Old habit made Chinese deputy ambassador reprimand Sujeewa!
Friday, 13 March 2015
The argument between the deputy ambassador at the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka and justice deputy minister Sujeewa Senasinghe, which has reached controversial proportions among the local and foreign diplomats, is nothing new, say knowledgeable sources.
Officials of the Chinese embassy in Colombo were used to giving instructions and reprimanding ministers and MPs of the former Rajapaksa regime for the past decade. That old habit made the deputy ambassador call the deputy justice minister and express his displeasure over remarks he has made to a television channel.
That is a blatant violation of the diplomatic principles to oppose a politician’s right to express opinion. Officials of the Chinese embassy had been violating this principle in the past as they had controlled the politicians and officials in the country through various means. The deputy ambassador committed this mistake, forgetting that there is a new government in Sri Lanka now.
After remembering that a new government is in power, the Chinese deputy ambassador sent four SMS messages to deputy minister Senasinghe’s mobile phone, withdrawing his criticism and tendering an apology. Had that happened in any other country, the diplomat should have been recalled to China within 24 hours. But, the absence of such a recall makes it clear that the Chinese foreign ministry has thought that no such measure was needed as per Sri Lanka’s conduct, said the sources.
Previous article
