Anura B. says foreign policy despicable

National Heritage Minister Anura Bandaranaike has hit out hard at the present government’s foreign policy, describing it as “most irresponsible” and “despicable”.

He lashed out in a letter to Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona while turning down an invitation for him to attend a recent discussion on foreign policy strategy.“I think your ministry conducts the most irresponsible and despicable foreign policy ever practised in the country,” Mr. Bandaranaike said in the letter.

He said Sri Lanka had failed to speak out against the US when it invaded Iraq and remained silent when the Burmese military junta cracked down in a barbaric manner on all its opponents. He also said that on the question of Pakistan, Sri Lanka’s behaviour had been bizarre, to say the least, with the minister saying one thing and the government another.

Mr. Bandaranaike also said the callousness of certain people was amply demonstrated when a massive delegation of more than 100 went to China to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.“When I visited China with my mother in 1971, we were accompanied from the airport and throughout by none other than the then Prime Minister Chou En Lai. It was my father who recognised China and no one else,” he said.

The minister said it would only be natural that the only son of these two leaders should have been invited to be in the delegation to China but instead common thugs and morons were included in the delegation.“Going or not going on the presidential delegation was a matter entirely left for me to decide but the courtesy was never extended” he said.