{"id":108558,"date":"2020-11-11T17:28:52","date_gmt":"2020-11-12T00:28:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=108558"},"modified":"2020-11-11T17:28:52","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T00:28:52","slug":"orientation-programme-for-ambassadors-high-commissioner-designates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/11\/11\/orientation-programme-for-ambassadors-high-commissioner-designates\/","title":{"rendered":"Orientation Programme for Ambassadors\/High Commissioner designates"},"content":{"rendered":"

Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

10 November 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage
Foreign Secretary
Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Republic Building
Sir Baron Jayathilake Mawatha
Colombo 01
Sri Lanka<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was with great admiration that I read the Press Release from\nyour Ministry which said – Foreign Ministry successfully conducts an\nOrientation Programme for Ambassadors\/High Commissioners  designates.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having worked at the Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa from June 1989 to May 1994, as the Director of Communications at the level of the Deputy, I believe the Ministry needed such an exercise.\u00a0 I will give you the reasons why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you might note from the Ministry files that Asoka Weerasinghe is the most misunderstood expatriate for whatever reason. You may also find that I gave back to Sri Lanka every cent\u2019s worth of work Sri Lanka paid me, even though I was not fully remunerated what was promised, And I nearly went bankrupt having lost almost $2000 a\u00a0 month in wages if I had stayed in my job in the Public Service in Canada for 20-years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was asked by President Premadasa to help him in the\nCommunications  file at the Ottawa Mission which needed lots of help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I did and I was happy that he gave me the opportunity to give\nback to Sri Lanka, my Motherland,  that nurtured me for the first 19-years\nof my life,  giving me a free-‘Education at Nalan College in Colombo\net.,cetera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was happy to read that you had included these subject areas in your programme, Public Diplomacy and Overseas Sri Lankans<\/strong>,\u00a0 I was disappointed that you all did not spend at least half-a-day on Office<\/strong> Management. \u00a0<\/strong>This was lacking and was the pits when I joined the Ottawa Mission in 1989.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I worked under High Commissioners Walter Rupesinghe and Walter\nFenando, both President  Premadasa appointees, both excellent\ndiplomats.  So I would consider that we were a President Premadasa Team\u201d,\nand did nothing to let him down, and that office in Ottawa had to function\nwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. The Day I Joined\n the Mission<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    My work ethics and experience was picked up with my working in\nEngland and Canada, and I had no intention to change gears to fall in line with\nSri Lankan ways of doing things like Time Management<\/strong> and Office\nManagement<\/strong> which were basics to run a competent office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The day when I joined them I was walked to my office by the\nAdministrative Attache Karunarathna.  The desk was bare, so I asked him\nwhether I could have a typewriter. No..No..Sir, you don\u2019t need one as we\nhave a stenographer to do the typing.\u201d  Thanks for letting me know. \nThis request is not meant to insult the stenographer, but I need a typewriter,\nas it is my work horse, please find me one.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The following morning there was a brand new Brother electric\ntypewriter on my desk and a box of 8\u201dx10\u201d typewriting paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If the Foreign Ministry wanted to find out whether they got good\nvalue for the money spent on the new typewriter,  you could find out\nwith an audit of letters that I typed just responding to Tamil persons seeking\ninformation of their disappeared loved ones from the north and east, and\nAmnesty International, who they accused the Sri Lanka Army as the culprits for\ntheir disappearance,  Every letter they received was a personal reply and\nnot a form letter.  If I had a difficult response I sought Mr. Bradman\nWeerakoon\u2019s guidance at the President\u2019s Secretariat.  I sent him a telex\nin the evening and there was always a  Telex-reply on my desk the\nfollowing morning. He was extremely accommodating and kind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are the numbers – 235 letters (1989); 649 (1990); 1223\n(1991); 872 (1992); 426(1993)  and 257 (1994).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What was interesting is that I received 11 personal letters\nthanking me saying that this was the first time they had ever received a\npersonal letter from a Foreign Government Mission in response to their enquiry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Helping the Commerce Portfolio<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Beyond my work in Communications, HC Rupesinghe asked me whether I\ncould help him in the Trade portfolio, as the Trade Counsellor Kanagaratnam had\nstayed back as a refugee together with his wife and two children.  Sure,\nWalter.  Count on me.  This Mission has to function.  I won\u2019t\nlet You nor President Premadasa down.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>was my response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Story 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In my research trying to find a Department that we could use to\nget our products introduced to Canada, I came across a semi-Government\nDepartment which was doing just that.  Spoke with the DG who said that\nthey very likely  could help Five Companies introduce their products in an\nInternational Trade-Food Fair in Vancouver in a few months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So  High Commissioner WalterR and I went for a meeting \nwith the DG who had his Coordinating Officer Anne, with him.  The deal was\nthat they needed 10 Company profiles.  They will study them and Anne will\ngo down to Sri Lanka speak to CEOs of the Companies and finalize bringing over\nthe five Companies, all paid for travelling , accommodation for two persons of\neach Company and clearing their goods\/cartons, through  Customs, et cetera\nand facilitate bringing them in complying to all Canadian Trade regulations\netc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So I contacted M.L Fernando, the Director of the Department of\nTrade and Commerce, and explained to him the requirements for us to showcase\nfive of Sri Lanka\u2019s top Food producers at the Vancouver International\nTrade-Food Fair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Pat came the response from M.L. Fernando.  No,\nAsoka.  We can\u2019t let Foreigners  come over and pick our Companies to\nbe showcased in their Country International Food Fairs.  It is our job and\nwe can do it for them.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So, ML, what you are telling me is that you will favour the top\nfive Companies who garnished the palms of your Ministry Officers with the top\n\u2018Kappan\u2019 rupees, right.?  <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Sorry, ML,  I just cannot accept that.  Since joining\nthe Mission, I have come to understand that this is indeed the culture in Sri\nLanka.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The bottom line is, either you provide the 10 Company profiles as\nrequested by this Canadian Department or let\u2019s forget it.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So M.L. Fernando agreed to provide the 10 Company profiles of\nwhich  five were selected by Anne after her visit to Sri Lanka,\ninterviewing the CEOs and looking at their products for the saleability in\nCanada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Out of the five Companies that were given the opportunity to\nshowcase their products were Dilmah Teas, Renuka Tea and Spices and \nMuzzumil Freshwater Fish.  The other two companies have slipped my\nmind.  Canada  helped Muzzumil to air-freight  a large plastic\ncontainer of iced fish.  At the end of every second day the fresh fish\nwere auctioned on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Story 2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

