The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, I am pleased to speak in this debate on the Votes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism. I wish to recall a few items from the “Prosperous Country - Beautiful Life” policy document of the present Government concerning the diplomatic service:

¶ 02 - Appointment to the Foreign Service of qualified officers with professional excellence, the highest standards of ethical conduct, and diplomatic acumen. - Appointment of qualified officers on the basis of professional excellence, high ethical standards and competence. - Appointment of career diplomats with proven records as Heads of Sri Lanka Missions.

¶ 03 Is this happening? A colleague spoke on this earlier. You came to power criticizing past practices, but what have you done? After you assumed office, nine or ten people previously brought into the Foreign Service were recalled. Then-Foreign Minister Hon. Vijitha Herath said they would be reviewed and reappointed. Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, former Chief of Defence Staff and Navy Commander, was serving in Pakistan; he was recalled and replaced by Rear Admiral Fred Senaviratne, from your NPP’s military wing, two ranks junior to the incumbent. Where is merit and professionalism?

¶ 04 In Cuba, Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne (former Navy Commander) was replaced by Mr. Mangala Ratnayake, who contested under your NPP and lost—also a writer for Ravaya newspaper. To a country with 65 years of bilateral relations, you appointed someone with minimal foreign service knowledge. Are these not political appointments?

¶ 05 You appointed Nimal Upali Senadhira as High Commissioner to the UK while he is studying a postgraduate course in public administration in Scotland. I do not like to belittle anyone’s job, but those there know what he was doing in the UK. These are not distinguished career diplomats. Further, serious allegations exist that your private secretary sexually harassed senior female diplomatic officers while in South Africa and Kenya. Hon. Vijitha Herath is not a Colombo elite; but his private secretary is. Women in the Foreign Service are now fearful, worried about reprisals.

¶ 06 There are about 60 officers of the first batch (from 1996) in the Service. There are 50 embassies; 10 consulates. I ask you: the people did not elect you to repeat history. Please review this and appoint the right officers.

¶ 07 Next, on reconciliation and truth-seeking. We spoke much on accountability. In 2015 a Commission on Missing Persons was established; about 17,000 submissions were received, including around 5,000 soldiers listed as missing in action. After consolidating, about 12,000 cases included 1988-89 disappearances and “white van” abductions around 2013. Funds were given in 2022 under UNHRC Resolution 30/1; later under Resolution 46/1 through the Sri Lanka Accountability Project. In 2015 there was an attempt, but the then President opposed, and it stalled.

¶ 08 Now, alongside the Batalanda Commission talk, there is a loud call to establish a Truth-Seeking Commission. We want a comprehensive truth commission covering 1971, 1983, 1988-89, the ethnic conflict and war, the white van era—everything. I ask this Government, at least now, to proceed. We have always spoken not to divide by race or region but to bring justice to those orphaned by the war—Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher. Yesterday, Minister Bimal Ratnayake said similar tragedies occurred in the North. The LTTE killed; the Army killed; the JVP killed; paramilitaries killed. That is our history. The Office on Missing Persons is now shut. At least now, please act; legislation is needed. If you had acted, today’s issues would not arise. See, Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva cannot travel to the US; Gen. Fonseka too. They are willing to testify before a truth commission and clear their names. Without a process, the country is dragged into crisis.

¶ 09 South Africa went forward by doing this. Mere assurances that it will not happen again are not enough—we need a process to lay the truth bare. Also recall that Mahinda Rajapaksa and Vasudeva Nanayakkara took information on enforced disappearances to the UN Working Group; Manoori Muttetuwegama’s commission gathered 22,000 disappearances across regions. Amnesty spoke of around 60,000 killed. The UN has details for 5,000, and another 16,000 in its files, covering 1988-89 through the end of the war. After Iraq, Sri Lanka is the country with the highest number of disappearances. We must bring together the LLRC, Paranagama report, lists compiled by Fr. Rajan (Fr. Rayappu Joseph), and others, and act.

