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Lanka’s blunder steals honour from Palestinian leaders
The Presidential Secretariat has issued gazette notifications conferring one of Sri Lanka’s highest National Honours on two Palestinian leaders, Mahmoud Abbas and Yasser Arafat—and then withdrawn them. “Once they were gazetted, the Presidential Secretariat realised that such National Honours could only be awarded in Sri Lanka,” an authoritative source told the Sunday Times. But legal experts said this contention did not hold water because diplomatic premises fall under the jurisdiction of the country to which such missions belong.
“Sri Lanka could have obtained the concurrence of the Palestine Authority to have a ceremony in our diplomatic premises, for example, like marriages performed by our consular authorities under our law,” one expert said, requesting anonymity. “The President could have invited his Palestinian counterpart for a reception and conferred the award on him there. This is a clear instance of our foreign relations, especially with an important friend, being handled in a ham-fisted manner.”
State media reporting on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit this month to Palestine said that the ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’ had been awarded to the two leaders. The Sunday Times confirmed, however, that the Honours were not conferred during President Rajapaksa’s tour. This week, the Presidential Secretariat would not say why.
Presidential Spokesman Mohan Samaranayake told the Sunday Times to direct its inquiry to Anuradha Herath Director (International Media) at the President’s Office. Ms. Herath referred the newspaper back to Mr. Samaranayake and, later, to the Ministry of External Affairs. The Ministry said the matter had been handled by the Presidential Secretariat.
Two gazettes dated January 2 announced that President Rajapaksa was pleased to confer the ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana National Honour’ on President Abbas and the late leader Arafat. Two more gazettes were issued the following day saying the President will personally award the Honours at a ceremony to be held in the State of Palestine on January 6, 2014.
On January 16, a fresh gazette was issued under the signature of Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga cancelling all of the four previous notices. He was not available for comment. Since the President’s Office was ignorant of what had transpired, the Sunday Times could not determine whether fifth and sixth gazettes will be issued in future, re-conferring the cancelled Honours on the two Palestinian leaders.
President Rajapaksa visited Palestine in January as part of a three-nation tour that included Jordan and Israel. The ‘Star of Palestine’ National Honour was conferred on him in Ramallah on January 6. The ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’ was introduced by President Rajapaksa in February 2008. It is conferred on Heads of State and Heads of Government of countries with which Sri Lanka has friendly relations “in appreciation of their friendship towards and solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka.”
The nature of the award is a citation and a silver medal studded and adorned with nine kinds of Sri Lankan gems (Nawaratna) with the symbols of a lotus, the globe, sun, moon and sheaves of rice. The diameter of the medal is 6.5 centimetres. The decoration of the Honour of Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana is worn round the neck with a ribbon. “This Honour will be conferred by His Excellency the President as and when he deems fit,” the official notice dated 2008 says.
The names of persons who receive the award are contained in a register maintained under the direction of the President for the recipient of National Honours granted to Sri Lankans. “The ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’ Honour will take precedence over the National Honours awarded to non-Sri Lankans,” the relevant gazette notification says. Former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was awarded the Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana on February 13, 2008.