       <\/em><\/strong>One morning I got a call from a South Korean\nbusinessman.  He says<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Sir, I am a South Koean businessman from the States. I am\nsearching for a Company that could produce cloth diapers.  We will provide\nYou with the cloth that will comply with the International standard of the\nquality of the cloth with a certain mesh size.   All we want is a Company\nto cut the cloth according to the standard size, stitch them, pack them in a\nbox\/cartons and ship it over. You can pack thousands of them in one carton by\nadding a weighted pressure on them so that one could pack thousands of the\ndiapers in one box.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Sir, you are calling Canada, and there are Trade  Counsellor\noffices in the States.  It would be easier for you if you wish to contact\nthem, and I could provide you with the telephone contact numbers\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Sir, I came to you with an excellent recommendation from another\nBusinessman who said, \u2018Contact Trade Officer Asoka Weerasinghe, and he will get\nthe job done for you.   If you are unable to accommodate me, Sir, I will\nfind another Asian country to help me.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Sir, thank you for that comment about me, you certainly made me\nblush.  Of course, I will help you.  Will you be able to call me at\nthe same time tomorrow, I will provide the information.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I sought help from HC Walter Rupesinghe, who came from the private\nsector in Sri Lanka.  He spoke with one of his Company contacts, and the\njob was done.  The South Korean Businessman  was very content and\nhappy with the final product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So here is a Communications Director whose appointment was\nquestioned in Parliament by Minister C.V. Gunaratne, helping the High\nCommissioner in other areas that needed help other than in Communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      3. Time Management,<\/strong> I thought, was lacking among some\nof the officers sent from Sri Lanka, and one I considered was an arrogant\n\u2018village fool\u2019. I will comment to you on this person later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Minister Ranjan Wijeratna visited Ottawa and wanted HC Rupesinghhe\nto see whether he could collect some funds from the Diaspora for his\nDepartment\u2019s Defence Fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This is always a difficult proposition, as expatriates are very\nreluctant to open their wallets not knowing where the money would end up \nAnd I am one of them..  So HC Rupasinghe sent me to Toronto to speak to a\ngathering in a Community Hall and sought contributions for the Defence\nFund.  I took with me a receipt book with the Mission\u2019s stamp on every\nreceipt which I  gave a donor who donated money to the Defence Fund. \nI promised that each donor will receive a receipt from the Ministry of Defence\nacknowledging receiving the monies.  That satisfied the expatriates in\nToronto and I brought back funds totalling around $4,500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A few months later a Torontonian phoned me, and he says, Asoka,\nI am Uyanwatta (forget the real name starting with U\u201d) who gave you a cheque\nfor $100 for the Defence Fund, do you remember me?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I am sorry, unfortunately I don\u2019t.  Is there anything that I\ncan do for  you?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Yes, I wonder whether you could. I have an emergency to return to\nSri Lanka and I have not renewed my passport for eight years.  Can I get\nit renewed in a day,  if I come over, as I hesitate to post it in case it\ngets lost.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Mr Uyanwatta, I don\u2019t deal with passports, it\u2019s Mr. K.B.\nFernando, our First Secretary.  If you could hold on, I will try to find\nhim and see whether he could do you that favour.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So I went in search of KB.  Found him in his office, relayed\nthe request and he said. Sure, Asoka, ask him to come tomorrow at 9.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Listen KB, I see you have a mountain of passports on your desk,\nwhy don\u2019t I ask him to come on Friday at 9.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      That will be great Asoka.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>So I conveyed the message to\nMr. Uyanwatta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Friday, I was buzzed on the telephone around 11:30 in the morning\nby the receptionist,  and she said, Mr. Weerasinghe,  there is\na Mr. Uyanwatte who wants to see you.\u201d  I will be down in a minute\u201d ,<\/em><\/strong>\nand wondered whether  he had received the renewed passport and wanted to\nthank me for the favour I had initiated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Is everything OK?\u201d.<\/em><\/strong>  No Asoka, I drove\nfrom 4 o\u2019clock in the morning to be here for my appointment at 9:00.  Mr.\nFernando met me only at 11.   After considering my request, he told me\nthat it will take him two weeks to have the passport ready.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I was fit to be tied.  I am sorry for your\ndisappointment. Take a seat.  Let me see whether I could reverse that\ndecision.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This was not good and I went in search of K.B Fernando, the\nDiplomat.  Unfortunately for Him, I found him in the open-plan office\ntalking to clerical staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

       I told him,  I just heard from Uyanwatta that\nyou can only get his passport renewed in two week.  What you just did\nKB,  was make me look an incompetent idiot.   A liar. That is not\nfair, and please stop pretending that you are a damn \u2018Tin God\u2019 and please get \nthat passport renewed as promised for Mr. Uyanwatta.\u201d.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      He turned around and flew upstairs to the High Commissioner, being\nupset.  HC WalterR called me in.  I explained to WalteR what had\nhappened and told him, Walter this is a Public Relations disaster.\n  To begin with KB was late by two hours for the appointment.  This\nincident will go around the Toronto Sinhalese community like a wild-fire and\nthe bottom line is no one in the Foreign Ministry is going to make me look a\nliar and a blithering incompetent idiot.  I will not leave this office,\nnor will Mr. Uyanwatta,  until I get that renewed passport as promised and\nget Mr. Uyanwatte off on his five hour drive home to Toronto.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      HC WalterR felt the heat of my anger,  stretched his hand out\nand told me, Give me the Passport and I will do it for you,\u201d<\/em><\/strong> \nThe passport that was going to take KB, the Foreign Departmnt Diplomat, two\nweeks, was done in one hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This incident falls into the category of Time Management\u201d <\/em><\/strong>and\n\u2018Public Relations\u201d<\/em><\/strong> and dealing with the expatriate community.\u201d\nwhich the Ministry most certainly needs, and their support and favours on and\noff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      4. Office Management<\/em><\/strong>, and here is a doozy, that gave\nHigh Commissioners Walter Rupesinghe and Walter Fernando enough headaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Almost every day, the High Commissioner\u2019s get phone calls and\nletters from Tamil refugees\u201d who want to know when they will receive their\npassports, which had been applied for months ago and paid for the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Not a day passed by when HC Rupesinghe comes to me, his Director\nof Communications and tells me handing over the \u2018nasty\u2019 letters: Asoka,\nplease find out what this is all about and try to resolve it.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So here was the problem.   The lack of an\nintelligent\/sensible\/basic office procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      There was a metal cabinet by the Immigration-office clerk. \nWhen we received the pink passport application form from a Thangarajah, a\nNadarajah, a Subramaniam, a Ponnaiah, a Thurairajah, a Swamy-pillai, a\nChelliah,  mostly from Toronto or Montreal, they are not recorded and\ndropped flat into the metal cabinet.  So you find 200 to 300 pink\napplication forms sitting flat in a drawer of the metal cabinet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So one morning, Mr. Thurairajah calls the receptionist from\nToronto, 450 miles away, to find out the status of his application, which he\nsays was sent with the payment two months ago.  There was a large ledger\non a table in the receptionist\u2019s office, where the passports mailed out were\nrecorded. So she tells Thurairajah, could you please hold on and I will\ntry to find out.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The receptionist leafs\u2019 through the ledger quickly and doesn’t\nfind his name recorded.  In the meantime the telephone call that\nThurairajah was holding-on to, is ticking away emptying his wallet dime by\ndime…  The receptionist moves on to the metal cabinet in the adjoining\nroom and leafs\u2019 through the pink application forms which were not stacked in an\nalphabetical order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      She is lucky if Mr. Thurairajah\u2019s application form was, say\nthe 21st sitting flat in the filing cabinet drawer, but if it is the 144th out\nof a 300,  then she is in trouble and she encounters an abusing voice on\nthe other end of the telephone wire. By then, Thurairajah was out of pocket by\nabout $10. So the High Commissioner gets an angry letter from\nThurairajah.  