Sycophancy, Diplomacy And Flattery
Gamini Weerakoon
The
often used quote: An ambassador is an honest man sent abroad to lie for his
country, has been given cynical and ambiguous interpretations by cynics such as
an ambassador is one who is expected to lie in speech for his country or lie in
bed for pleasure. Ambassadors will obviously deny both insinuations. A good
ambassador knows well that lies are soon found out and will do damage to his
country’s credibility as well as himself. In present times with newspersons
equipped with cameras and sound recorders of all sorts under beds, on the
streets, in jungles or other exotic places, to lie or lie in bed is absolutely
counterproductive.
Godage
as Ambassador
The
question of lying or not telling the truth does not arise in the case of Nanda
Godage who was recalled from his post of High Commissioner in
Malaysia last week because he had asked at a conference of Sri Lankan
ambassadors (closed to the media) what his responses should be to queries made
by Tamil lobbyists in Kuala Lumpur.
Directions given on the stand taken by the Sri Lanka government on questions raised by the LTTE lobbyists and members of the Tamil diaspora in Western and even oriental capitals would have been beneficial to all Sri Lankan ambassadors. But Godage’s queries had obviously grated the powers that be. In a letter to Prof. G. L. Peiris, he says: ‘I can’t believe that you of all people had me recalled’. He may have caused the professorial ire by asking embarrassing questions from his immediate boss in the audience of diplomats, but the Prof. with a ‘monitor’ at his heels wherever he goes and considering whom the ‘monitor’ is expected to report to, we may be pardoned for saying that the ultimate decision made for recall may not be that of the professor but the almighty ‘Creator and Destroyer’, the Brahma, in contemporary Sri Lankan politics.
Godage is the most experienced diplomat in the Foreign Service right now. Having served in embassies like Tokyo, Washington, New Delhi and finally Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Brussels, he knew his diplomatic lingo and table manners. He ended his career as the Acting Foreign Secretary. But even Homer nods.
Directions given on the stand taken by the Sri Lanka government on questions raised by the LTTE lobbyists and members of the Tamil diaspora in Western and even oriental capitals would have been beneficial to all Sri Lankan ambassadors. But Godage’s queries had obviously grated the powers that be. In a letter to Prof. G. L. Peiris, he says: ‘I can’t believe that you of all people had me recalled’. He may have caused the professorial ire by asking embarrassing questions from his immediate boss in the audience of diplomats, but the Prof. with a ‘monitor’ at his heels wherever he goes and considering whom the ‘monitor’ is expected to report to, we may be pardoned for saying that the ultimate decision made for recall may not be that of the professor but the almighty ‘Creator and Destroyer’, the Brahma, in contemporary Sri Lankan politics.
Godage is the most experienced diplomat in the Foreign Service right now. Having served in embassies like Tokyo, Washington, New Delhi and finally Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Brussels, he knew his diplomatic lingo and table manners. He ended his career as the Acting Foreign Secretary. But even Homer nods.