¶ 10 I also recall the late Hon. Mangala Samaraweera’s initiative for reparations, including Certificates of Absence when death certificates are unavailable, for JVP families in the South, Tamil people in the North, Muslims in the East, and many in the armed forces. Mothers still refuse death certificates, hoping their children live. I request you to restart issuing Certificates of Absence. After Gotabaya Rajapaksa came to power, this was halted. About 1,000 in Jaffna received it; many in Galle, Matara, Hambantota did not. Under Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, payments were made in 2023 for those who disappeared before 2000. Though Rs. 200,000 was to be paid, only some of about 6,000 received payments. Many in 1990-1995 were taken at sea by the LTTE; reparations are now being paid gradually. In 2024, funds were set aside for the Office for Reparations. Hon. Vijitha Herath, how much is allocated for 2025? I do not see a clear plan. In 2023, Rs. 1,000 million was allocated; in 2024, the same, and 4,000 families got Rs. 200,000 each; 23 families in Colombo got temporary assistance. Please allocate adequate funds. I did not see allocations from the Foreign Ministry for this.

¶ 11 You spoke in Geneva promising action. Do not see this as North, East or West; this is not only about those the JVP killed or those the Army killed; Tamil victims are there too, and about 5,000 missing from the armed forces as well. Please address all.

¶ 12 You spoke about Batalanda. Yesterday Minister Bimal Ratnayake made a very emotional speech; for the first time the Hon. Speaker wept here. But tears alone will not do. The Batalanda Commission started in 1994 under President Chandrika. You helped her; did you then ask for it? In 2004 you governed with Chandrika; did you ask? In 2005 you governed with Mahinda; did you ask? Yesterday you called Ranil a “butcher”; in 2015 you governed with him. If Batalanda mattered, you would not have even shared a platform then. Now you want to use this in the next one-and-a-half months to revive your party’s base. This is not only about Batalanda—there were torture sites at Eliyakanda, Matale, Kandy, even at the Law Faculty premises. There were 46 torture centres. If you want justice, appoint commissions to examine all, not just Batalanda.

¶ 13 Also remember those killed by the Deshapremi Janatha Vyaparaya, branded as criminals and rapists—was Dr. Gladys Jayawardene a criminal? Dr. Stanley Wijesundera? Film director K. Gunaratnam, Amaradeva’s relative, Prof. Pathuwathawithana, Moratuwa University’s former Vice Chancellor D. C. Atukorala, student leader Daya Pathirana whose throat was slit, Daya Sepali Senadheera, S. V. Amaraseeli (sister of M. S. Amarasiri), and many others.

¶ 14 Furthermore, MP G. V. S. de Silva of Habaraduwa was killed; President Vijaya Kumaratunga was shot dead. This was the JVP. That was led by “Tarzan” Lionel Ranasinghe, who was handled by your current NPP General Secretary in Kalutara, supervising even the mass shooting of 100+ people. Communist Party intellectuals Leslie Ranagala, Leslie Yatawala, Lionel Jayatilleke, Minister Meril Kariyawasam, Rev. Fr. Michael Paul Rodrigo, Wellethota Pannadassi, Kotikawatte Saddhatissa, Poddaramulla Premaloka Nayaka Theros, and former Minister W. M. G. D. Banda, among many others, were killed by your unidentified gunmen. So do not point fingers selectively. I say: investigate all.

¶ 15 Hon. Minister, I also wish to remind you of the issue of our Sri Lankans in Russia. Over 3,000 Sri Lankans have gone there; many have exceeded their contracted periods; they are not being allowed to return, salaries are unpaid, and 47 have been killed in the war. Let us resolve this with Russia as India did for its citizens. Please intervene to bring them back.

¶ 16 As for Italy, arrangements were made to send 120; 86 women have already gone; another 8 are delayed due to documentation issues. Please expedite this too. We will support you to carry these processes forward. Thank you.