He brings the letter to Me requesting me to find out what\nwas going on and resolve it for him.  This office procedure had been going\non for donkey\u2019s years.  A voodoo procedure that gives a bad rap to the\nMission\u2019s public relations with the Tamil refugee community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      5. Creating a filing system for the Passport application pink\nforms:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The opportunity arose when the First Secretary was seconded to the\nUN Office in New York, , I believe for three months. HC Rupesinghe came to me\nand asked me, Asoka, do you think you could bring some order to these\npassport Application  forms? It is a nightmare and it is giving me\nheadaches every day with complaints.\u201d  <\/em><\/strong>So the Director of\nCommunications tells him, Sure, Walter, let me give it a try.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So I set up a very simple card and a file system. And this is how\nit worked.  The 5\u201dx4\u201d cards were set-up in alphabetical order. When Rajah\nPonniah sends his application form, the passport-clerk notes it in a card from\nthe P\u201d group.  The name is noted with the date when the application was\nreceived, the address and the contact telephone number and any other\ninformation, like payments, etc.  On the Top right corner of the card is\n\u2018Given the number of the latest application that was received.  Let\u2019s say\nit was 272\u201d.   The vertical files in the metal cabinet are set up in\nnumerical order.  The file folder with Rajah Ponniah\u2019s application is\nplaced after file number 271.   When Ponnaiah calls in six weeks to find\nout the status of his application, the receptionist goes to the card system\nwhich is in alphabetical order, go to grouping under letter P\u201d, the card says\nit is the file number 272, and goes to the filing cabinet and pulls it out.\n  By right, the passport clerk should have had the history of this\napplication on the card .  I thought it was a simple office procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

       When the First Secretary came back from New York, he was\nconfused with the filing system and was unhappy. So much for the diplomats\nrunning a smooth office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This is why I asked you whether the programme that you all\nconducted , had a slot to train the new diplomats basics of Office Management,\nRecords Management and Time Management, and also erasing the notion that I am\na diplomat, a \u2018Tin God\/Tin Goddess.\u2019  It is hard to accept but there is so\nmuch of it that I had to deal with.  And that is the hard truth, coming\nfrom a former Middle-Manager in the Canadian Federal Government for 20 years.\nIn my last assignment, I had to supervise 20 natural and human sciences\nscientists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So now, the guy who was questioned in parliament for having been\nappointed as the Director of Communication by Minister C.V. Gunaratna is now\nnot only taking care of Communications but also with other added\nresponsibilities, however Temporary, the Trade Files, the Passport applicant\nInterviews when KB was not around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      6. The Pension Payment Files Saga:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      One day, HC Rupesinghe had received two letters from lawyers, one\nfrom Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the other from Toronto, for their clients, both\nTamil pensioners, who hadn\u2019t received their pension cheques for three\nmonths.  The letters requested that their clients receive their pension\ncheques within a week.  WalterR brings the letters to me, quite upset,\nhands them over to me and says,  Asoka, can you please help me by\ntaking over these pension files, and catch up with the payments.  I will\ngive you young Trishula Karunaratne to help you.\u201d  Sure, Walter, Don\u2019t\nyou worry I will take them over.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>  There were only 137\npension files to be dealt with.  The Administrative Attache, Karunaratne\nwho was responsible for these files was quite upset as he had lost his cash-cow\nsince he used to come to office after dinner to do over-time to catch up with\nhis administrative work.  It was obvious he was loaded with work and\nneeded a 10-hour working day rather than a 8-hour working day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I contacted  the lawyer in Halifax and almost begged him not\nto invoice this lady client who was only receiving a monthly cheque of\n$94.  I promised him that I will have the three cheques on its way to her\nwithin two weeks.  I promise, mark my word,\u201d<\/em><\/strong> I said, \nHe promised me that he will not charge this elderly lady pensioner a fee for\nhis letter.  To be absolutely honest, I was hurting inside me.  That\njob was done.  It took Thrishula and I two months to catch up with the\narrears.  And from then on, we managed to keep the 137 pensioners, mainly\nTamil happy, and for them  not to go to their lawyers to find some solace\nand dignity.  I was determined to restore their dignity as pensioners\nwhether it were Tamil refugees or Sinhalese refugees.  We  certainly\nhad few of the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      7.  Communications – Letters to Editors of Newspapers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When my letters on behalf of the High Commissioners were appearing\nin important newspapers, I wasn\u2019t sure whether it was a Foreign Affairs policy\nwhen First Secretary K.B. Fernando told me,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Asoka, you don\u2019t have to respond to every news item that appears\non Sri Lanka  in newspapers.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Why, is there a problem?\u201d<\/em><\/strong>  I don\u2019t think\nwe should start a dialogue with the Tamils!\u201d<\/em><\/strong>he said, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      That\u2019s a load of bull KB.  That is exactly what I\nwant.  A dialogue. There is no damn way that I can blunt the nasty\npropaganda against Sri Lanka by these Tamil separatists being a wimp!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Why, am I showing you guys up badly at the Foreign Ministry, as\nthere weren\u2019t much appearing in the newspapers from the High Commission\ndefending the honour of Sri Lanka until I came in.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      With my challenges there were 56 letters out of 64 efforts\npublished in newspapers across Canada on behalf of the High Commissioner during\nmy 5-year stint at the Mission.  And that was Big!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What was interesting was when the Communications Counsellor of the\nIndian High Commissioner invited me for lunch at the Chateau Laurier one\nday,  during lunch, he asked me , Asoka,\u2019 everytime I open the\nOttawa Citizen, there is a letter from you for the High Commission.  How\ndo you do it?  I can\u2019t even get one letter published.\u201d <\/em><\/strong> So I\ncoached him how to do it.  I believe he had some success.  The key\nwas that a response to the news item went out within 36 hours of its\nappearing.  In my case I write, approved by the HC, with edits or\nwhatever, and boom it goes out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      But what was embarrassing was that I couldn\u2019t reciprocate the\nIndian diplomat\u2019s courtesy for inviting me for lunch as I was not given an\nentertainment allowance as promised.  And that was not the first time.\nEven under that dark cloud of embarrassment, I carried on as best I could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      8. Communications – Promoting Sri Lanka via the Community TV\nChannel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What was never done before in the history of the Sri Lanka High\nCommission in Ottawa, it happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This Communication\u2019s Director whose appointment was challenged in\nparliament by Minister C.V. Gunaratna, very likely sneaked by a member of the\nDiplomats at the Foreign Ministry, scripted and produced nine (9) half-hour\nshows, Songs of Sri Lanka<\/em><\/strong>,  for Cable TV.  All\nartifacts and video clips  were from my private collection, since there\nwas absolutely nothing available at the Sri Lanka High Commision.  It was\nembarrassing and pathetic. Details  of their content will be mentioned in\nthe Final Report Card  at the end of this brief. President Premadasa\nwanted me to promote Sri Lanka, and this was one effort towards accomplishing\nthat request..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The Councillor for Communications, for the Malaysian High\nCommission, Mr. Mukundan, invited me for lunch at the best Indian Restaurant in\ntown, Haveli.<\/strong>  During lunch he wanted to know how I produced\n\u2018Songs of Sri Lanka\u2019<\/em><\/strong> for cable TV as he too would like to do the same\nfor Malaysia.  So I walked him through the production  process –\nstoryboarding, scripting arranging artifacts and video clips, av-recording the\nvoice narrative of the show and finally editing with the TV Station \nDirector\/Producer (Mr. Sahid Khan).  