASD) , Tammana Salikuddin, an Indian-American Muslim diplomat, Afreen Akhter, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian  Affairs, (DAS), Major General Peter J. Hronek, Adjutant General for the Montana National Guard,  Elizabeth Horst, Principal Deputy Assistant  Secretary (PDAS) and Deputy Assistant Secretary responsible for Pakistan Bureau of South and Central Asian Regions and Robert Kaproth, US Department of the Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Asia, (he visited Sri Lanka earlier with Kelly Keiderling, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, less than ten days before the protesters storming the Presidential Secretariat and the Presidential House).

It should be noted that Elizabeth Horst has been designated as the next American Ambassador to Sri Lanka by the Biden Government. 

1. In September 2022, Samantha Power, the Administrator (Head) of USAID visited Sri Lanka; she along with Chung met with a delegation consisting of NPP’s National list MP Harini Amarasuriya, Leader of the Opposition, Dayasiri Jayasekera, Rishard Bathiuddin, Abraham Sumanthiran, Rauf Hakeem and Mano Ganeshan.

2. Chung in 2023met with Sri Lanka’s Multi-party Open Parliamentary Caucus” supported by USAID and NDI.

3. Julie Chung twittered on June 14, 2023: After my visit to Nuwara Eliya last week, we are offering CSOs and individuals a unique opportunity to apply for small grants to serve the Hill Country region. Projects should focus on promoting peace, democracy, reconciliation & human rights”. She invited applicants aiming a difference in the Hill Country” and distributed USAID funds for them. What difference” did she envisage among the Plantation Tamils? Did she think that there is no peace in the region?

Had she considered the well-being of the impoverished people in the Kandyan countryside who are the real inheritors of the Central Highlands?

4. In August 2023 while visiting Jaffna,Chung met with people engaged in USAID-funded sea weed cultivation.

5. On 21 March 2024 Chung attended Cargills’ launch of EV Charging Stations, through USAID’s partnership with Cargills.  

6. At the demise of Sarvodaya leader A.T. Ariyaratna, on 17 April 2024 Chung in her X message said that the USAID has partnered with Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement in Sri Lanka over many years.

7. On 29, April 2024 Julie Chung met with community workers in Kalapura, from SAFE Foundation and Samadana Society Ltd. supported by USAID Sri Lanka, who are addressing human trafficking” and supporting trafficking victims”, particularly among Malaiyaha Tamil community in Nuwara Eliya.

This was the first time we heard ofhuman trafficking” in Nuwara Eliya and trafficking victims” in Nuwara Eliya. Obviously, a fictitious organization to get USAID funds.

8. On 30, April 2024 Julie Chung and Under Secretary for Trade and Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor visited Nuwara Eliya to meet with dairy farmers assisted by USAID.

9. On 2, May 2024Julie Chung with Wijedasa Rajapaksa, the then Minister of Justice attended a meeting of UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime),donating the Ministry of Justice equipment for virtual courts- 35 video conferencing units, opening new facilities in Angunukolapelessa and Galle. 

Despite all the facilities provided for virtual courts, Ganemulla Sanjeewa was gunned down inside a courthouse on 18 February 2025!

10. On 7, May 2024 Chung participated in a Ceylon Chamber of Commerce event, to develop a Climate Action Plan at the Code Red Sri Lanka Climate Summit 2024 organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce with USAID and other partners to create a green economy.”

We are unaware of the green economy” they created together; but aware that the Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, a nominee of Julie Chung appointed as Anura Kumara’s Special Economic Advisor!

11. On 13, June 2024 Chung visited the Centre for Women’s Research to join the then Minister of Energy, USAID and Sling Mobility (a company focused on sustainable EV solutions) to present an international award for innovation to USAID Sri Lanka’s Sri Lanka Energy Project for its work with Sling Mobilityto develop battery swapping stations for e-bikes.

What does Centre for Women’s Research do with e-bikes? What is the current status of e-bikes and battery swapping stations?

12. On 8, July 2024Chung touring Uva Province met with farmers and staff of CAP Ceylon which exports organic – certified products with USAID Sri Lanka support.

13. On 10, July 2024Chung met with IRI Global and USAID Sri Lanka supported Women’s Campaign Academy and Youth Civil League Programme in Badulla. They have promoted civic and voter education in their communities”.  

Their voter education” may have influenced sending NPP MPs to the Parliament this time from the so-called Malaiyaha Tamil community. 

14. On 26, July 2024Chung joined the Executive Director of Maharajah Food Limited Thavamala Gunanathan to celebrate her achievements; Maharajah Food Limited is supported by USAID.

15. On 4, August 2024Chung was delighted to meet” with US-funded WEConnect Supplier Development Masterclass for women entrepreneurs.

16. On 7, August 2024Chung welcomed USAID’s Assistant Administrator Michael Schiffer who was in Sri Lanka to meet with USAID- Sri Lanka partners, beneficiaries, civil society and government functionaries.

