Media reports on the appointment of Mr Milinda Moragoda as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to India
Posted on August 31st, 2020
The Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR)
The Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR) has provided expatriate leadership to protect Sri Lanka’s unitary status, territorial integrity and sovereignty for over 25 years. It has fought many battles against Tamil diaspora led LTTE separatism and Muslim extremism, and Western denigration of our beloved Nation and its people. Attempts by the Yahapalana government since 2015 to prosecute valiant armed forces within and external to Sri Lanka in Geneva, undermine nationalistic values, persecution of Buddhists and despicable attempts at fabricating evidence to prosecute President Mahinda Rajapksa’s leadership team including the then Defence Secretary Hon Gotabaya Rajapaksa, were passionately and vigorously resisted and campaigned against.
While respecting the absolute right of the President to appoint people who he sees fit for positions of strategic importance to the Nation, we strongly believe the appointment of a person such as Milinda Moragoda as the Ambassador to India is counterproductive to the National Interest. Whilst we acknowledge the absence of any formal government announcement, we base our position on extensive media reporting of Mr Moragoda’s appointment and a reference to ambassadorial appointments made by none other than the Secretary to the Foreign Ministry, Dr Colombage that best career diplomats should be posted to neighbouring capitals” (Daily Mirror 26 August 2020).
Our request to reconsider the appointment of Mr Milinda Moragoda as ambassador to India is predicated on his past evidence based conduct that he is driven by personal or external interests, and not by Sri Lanka’s interests. Evidence referenced include but are not limited to his:
Bias towards foreign nations detailed in the leaked cable sent by the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ashley Willis in 2003 where he says Moragoda is the ‘perfect fit’ to promote the interest of USA in Sri Lanka and the region (Wikipedia 2020);
Ongoing involvement with USA through close association with the Pathfinder Foundation established by Moragoda as recent as late 2017 during Yahapalana regime (Daily FT Nov 2017);
Willingness to consider setting up an alternative cabal to counter the Non Aligned Movement (NAM). NAM is currently supported by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and is government policy;
Provision of internal LTTE war related information to foreign powers undermining President Kumaranatunga, whilst being a cabinet minister (Scoop Independent News, Cablegate: Minister Moragoda reviews upcoming visit to Washington in meeting with US ambassador to Sri Lanka);
Request foreign country representatives to pressure then President Kumaratunga to secure outcomes that are favourable to LTTE parroted by then PM Ranil Wickramasinha (Wiki Leaks);
Willingness to receive 60 million Norwegian Krona funding (Rs 1,260 million in today’s rupees) from Norway to work with Indian NGOs Horizon and Sarvatra (Norad Report 2011);
Establishment of the China-Sri Lanka Cooperation Studies Centre under the auspices of Pathfinder Foundation to balance bias towards US and Indian interests; and
Arranging a CIA operative to attend weekly meetings of the intelligence community reported by retired, highly respected DIG Merril Gunaratne in his 2011 book titled ’Cop in the Crossfire’.
Given above-referenced evidence, we humbly request the President and the Foreign Minister Hon Dinesh Gunawardena to reconsider entertaining the appointment of Milinda Moragoda as the High Commissioner to India and select instead, a patriotic and competent career diplomat to this most important position.
Dr DASARATH JAYASURIYA PRESIDENT SPUR
August 31st, 2020 at 4:25 pm
I agree 100% with the view of SPUR. I know this patriotic organization never forgot Mother lanka. They have done many activities against LTTE propaganda. I humbly request Mr. President to reconsider this appointment to save mother lanka.
August 31st, 2020 at 11:42 pm
The appointment of such a controversial character as Milinda Moragoda, whose actions reflect that Sri Lanka’s interests will be subservient to the interests of other countries as Ambassador of India hardly seems like a step in the right direction. Knowing the problems we have had with India in the past, we need someone who will be steadfast in the defense of Sri Lanka in any issue that can be inimical to Sri Lanka. That is what Ambassadors are sent for-to protect the country’s interests. Sending someone who has already acted with other interests in mind would be foolhardy at best!