After listening he tells me.  O\nmy God, Asoka, I doubt I could do it.\u201d <\/em><\/strong> So he abandoned the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What was embarrassing was that I couldn’t reciprocate his\ndiplomatic courtesy by inviting him for lunch, as I did not have funds not been\ngiven an entertainment allowance as promised.  So be it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      9. Communications – By introducing and promoting Sri Lanka to\nschool students in the National Capital Region.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Through the courtesy of the Ottawa Board of Education<\/em> and\nthe Carleton Board of Education<\/em>, I, Asoka Weerasinghe, Director of\nCommunications at the Sri Lanka High Commission got invited by 13  primary\nand middle schools for a Show and Tell <\/em><\/strong>one-hour talks at each\nschool about Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      All I requested from the school was a Globe and a VHS video\nmachine to play  back clips of  videos I had on Sri Lanka.  All\nchildren enjoyed the Show-and-Tell <\/strong>talks. All the artifacts, videos,\nwere from my private collection.  None from the High Commission as\nthere were absolutely none<\/strong>.  The hits were the Pinnawela elephant\norphanage video and Sri Lankan gems that rested on their palms. And I described\nevery gem, and introduced them to their Birth-stone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      They were in awe and so were the teachers.   That suite of\ngems I bought from PunchiSingo\u2019s on Chatham Street as my study collection as a\nGeology student in the 1960s.  And lots of enthusiasm was generated to\nfind out more about Sri Lanka.  I distributed a  tourist brochure and\na tea-bag of Dilmah Orange-pekoe in a small zip-lock bag bought out of my\npersonal funds to every student.  I taught them how to make a good cup of\ntea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      At the end of the Show-and-Tell<\/em><\/strong> talk I wanted to\nhand the Principal of the school a Sri Lankan flag to hang it on Commonwealth\nDay.  My request for 10 large flags from the Foreign Ministry was\nignored.  So I asked my sister Sybil, to go to Laksala and buy me 10 large\nSri Lanka flags, parcel them well and  take it to the Foreign Ministry to\nsend to me in the diplomatic bag.  I also gave her a letter to hand over\nto President Premadasa to facilitate the delivery of the parcel to me, in \ncase the Foreign Ministry was reluctant to bring the parcel over to me. \nThank God, they did, thus there was no need to request President Premadasa for\nthat favour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Before handing over the Sri Lanka flag to each principal, I made\nit a point to explain the significance of the symbology and colours in the\nflag, and most importantly the two colour stripes recognizing the two major\nminority groups, Tamils and Muslims in the island, saying, as I know of, Sri\nLanka flag is the only Commonwealth country flag that recognized their minority\ncommunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Two school groups visited the High Commision on Range Road for the\nShow-and-Tell Hour<\/strong>.  This presentation in the library was a\nslideshow of Sri Lanka in a Kodak carousel which was from my private collection\nsynching  with the poetry I wrote on Sri Lanka.  There were  32\nstudents and teachers sitting on the floor, and I had to ask the High Commissioner\nto give me a break by providing orange juice and 32 doughnuts as refreshments\nfor the students and teachers as I was not given an entertainment allowance to\npay for such an event.  Both Walter Rupesinghe and Walter Fernando were\nkind and obliged.  They knew how embarrassed I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      10.  Communications – providing research material for post\ngraduate students for their theses and special papers on Sri Lanka.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Two instances come to my mind.  The first was, when two High\nSchool students  and their teacher from British Columbia met with High\nCommissioner Rupesinghe in his office.  They had been assigned Sri Lanka\nas the country they should be representing in their mini-Commonwealth gathering\nin Ottawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      After discussing issues with the High Commissioner he passed them\non to me to hand them brochures.  During the chat I asked them whether\nthey would like me to coach them. They jumped with enthusiasm and thought that\nit was a kind and a wonderful idea.  They went back home with the trophy\nfor the Best Country Presentation.  The teacher and the two students\nthanked me by taking me out for dinner at the Chateau Laurier’s Canadian\nGrill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The second similar incident was when a British Master\u2019s student in\nInternational Studies at Carleton University met with High Commissioner\nRupesinghe as she wanted to see whether she could adopt Sri Lanka as her\ncountry subject.  After meeting with the High Commissioner, he passed her\non to me for brochures, et cetera.  During our chat, I told G.D (initials\nof her name), that I will provide her with all the research material on Sri\nLanka from my private  extensive Library at home if she decides to adopt\nSri Lanka as her subject country.   And that is what happened.  One\nof her seminars was taped to be played back to HC Rupesinghe.  She started\nthe seminar by introducing herself as, I am Walter Rupesinghe the High\nCommissioner for Sri Lanka in Canada and I will be\u2026\u2026\u201d   <\/em><\/strong>The High\nCommissioner was amazed by the excellent presentation and he thanked both of us\nfor this excellent presentation.   She got an A+ for the seminar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

       So this is the Communications guy whose appointment to the\nHigh Commission in Ottawa, was sneaked as a  complaint by a Foreign\nMinistry diplomat, and questioned in parliament by Minister C.V.\nGuneratna.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      All I can say to this \u2018faceless\u2019 diplomat at the Foreign Ministry\nis to Please stand-up.  I just want to see what the Do-do\u2019s face\nlooks like!\u201d.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      11,  Production of Communication Information Kits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When nothing  in the form of information kits from either the\nInformation Department nor the Foreign Ministry landed on my desk, I requested\nHC Walter Rupesinghe to find me $600 to produce\u2019100 information kits for him to\ndistribute among Sri Lanka Watchers in the Canadian Parliament and Government\ntoo. This exercise was to Inform and Educate them about the flipside of the\nseparatist Tamil propaganda.  So he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I worked one weekend at home and produced 22 one page information\nsheets like, The Land and its peoples <\/strong>(p.4); Economy <\/strong>(p.6);\nGuide to Sri Lanka\u2019s Foreign Policy<\/strong> (p.7); Ethnic conflict<\/strong> (p.8); Investment\nopportunities <\/strong>(p.22).  I got them printed at Commoners<\/strong>, the\npublisher of my poetry collections.  I gave a title for this Information\nKit – Sri Lanka – its Mosaic at a Glance.<\/em><\/strong>, January 1992<\/strong>. \nWent to Grand and Toy and bought 100 silver coloured pocket files. Went to\nBouclaire, a fabric Store, and bought a few reels of silver-green ribbons and\nput the 100 kits together which looked very professional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

       And do you know who claimed the authorship of my hard work? \nWeragama, Minister Counsellor who replaced me. So he was riding on my back to\nget Brownie points for his survival as a diplomat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I produced the second Information Kit on 1 January 1994 for HC\nWalter Fernando which included 30, one page –Sri Lanka : The Hidden\nSecret Quick Facts. <\/em><\/strong> Mr. Bradman Weerakoon, Adviser to<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      International Relations to the President after reading the kit\nwrote a note to HC Walter Fernando which said – I am sure Asoka\nWeerasinghe, your innovative colleague working on Public Relations must have\nhelped in the compilation of these papers\u2026.This is certainly a valuable\naddition to the information we already have, and I think should be shared with\ncolleagues in Missions around the world.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      But do you know who took Kudos for my effort?  You guessed it\nright. Mr. Weragama, the Minister Counsellor, the diplomat sent by the Foreign\nMinistry, who had the habit of riding on my back to pick-up Brownie points to\nshore-up reasons for his survival.  He indeed was an irritant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

