Public Entertainment Minister in a hotel room in Japan with mahout

Monday, 08 April 2013 

Public Entertainment Minister Jayaratne Herath had received step motherly treatment during his recent visit to Japan with the President. The Lanka News Web learns that the Minister had to finally share room at a hotel in Japan with the mahout who was looking after the two baby elephants that were gifted to Japan by the President.

The President’s entourage had stayed at the Imperial Hotel in Japan. It was the President’s confidential financial secretary Sajin Vass Gunawardena who was in-charge of coordinating all affairs including lodging facilities in Japan. However, he had not booked a room for Minister Herath saying he would not be included in the President’s entourage.

Before the visit to Japan, the External Affairs Ministry had requested that the director of the national zoological gardens, secretary of the Public Entertainment Ministry and the mahout to visit Japan with two baby elephants to be gifted to the country. Ministry Secretary Willie Gamage, who has fallen out of the President; favour, is now looking after a baby elephant in Mattala and said, “I always go overseas, so ask the minister to visit Japan.”

The secretary had then informed the Japanese embassy in Sri Lanka to organize an invitation for the minister to visit Japan to gift to baby elephants to the Japanese zoo. After making several requests, the Japanese embassy at the last moment had granted a visa to Minister Herath to visit Japan. However, Sajin Vass Gunawardena had told the Minister at the Imperial Hotel, “We cannot provide lodging facilities to you since you are not part of the official delegation.” He had asked the Minister to find his own lodging.

Helpless after Sajin’s lowly actions, the Minister was seen walking around the hotel lobby with the mahout and a group of Sri Lankans who had seen this had inquired what had happened. The Minister had explained to them their plight and requested them to help him and the mahout find a place to stay. Realizing the difficulty faced by a minister from their motherland in a foreign country, the group of Sri Lankans have collected money and got the Minister and the mahout a room in an ordinary hotel in Japan.

The Minister had thanked the Sri Lankans whole heartedly and said, “Do you see brother how we are treated by our own government? This is the plight of every SLFP er.”