August 31st, 2020 at 11:42 pm
The appointment of such a controversial character as Milinda Moragoda, whose actions reflect that Sri Lanka’s interests will be subservient to the interests of other countries as Ambassador of India hardly seems like a step in the right direction. Knowing the problems we have had with India in the past, we need someone who will be steadfast in the defense of Sri Lanka in any issue that can be inimical to Sri Lanka. That is what Ambassadors are sent for-to protect the country’s interests. Sending someone who has already acted with other interests in mind would be foolhardy at best!
September 1st, 2020 at 12:16 pm
Appointing Admiral Jayantha Kolombage as the Foreign Secretary itself is questionable.Is this Admiral is also a member of the Pathfinder ? What credentials has Moragoda to be Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India perhaps only the President knows or is it only the Admiral who knows ? Milinda Moragoda in a peoples government for which the ordinary people mostly in the outskirs of the country have voted, is like a round ball in a square hole . He does not fit in. We may as well appoint Ranil Wicramasinghe ?
For me Palith Kohona is more acceptable to represent Sri Lanka.Why have the SLPP MPs raised no objections ? Because the President has proposed it, it is not necessary to accept it.
September 1st, 2020 at 6:06 pm
High Commissioner for India
I see the President suffering from a problem of not being able to find the correct personnel for a job that requires much experience, political maturity and diplomatic skill. The country knows President Gotabhaya has the best interests of our Motherland at heart. While the country has heaped much trust on him at this juncture in time, it is unthinkable to imagine that he will falter in his duty. He should keep in mind that History is very unforgiving on those who falter in their duty! Why the likes of Don Juan Dharmapala, Molligodas, Ekenaligodas and down to this age JR Jaya and Rani W are so reviled are cases in point.
However, at the moment it looks as if a coterie of interested parties have ‘ring circled’ President Gotabhaya with the intention of making Gotabhaya unpopular in the shortest possible time. His intelligence sources should indicate who should be in his ‘inner circle’ and who shouldn’t!
India and Sri Lanka faces similar threats from the outside world. These include the Islamic threat to Buddhism and Hinduism and threats to balkanize our two countries. For the Western Christian Powers, balkanization of Sri Lanka is the stepping stone to do the same in India! Together Sri Lanka and India can achieve much and this must be emphasized to India. Western Christian Powers has only “Karapincha” use for Sri Lanka – to be used and discarded at their will and pleasure.
The ways and means at the disposal of Big Powers are enormous. Everything depends Gotabaya leading from the front and getting all his diplomatic staff in important countries pulling their weight to achieve what is best for Sri Lanka. Majorly Sri Lanka has to balance advances from the US, India and China. In this exercise, it is not possible to neglect the security needs of other countries in the region as well as ASEAN countries. A regional conference on the needs of smaller countries is not out of place when considering ACSA, SOFA and MCC agreements for these affect in one way or the other not only internal issues in Sri Lanka, but those in neighbouring countries too!
We need as diplomats patriots who can articulate Sri Lanka’s current political dispensation to the outside world diplomatically and find solutions that is good for Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans for the long haul. An honest Sri Lankan, preferably a Sinhala Buddhist with interest of Sri Lanka at heart, with a sense of history – local as well as of the World, a good knowledge of current world politics, an erect spine, with a good upbringing and skilled in the art of diplomacy is required for the post of the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in India.
This does not mean he has to use people who have proven time and again to be inimical to the interests and wellbeing of Sri Lanka, subservient to outside forces and known to be patently corrupt. Self-serving individuals – Milinda Moragoda, Dayan Jayatilleke, Austin Fernando, Rohitha Bogollagama just to name a few do not fit the bill!
September 2nd, 2020 at 7:14 am
Dayan Jayatilleka has lost the confidence some people had placed on him. He is now very boastful and tries to brand himself as a super intellectual and a political analyst . But his arguments are out dated he sticks to his pro 13A idealism having no other alternative to it.
September 2nd, 2020 at 3:41 pm
Dayan Jayatilleke is very good at ‘names dropping’ to show his importance. A low life indeed he is! A man’s worth to his country lies in his love for the land of his birth. His credentials are very slim on this score. All his work has one thing in common – self aggrandisement! However he is not so important in comparison to Milinda Moragoda and Austin Fernando who are more dangerous and have agenda’s of their own inimical to the wellbeing of the nation. Rohitha Bogollagama is another Dayan!