       He is the diplomat who went around town accusing me of\nhaving stolen the Masks from the High Commission,  that I used from\nmy  enormous  Museum quality private collection for events and that I\nstole information files.  And that is an ugly and an angry story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I might have a few words about this character at the Mission\nbefore I end this brief. This diplomat was lucky that I didn\u2019t get him by his\ncollars  and shake him until his bones rattled and dropped at his feet. As\nyou see, after 26 years I am still very angry with this  guy , who lacked\nclass and sophistication, who never should have been sent to Ottawa as a\ndiplomat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This Minister Counsellor, Weragama could have phoned me and asked\nme, Mr. Weerasinghe, I was told that you had always exhibited Masks and\npuppets at every big event of the Mission. We have been trying to find\nthem.  Do you know where  they would be?\u201d<\/em><\/strong>  Sure, \nWeragama, they are all at my home.  They were all from my private\ncollection as the High Commission had sweet buggerall and it was pitiful. \nYou can borrow them from me as long as you guarantee me that you will be very\ncareful handling  them as they are hand selected valuable top-quality\nMuseum artifacts.\u201d  <\/em><\/strong>I am a Museologist and had worked for Canada’s\nNational Museums Corporation in the 1970s as Head, Thematic Research Section,\nDesign and Display Division and as Head, Exhibits Section, for the National\nMuseum of Natural Sciences at the Victoria Memorial Museum in Ottawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I reported this faux pas <\/em>to High Commission Ananda\nGoonesekara, establishing my ownership with copies of receipts of purchase\ngoing back to 1970s,  and also identifying the Antique store Daya and Sriya on\nPeradeniya Road in Kandy with whom I was dealing with to check the veracity of\nmy claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I did not receive an acknowledgment from the High Commissioner Goonesekara. \u00a0 I was surprised. I wished and I wished that he together with Weragama made an effort to claim all my Masks and puppets as according to Weragama he had identified the thief, Asoka Weerasinghe, who had stolen the masks from the\u00a0 High Mission.\u00a0 I wish they came after me, the thief,\u00a0 who stole the masks from the High Commission.\u00a0 I am surprised that HC Goonasekera did not reclaim the alleged property of the Sri Lanka Government.\u00a0 That would have been fun.\u00a0 There was no apology for their stupidity and they were wrong on that assumption and tarring me as a ‘thief’. By not coming after me, the thief, I lost the opportunity to prove that there was an ‘unsophisticated village idiot’ among the High Commission staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      12.  High Commissioners Walter Rupesinghe and Walter Fernando \nmake efforts to erase my embarrassments.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Both High Commissioners, Walter Rupesinghe, in particular felt\nthat I had not <\/strong>been treated well by the Foreign Ministry, not having\nprovided an entertainment allowance to reciprocate the courtesy invitations for\nworking lunches and dinners paid by members of the Press Corp, nor the rent\nallowance  promised so that I could continue paying my mortgage. They\ninvited around 20 of my media contacts once a year for dinner at the High\nCommissioner\u2019s residence on Range Road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This was a most generous and kind gesture by both of them. \nThis also gave them an opportunity to meet the media personnel who were active\non the Sri Lanka file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Both gave me permission to invite ten of my Media contacts for the\nIndependence celebration evenings.\\<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      And what was sacrilegious on the Foreign Ministry treatment of this outsider was when they refused to provide me with a business card. Under my breath I said, ‘Don’t you ever try to treat me like an outcast, a stepson of the Ministry. When I told Secretary Bernard Thillekaratne, “Let me ask <\/em><\/strong>President<\/em><\/strong> Premadasa to<\/em><\/strong> provide me <\/em><\/strong>with<\/em><\/strong> a ‘business card'”<\/em><\/strong>, it was given to me. That was asinine.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      13.  Acknowledging my contribution to uphold the dignity and\ngood name of Sri Lanka, by High Commissioner’s Walter Rupesinhge and Walter\nFernando  who were my superiors while working for the High Commission in\nOttawa.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1.  It was  February 5th 1993, when I returned from lunch\nH.C. Rupesinghe called me into his office and asked me to sit. \nWe had a  pleasant chat how we worked well together as a\nteam, and said how he appreciated my giving him a hand when ever he\nneeded help, like filling in the gap as the Trade Councillor; taking over\nthe Pension files, and representing Sri Lanka at the UN\u2019s Montreal Protocol, \nand that he could always depended on  me.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                 He handed me\na sheet of paper and said, This is the least that could do for you as a\nThank You.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                 The 8\u201dx 10\u201d\npaper had a Sri Lankan Government logo and  beneath it was the\ninscription of the letter-head which said High Commissioner for Sri Lanka, Canada.\u201d <\/strong>On\nit  was a typed letter which said :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  5th\nFebruary 1993<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Asoka Weerasinghe functioned as my Media and<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Communications Director during my term of service in\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0the High Commission.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Asoka\u2019s passionate love for Sri Lanka and his superb<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0understanding of our political, economic\u00a0 and social<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0problems, made him admirably suited to promote the<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0image of the country and to counter the adverse\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0publicity generated by elements hostile to our<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Democratic\u00a0way of life and the unitary state.\u00a0 Asoka<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0carried out these arduous and challenging duties with<\/em><\/strong>exemplary enthusiasm and finesse.\u00a0 He is indeed an <\/em><\/strong>asset to the Mission.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Asoka is an artist,\u00a0 poet and a person of several other <\/em><\/strong>intellectual pursuits.\u00a0 The amalgam of all these attributes,\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>not found in one person, made him a Media and<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Communications Director par excellence.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                 I wish him\nwell in all his future endeavours.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0(Sgd,)\u00a0 Walter Rupesinghe<\/em><\/strong>
        High Commissioner\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>He surprised me.\u00a0 I knew that all these sentiments came\u00a0from his heart, and I thanked him profusely and thanked\u00a0President Premadasa for his vision to appoint us to work as a team, which worked out extremely well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0b, Walter E. Fernando, the other High Commissioner\u00a0under whom I worked with, in a letter dated Monday, 25November, 1996 said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Dear Asoka:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We wish to thank you both for coming to the Airport and<\/em><\/strong>seeing us off.\u00a0 We appreciate very much your friendship <\/em><\/strong>and cooperation extended to us during our stay in<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Ottawa, and especially, you were an able Lieutenant in <\/em><\/strong>the High Commission and I had no fear when I requested<\/em><\/strong> you to do something because I was confident of positive<\/em><\/strong> results.\u00a0 Really you are a man of action.\u00a0 I know you are\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>an advocate and a canvasser for Sri Lanka and\u00a0 your\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>contributions in many spheres are appreciated\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                 With warm\nregards<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Sgd. Walter<\/em><\/strong>