17. On 8, August 2024Chung joined the SAFE Foundation and congratulated youth winners of the art competition to End Human Trafficking through art. It was announced that the USAIDand US support Sri Lanka’s efforts to end human trafficking. Minister Alles was in attendance.

18. Visiting Southern Province from August 14, 2025, on August 16, Chung was in conversation with Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce founded with USAID aid.

19. On the same day she met with representatives of the SAFE Foundation and Prathiba Media Network, grassroot level CSOs and survivors of human trafficking who were working with USAID to combathuman trafficking.

20. On 21, August 2024Chung met with Ali Sabry, the then Foreign Minister and Presidential Advisor on Climate Change along with the US Acting Secretary of State for Oceans, International Environmental and scientific Affairs Jennifer Littlejohn. She messaged: We discussed ongoing US support including USAID’s work on power sector reforms and potential collaboration with Smithsonian to protect Sri Lanka’s unique natural resources.”

21. On the same dayChung addressed the Social Change Makers” and Community Leader Shine 50” event supported by USAID in partnership with Echelon Media and Seylan Bank. This provides with information for the collaboration of media and banking sector with the USAID.

22.Chung began a tour in the Northern Province soon after the Presidential Election from 23 October 2024. On 24 she visited Aham” Mental Health and Psychological Support Lab at the University of Jaffna, aided by USAID.

23. On the same day Chung met with Francis Jasmin of NatureWins, a women-owned cashew processing business in Poonaryn aided by USAID.

24. On 25, October 2024 Chung declared open the new Integrated Digital Media Unit at the Harmony Centre, University of Vauniya. Through USAID Sri Lanka’s SCORE activity (Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Activity) the US has provided media and IT equipment to the unit.  

 25. On 2, December 2024 Chung met with NPP’s Minister of Justice and National Integration and his Deputy, in supporting USAID Sri Lanka’s efforts to strengthensocial cohesion and reconciliation and provided the Ministry with new IT tools.Chung messaged: We are amplifying the impact of USAID ’s SCORE supported training program that have empowered 368 officers across 25 districts since 2022.”

There is ample evidence to confirm that Sri Lanka’ s judicial system is being influenced by the USAID. 

26. On 6, December 2024 Chung and US State Assistant Secretary Donald Lu, representing key agencies USAIDand US Treasury met with the new Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka.

27. On the same day Chung, US State Assistant Secretary Donald Lu, US Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary Robert Kaproth and Anjali Kaur, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator met with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. 

28. On 7, December 2024US delegation from State,USAIDand US Treasury congratulated the President of Sri Lanka and his new administration.

29. On 9, December 2024meeting with the Minister of Energy and Minister of Environment Chung pledged support to the two ministries through USAID.

30. On 11, December 2024meeting with two NPP MPs in Kandy Chung reiterated USAID support.

31. On 30, December 2024Julie Chung was glad to see USAID-Sri Lanka highlighted in The Morning” (newspaper) for the US support for the Pekoe Trail.She on February 1, 2024 hailed Pekoe Trail saying that it was developed with the funding of USAID Sri Lanka and EU.

32. On 7, January 2025Julie Chung with Harini Amarasuriya celebrated the achievements of Sri Lankan women in business”, a collaborative partnership with USAID-Sri Lanka since its inception at the Prathibabhisheka Women Entrepreneurs Awards.

33. On 9, January 2025 NPP’s Minister of Justice and National Integration met with USAID’s Mission Director Gabriel Grau and discussed a variety of issues focusing on the cost to the Sri Lanka’s economy of a judicial system facing a backlog of 1.1 million court cases.”   USAID Sri Lanka is helping the judicial system to tackle the issue through US efficient and effective justice action”, Chung messaged.

34. Meeting with the farmers in the NCP on 16 January 2025 Chung said that the US through USAID initiatives provided fertilizer, modernization technology and essential resources to support Sri Lanka’s agriculture, helping farmers recover during the crisis.  

After President Trump’s and Elon Musk’s castigating of USAID Chung craftily avoided any mention of USAID whenever she met with NPP Ministers.

3. How Julie Chung promoted LGBTIQ activities

Gay Pride Marches were organized in Sri Lanka by US-funded International Republican institute (IRI) in the North of Sri Lanka and in Colombo in 2021.

From the day Chung set foot in Sri Lanka she began her work with the LGBTIQ community in Sri Lanka. Her Twitter messages revealed that she was influencing the Sri Lankan government legalizing homosexuality. A novice SLPP MP Dolawatte on August 24, 2003 handed over a private member’s bill to amend the Penal Code decriminalizing same sex relationships.

There was a strong presence of LGBTIQ activists at the Galle Face Protest Site. On June 11, 2022 a Samanathmatha Piyasa” (Equality Shelter) was opened, displaying a visual of two mature males in a compromising position in front of it.