        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Walter & Chalini.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>What has baffled me Professor Colombage is with all these glowing sentiments, I am still the most misunderstood expatriate at the Foreign Ministry.\u00a0 Go figure that one out.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Perhaps, may be that I am a very visible foot soldier in the\u00a0\u00a0Volunteer\u00a0 Overseas Third Army, the face seen on TV\u00a0\u00a0monitors commenting on Canadian Eelamists, and scores\u00a0of letters to Editors of leading newspapers with my name\u00a0\u00a0under them, and perhaps calling a spade a spade, <\/strong>battling the Eelamnists under the very capable Major Generals,\u00a0 Brigadier-Generals, Lieutenant-Colonels and Majors, in the honest amazing\u00a0 gutsy platoons of\u00a0patriot-expatriates like Daya Hettiarachchi, Ira de Silva,\u00a0Mahinda Gunasekera, Eric Perera (former Montrealer),\u00a0Asoka Yapa, Harrison Perera (now in Sri Lanka), Malkanthi\u00a0Perera, Ed\u00a0 Ferdinando, Prathap Perera, Sarath\u00a0Lokuliyanage, and the like with whom I worked very closely with.\u00a0 All these\u00a0 senior and young expatriates could have turned their backs on Sri  Lanka\nbut they decided not to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some stood\u00a0 tall for their Motherland, Sri Lanka, for 30 long\u00a0\u00a0years, day in and day out, while the diplomats did their Government\u00a0Musical Chair routine changes every third year.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0That should be recognized, without ignoring them as\u00a0\u00a0Minister Counsellor Weragama did during Minister G.L.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Peries\u2019s visit to Canada in 1997, which left a bitter taste in our mouths, including me.\u00a0 Since then I have kept away from the\u00a0\u00a0High Commission and so have they kept me away at arm length, except for three breaks during\u00a0two High Commissioners and a\u00a0 Counsellor General in Toronto, who commanded my respect.\u00a0 The were amazing down to earth whose public relations with the expatriate community were exceptional and honest diplomats.\u00a0 They were Rodney Vandergert, Chitranganee Wagiswara and Bandula Jayasekera.\u00a0 Bandula was an amazing diplomat and we need a few more of them in Ottawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              14. In the Orientation\nProgramme for Ambassadors\/High Commissioners designated you had slotted a spot\non Overseas Sri Lankans.\u201d That I am sure had its virtues.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Here is an incident that should have never happened on Overseas\nSri Lankans,  but it did happen.   This  incident could be used\nas a case study.  This incident has the HallMark of an insolent High\nCommissioner Bull\u201d Weeratunga, and the First Secretary Diplomat from the\nForegn Ministry  K.B. Fernando.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Here is the story:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        On 1 November 1987, I sent a letter on a letterhead of \u2018Project\nPeace for a United Sri Lanka\u2019, addressed to The Editor, SUN & WEEKEND,\nColombo 12, Sri Lanka.  It was an <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        OPEN LETTER TO HON. GAMINI DISSANAYAKE, MINISTER FOR LANDS AND\nMAHAVELI DEVELOPMENT\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        _______________________________________________<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Mister Minister, on 17th October evening when you addressed a\ngroup of Sri Lankan-Canadians in Vancouver during a reception given to your\nCommonwealth delegation by members of Sri Lanka Friendship Association of B.C.,\nyou made it your business to attack me personally challenging my honour,\nintegrity, and patriotism for Sri Lanka.  Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In a letter of mine to The Globe and Mail <\/em><\/strong>(Toronto)\non 16 September, which you had read to the gathering with remarks such as This\nis garbage<\/em><\/strong>\u201d, as I had mentioned that Was it deliberate that this\npact between Sri Lanka\u2019s President Junious Jayewardene and India\u2019s Rajiv Gandhi\nwas hurried when Sri Lanka\u2019s Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa, a strong\nopponent of merging the North and East Provinces was out of the country\u2019 \nHe was in Japan and was never consulted.\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        On the 18th October, I had 17 telephone calls from\nVncouver,  all angry with what you had to say of me, all angry the way you\nconducted yourself, especially as a senior Minister representing Sri Lanka,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Subsequently, I had the opportunity to listen to the audio tape\nof your speech. Having heard your reference to me by name, my immediate\nreaction was What damn arrogance, what a load of horse poop!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Mr. Minister, you have placed me in an unenviable position to\ndefend my honour and my patriotism to my Motherland that I left 31 years\nago.  And for the record, I will do so with humility and justifiable\npride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        When Sri Lanka was burning in late July, early on 4th August of\n1983 together with an articulate and a strong patriot, Asoka Yapa, we happened\nto be the  first Sri Lankan Sinhalese-Canadians, who under the threat of\ndeath by the Eelamists spoke on camera on 4 August National TV  6 \no\u2019clock News defending your government\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In December 1983, I spent my three week annual holiday cooped in\nmy den researching, editing and typing a 22 page Fact Sheet\u2026\u2026.. for circulation\nto 600 addresses in Canada and abroad, among the media, federal agencies, parliamentarians\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u201d;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        For your information Mr. Minister, I have spent $8,000 from my\nown pocket to help the cause of your Government and Sri Lanka, while your\nGovernment spent $35,000 on 23rd November 1985, on full page advertisements in\nthe Globe and Mail<\/em> (Toronto) and  The Citizen <\/em>(Ottawa) to\ntell the Canadians who your President was by publishing his \u2018Bio-data\u2019. \nDid you honestly believe that the Canadians cared?………\u201d;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Mister Minister, when your High Commissioner General Tissa\nWeeratunga was hounded day in and day out like a stricken doe in August 1986,\nas a Tamil torturer\u201d by the Eelamists through the  media which reduced\nhim to a lame duck\u201d, I went out of my way under the auspices of Project\nPeace<\/em>\u201d to defend him through the media under the heat of TV cameras\u2026\u2026.Did\nyou not know all this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Of course not.  Or else you wouldn’t have had the temerity\nand uncharitable gall to try to ridicule me in the presence of a large gathering\nin\nVancouver.\u201d………………………………………………………..\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Mr. Minister, you know by now that you have been unfair towards\nme, and I could catalogue many, many more items on my defence which would only\nprove that I am no less patriotic to Sri Lanka, than what you think you\nare\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In retrospect, if it were bad advice by your Government officials\nthat made you get on your high horse in Vancouver to shoot darts of personal\ninsults at me, then it is your prerogative to reprimand, demote or dismiss from\nthe service the individual(s) as it befits the intensity of your\nembarrassment.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        As for me, Mr. Minister, I certainly wouldn\u2019t let your\nintellectual-dishonesty and intellectual-thuggery pass by me without a \nchallenge, when my integrity, my honesty and my patriotism has been questioned\nin public.  I don\u2019t intend to roll over and pretend I am dead just because\na Senior Minister of Sri Lanka\u2019s Government spoke.  And that is exercising\nmy democratic rights of freedom.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        (sgd.) Asoka Weerasinghe<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Past-Chairperson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u2018Project Peace for a United Sri Lanka\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Ottawa, Canada\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        16.  To continue with the Senior Minister Gamini Dissanayake\nwhich should never have happened.   The fault lies with the High\nCommissioner Tissa Weeratunga and First Secretary, the Foreign Ministry, K.B.\nFernando who thought they were doing an excellent job reporting an expatriate\nwho was effectively standing tall for his Motherland, Sri Lanka against the\nspitting,  slapping, kicking and assaulting her by the\nCanadian-Eelamists.  Bad judgement!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        My letter to Minister Gamini Dissanayake of 1 December, 1987, was:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Dear Mr., Dissanayake:\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Reading Column 1680 of 12th November Hansard on Sri Lankan\nParliamentary Debates, I was astounded by your breach of privilege when you\nmislead your Parliamentary colleagues with an untruth about your speech of 17\nOctober at Vancouver, when questioned by Mr. Anura Bandaranaike, the Leader of\nthe Opposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        You said in Parliament that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Can I just mention to the Hon. Leader of the Opposition that I\ndid not know of this gentleman, nor did I communicate with him, but at the\nreception hosted by the Sri Lankans in Vancouver I only said, without referring\nto names that they should not judge what is happening in Sri Lanka from Canada\u201d\n– (Hansard)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        But what you did indeed say in Vancouver was:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Some people are shouting about\u2026.now this is a letter written by\none Mr. Asoka Weerasinghe – is he here?  This is a letter written by\nhim.  Postage is very cheap so you post these to the President, Mr. Anura\nBandaranaike and many others. This should be really put into the wastepaper\nbasket.  This is what he writes\u2026.\u201d (transcribed from audio-tape of \nyour speech).<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What is hilarious and annoying about this episode is to find out\nthat your fire and brimstone\u201d attack on me then, has turned out to be a\nmealy-mouth squeak.  You are obviously embarrassed.  <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And as I had requested to you in my Open Letter of 1 November, if\nit was bad advice that put you into this act, then I hope you have taken adequate\naction to reprimand the person(s) for having placed a senior Minister in Sri\nLanka\u2019s Cabinet into this shameful lapse\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What you have failed to acknowledge so far, is that the call for\nan Eelam is not only fought within the shores of Sri Lanka, but also in lands\naway from Sri Lanka by very strong lobbies of Eelam sympathisers.   The\ndefenders of Sri Lanka abroad are not only Missions abroad, and for that matter\nmost certainly not the Mission in Canada – but by groups such as ours, Project\nPeace for a united Sri lanka\u201d, and a few committed individuals like myself.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        With this unfortunate incident, I hope you will correct this\ndiscrepancy, and not \u2018rubbish\u2019 the few dedicated expatriates who are fighting\nSri Lanka\u2019s cause as determinedly as you are.  Foremost remember that Sri\nLanka needs us and we need Sri Lanka.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And to conclude this letter, you did ask from the Vancouver audience\nwhether Mr. Asoka Weerasinghe was here.  When you damn well knew\nthat  I won\u2019t be there as I did mention to the High Commissioner and the\nFirst Secretary that I won\u2019t be coming.  <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        You bet if I were there listening to your ranting and rubbishing me,\nI would have stripped a piece off you so that you would never try that\nstunt <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        again like- I am the BIG GUY from Sri Lanka, I can say whatever I\nwant to say and rubbish anyone willy-nilly.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Oh No Mr. Minister, don\u2019t you ever, ever try that stunt again\nmentioning my name and rubbishing me. Never again, as  I will certainly\nstrip a piece off you in public and that is going to hurt your I am the BIG\nGUY from Sri Lanka\u201d persona. I want you to be a bit smarter than what you think\nyou are.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        (sgd) Asoka Weerasinghe\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        P.S For your notes Professor Colombage, I did send that audio-tape\nby registered cover to Speaker E. L. Senanayake, hoping that he would listen\nand slap Minister Dissanayake\u2019s wrist for the breach of privilege misleading\nthe parliamentarians.  It never happened.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        My Museum quality Masks, puppets and Facsimiles of Heritage\nflags  : two collections were acquired by the Canadian Museum of\nCivilization (Now Canadian Museum of History).  All artifacts were well\nresearched and written as Introductions and Labels for exhibition.  The\nthird collection was auctioned by Empire Auctioneers, and the Fourth collection\nof facsimiles of heritage flags were acquired by the University of British\nColumbia Anthropology Museum in Vancouver.  Fifth collection  is hanging\non the walls of the basement of my home.  All researched and explained in\nintroductory and artifact labels. I also have a large library of literature on\nSriLankan Masks, and facsimiles of Heritage flags.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        My political  files of my writings etc of 30 years\n(1983-2014), 30 boxes of them, were donated to the Library of General Sir\nJohn  Kotelawela Defence University  at Ratmalana, on 9 April\n2014.  <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The donation was officially accepted by Vice Chancellor Major\nGeneral Milinda Peiris RWP RSP USP.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The transportation of the 30 boxes were facilitated by SPUR of\nAustralia and SLUNA of Toronto, Canada,  and a few individuals who valued\nmy political writings and wanted them to be archived in a recognized \nlibrary.  <\/em><\/strong>I was lucky that they found a recognized\nhome for my files or they would have been recycled through the black waste\nbins.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        17.  To conclude this brief, it is with utmost pride and\nhumility that I present the Highlights of  my COMMUNICATIONS &\nCULTURAL ACTIVITIES for the Sri Lanka High Commission, Ottawa, Canada, from\nJune 1989 – May 1994.  This is a partial record of my REPORT CARD: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0*Published letters to the\u00a0 : 56 Letters<\/strong> \u00a0Editors defending The Ottawa Citizen <\/em><\/strong>(Ottawa) incumbent Government\u2019s \u00a0 The Globe & Mail <\/em><\/strong>(Toronto)\u00a0policies\u00a0 \u00a0 The Toronto Star<\/em> <\/strong>(Toronto)\u00a0The Toronto Sun<\/em><\/strong> (Toronto)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Surrey\/North Delta Leader\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>(British Columbia)\u00a0\u00a0The Whig-Standard\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(Kingston, On.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0Sri Lanka Abroad (<\/em><\/strong>Toronto)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0Star India Journal <\/em><\/strong>(Toronto)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0India Journal <\/em><\/strong>(Los Angeles,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0US)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00a0\u00a0The Island <\/em><\/strong>(Sri Lanka)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        *Letters responding to            \n      <\/em><\/strong>: 235<\/strong>(1989); <\/em> 649<\/strong>(1990);   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Amnesty International and <\/em><\/strong>             1223<\/strong>\n(1991); 872<\/strong> (1992)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Lobbyists     <\/em><\/strong>                                     426<\/strong>\n(1993); 257<\/strong> (1994)    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        *Television Shows           \n              : Scripted and produced Nine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   (9)\nSongs of Sri Lanka<\/em>\u201d for<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   MacLean-Hunter\nCable TV, <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Ottawa.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Highlighted\nthe following:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Dancing\n– The Tea Pluckers<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Dance,\nGajaga Vannama,<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Harvest\nDance;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Kavi\nMaduwa, Sinhala & <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Tamil\nNew Year, Kataragama<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Tea,\nGems & Jewellery,<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Kolam\n& Sanni Masks and<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Ceremonies,\nPuppets,<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Elephants\nand its influence<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   on\nfolk art, Bharata Natyam,<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Wesak,\nInterviewing Air<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Commodore\nLeonard Birch-<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   all,\nPoetry on Sri Lanka<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   Reading\nto school children<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                   etc.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        (Note: All the Sri Lankan artifacts were from my private\ncollection. There was absolutely sweet nothing to show-case Sri Lanka at the\nHigh Commission.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        *Exhibition         The Art of\nHealing: Ritual Masks of <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