LGBTIQ activists marched to Galle Face from the Temple Trees precincts on 25, June 2022, transvestites with faces and bodies painted with deconstructed stripes of the transgender pride flag”, women scantily dressed in rainbow colours, paraded and danced to the accompaniment of drum beats and music; others were dressed like  models or were in wedding dresses. The placards they carried bore slogans such as: Samnaliyo” (Butterflies), Butterflies are also voters”, F***k gender”, Samarisi Aithiya Suarakimu” (Safeguard equal rights of gays and lesbians), Adarayata Bhedayak Netha” (No barriers to love), Samanaliyanda Puravesiyo” (Butterflies are also citizens), Adaraya tharam ahinsaka deyak netha” (Nothing is as innocent as love). There was sporadic bellowing of the common call, Go Gota Home”.

Pride Marchers” performed at the Galle Face open air stage to the accompaniment of singing and drumming, winding up with a woman histrionically falling dead followed by a GotaGo” dirge. They had claimed that the protest was a victorious moment for the growing LGBTQ community”. The most demeaning part was enlisting school going children as performers; some were carrying dolls, signifying children of same sex couples.

For all these activities money was pumped by US-funded NGOs.

A mural called Rapid response Mural”, displaying slogans such as, We are our own leaders”, Fearless take power back” in tri languages, depicting four human figures was commissioned by the Fearless Collective South Asia”.  

The artists of the Fearless Community”, an affiliate organization of the  Asian Fearless Collective”, (funded by the US – based Social Good Fund”) at The Fearless Residency” in Colombo, conducting a workshop, (by the Indian woman Shilo Shiv Suleman, its founder) with the participation of queer community, sex workers, lawyers and the members of  their affiliates, We Are From Here Project” of Slave Island and Sisterhood Initiative for Muslim Women in Sri Lanka”, painted Presidential Secretariat engulfed in flames and statues of oppressive leaders” being destroyed.   

Chung twittered on 15, May 2023, To honor the #Pride 2023”; I joined members of #slk’s LGBTQI+ communities & allies from across the country to honor the courage of all who have helped us recognize love is love &  encouraged us to be our authentic self regardless of gender, sexual orientation or identity”.

The way she phrased it indicates that the event belonged to her, organized by her!

In August 2023 Chung met with Jaffna-based LGBTIQ+ rights activists (Jaffna Pride). She messaged: Inclusivity, diversity & equality are vital for a strong democracy”. Fine elements of a Chung-type democracy!

In her 18 April 2024 X message, she said: Thrilled to see @ EQUAL GROUNDS founder Rosanna Flamer-Caldera on @ Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024! Rosanna’s fearless fight for LGBTQI rights in Sri Lanka is paving the way for a more inclusive World Equality for All. Your courage inspires us all to push for change!”

Fearless fight for LGBTQI rights in Sri Lanka”, more inclusive World Equality for All”, your courage inspires us all”, to push for change” were the sugarcoated words used by Chung, sprinkling sweetness. We may ask: is it a fearless fight”? Does someone need courage” to indulgein such activities?  Does that courage inspires” Chung?  What change” Chung has pushed” with such inspiration”?

Man or Woman? In the photograph posted with Chung, Rosanna Flamer-Caldera was seen wearing a men’s shirt, a men’s slack, belt and men’s boots.

On 11, June 2024 Julie Chung and DCM (Deputy Chief Mission) Sonnek joined 20^th anniversary event organized by EQUAL GROUNDS to celebrate a generation of community work towards inclusion and Pride across Sri Lanka”. Julie’s intentions are clear, to spread Pride across Sri Lanka”! hung began a tour in the Northern Province soon after the Presidential Election from 23 October 2024. She met with sex workers while visiting the Women’s Histories of Sex Work Exhibition in Jaffna appreciating US support to truth, justice and human rights”.

Conclusion

Chung moved with the cunningness of a modern day D’Oyly, as the conductor of an invisible orchestra. Like an octopus with her countless tendrils she reached out in all directions, roping all into her alluring sphere in a hypnotic trance. Her X messages reveal how she wove conversations with lesser mortals and the Ministers and higher officials respectively that left them spellbound, leaving no room for dissent, making everyone feel seen and recognized. She knew precisely which thread to pull, to drag them into her orbit.

Julie Chung presented her credentials to the then President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on 25, February 2022. Prior to the eruption of protests, she had met with almost all the Ministers, leading politicians in Sri Lanka affiliated to all registered political parties, high ranking military officers, religious dignitaries of all denominations, custodians of Buddhist temples, Hindu shrines, Christian and Catholic churches and mosques. She invited for pow-wows NGO bosses, civil society activists, media personnel, business captains, professionals, academics, scientists, LGBTIQ activists, visual artists, youth leaders, representatives of marginalized communities, war affected and displaced persons, differently able persons, some of them on more than on one occasion. Thus, she rallied a formidable force for any action.

Within a short period of three years Chung accomplished three major triumphs: (1) Ouster of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa (2) Bringing NPP into power and (3) Installing Harini Amarasuriya, spokesperson of LGBTIQ community of Sri Lanka as the Prime Minister. 

Concluded