         participation:    Sri Lanka  <\/em><\/strong>(Canadian\nMuseum of Civilization);<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    Festival\nof Masks: Sri Lanka Ritual Masks<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    (Museum\nof Quebec);  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    Sri\nLankan-Canadian Writers <\/em><\/strong>(Edmonton); <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    Focus\non Sri Lanka (<\/em><\/strong>Algonquin College, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                      Ottawa)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    Sri\nLankan Heritage flags, puppets and masks<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                      (National\nArts Centre, Ottawa)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    Kolam\nMasks<\/em><\/strong> (National Gallery, Ottawa)   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        (Note: All the Sri Lankan artifacts were from my extensive private\ncollection. There was absolutely nothing to showcase Sri Lanka at the Sri Lanka\nHigh Commission. It was abysmal and embarrassing.)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        *Public Talks : <\/strong> * \u2018Sri Lankan Healing\nMasks: The Delicious  <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    Nightmares\n<\/em><\/strong>(Canadian Museum of Civilization);<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    *\nClaim for Separate State in Sri Lanka: The<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                     Eastern\nProvince whose Home Land?\u201d<\/em><\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                     (SLUNA,\nToronto);<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    *\nBuddhist Spirituality in Meditation\u201d  <\/em><\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                     (Sai\nBaba 20th Anniversary Celebration,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                      Ottawa);<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                     Sri\nLanka Masking Ceremonies\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (Newfound-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                      land).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        *Talks in Schools:<\/strong> 13 Talks on Sri Lanka \nwith artifacts, slide<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                       and\nvideo presentations to school children<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                       in\nthe National Capital Region, sometimes <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                       through\nmy published Poetry on Sri Lanka.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        *University Theses:  Was subject advisor to two Masters <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                       Students\n– one on anthropological <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                       significance\nof Sri Lanka masking cere-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                       monies. \nThe other on Sri Lanka Aid &<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                       Development\nin today\u2019s political environ-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                       ment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        *Provided            : Carleton\nUniversity <\/strong>(Ottawa), University of<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        research               Ottawa,\nMcMaster University <\/strong>(Hamilton),<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        material and my   Brock University <\/strong>(St.\nCatherines), Brad<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        published             College <\/strong>(New York,\nUS), University of   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        essays and           Windsor <\/strong>(Windsor),\nMcGill University <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        critical writings   <\/strong>(Montreal), Concordia\nUniversity, <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        (from my per-      <\/strong> (Montreal),\nSimon Fraser University <\/strong>(BC),<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        sonal Library)      University of Victoria <\/strong>(BC),  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        to Ph.D., M.A.,     <\/strong>,University of British\nColumbia <\/strong>(Vancouver),<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        & B.A students     University of Manitoba <\/strong>(Winnipeg).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

         for their special  <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Term papers,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        theses, exposing the<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        perspective of Sri<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Lanka Government\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        position in the ethnic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Crisis.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        *The National              \n:Coaching the students who represen-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Students Common-      ted Sri Lanka at the Forum\n(1990, 91,92,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Wealth Forum             \n  94);<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        *Museum Sri Lankan  : Advisor on cataloguing at the Canadian<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        artifacts               \n          Museum of Civilization, Ottawa;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        *Press Releases         : 223<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        * Sri Lanka News        : 54<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Letters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        * Information Kits       :<\/strong>Sri\nLanka-Human Rights (July 1991)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                   Sri\nLanka – A Mosaic at a Glance <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 <\/em><\/strong>(January\n1992)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                   Sri\nLanka -A Hidden Secret -Quick Facts<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                     (January\n1994)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        *Net Working               :\nWith Media personnel across Canada.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 Law\nenforcing authorities, \u2018Sri Lanka<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 United\nNational Association\u2019, \u2018Project<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 Peace\nfor a United Sri Lanka\u2019<\/em><\/strong> and other<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 Sri\nLanka-Canada Associations <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 across\nCanada.  I have established<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 contacts\nwith all these Associations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 since\nthe Summer of 1983.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        CONCLUSION              : While\nidentifying very poor basics of <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                Office\nManagement , Time  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                Management\nand  Records<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                Management\nwhich brought untold<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                headaches\nfor the High   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                Commissioners, \nit is with honesty and <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 pride\nthat I could claim that I created<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 several\nportals and bench-marks of<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 excellence\u201dfor\nthe next Communi-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 cations\nOfficer that will be appointed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 for\nthe  High Commission.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                 He\nor She will have no excuse not to<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

         deliver as best as I did or better than<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                what\nI did performing tasks as the <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                Director\nof  Communications of the<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                Sri\nLanka High Commission in Ottawa <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                from\nJune 1989 – May 1994.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Sincerely,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Asoka Weerasinghe<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        613-747-2272<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada 10 November 2020 Admiral Prof. Jayanath ColombageForeign SecretarySri Lanka Ministry of Foreign AffairsRepublic BuildingSir Baron Jayathilake MawathaColombo 01Sri Lanka Dear Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage: It was with great admiration that I read the Press Release from your Ministry which said – […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-asoka-weerasinghe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108558\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}