Rajapaksa meets Udayanga in Thailand while FCID hunts for the wanted Sri Lankan in Ukraine

Media Ministry Secretary issues controversial ‘decree’ to the media, but backtracks after heavy criticism

By Our Political Editor now in Bangkok

• Media Ministry Secretary issues controversial ‘decree’ to the media, but backtracks after heavy criticism
• Mystery over how former diplomat came to Udon Thani for surprise meeting with former President, Facebook picture also posted
• Sirisena under siege, fires 11 party organisers, as May Day battle reaches climax in Galle and Kirulapone today

Sunday, May 01, 2016

When Captain Kolitha Ekanayake took off on a SriLankan Airlines Airbus A 330-200 the previous Saturday morning to Bangkok, no one realised that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was on board, was flying into a serious controversy.

From a front row seat in the Business Class he watched television and sipped tea throughout the three hour flight. Seated next to him was former External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris. He pored over that day’s issue of our sister newspaper, the Lankadeepa, and was soon fast asleep with his head bowed down.

Picture of the week: Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a surprise meeting with his cousin and most wanted former diplomat Udayanga Weeratunga in the Thai town of Udon Thani. This was the picture Weeratunga posted on his Facebook.

The only other politician to accompany Rajapaksa was Western Provincial Councillor Upali Kodikara. Interesting enough, both Peiris and Kodikara had called on President Maithripala Sirisena, soon after the January 2015 presidential election to ascertain whether they could join the United National Front (UNF) Government. They did not succeed. Now they are once again close allies of Rajapaksa.

Clad in a suit that has seen better days, Kodikara was in the Economy Class. When the curtain separating the Business Class from the Economy section was drawn during breakfast service, Kodikara moved it every now and then to keep a watch on Rajapaksa. He then briefed four bodyguards of Rajapaksa including a Gazetted officer, who were seated near him, of the well-being of the former President during the flight.

As the flight began its descent, the ‘fasten seat belts’ sign lit up overhead. The thud of wheels down for landing saw Rajapaksa walk towards the toilet just ahead of the flight deck. Cabin crew were busy lifting up the window covers whilst standing in the aisle. Suddenly, one of the bodyguards rushed in from the Economy Class to stand outside the toilet door. When Rajapaksa emerged, from one of his back pockets he pulled out a bottle of men’s French cologne and handed it over to Rajapaksa. Then, from his other back pocket he took out a brush. Rajapaksa groomed himself and stood there as cabin crew, even those in the Economy Class, ignoring the ‘fasten seats belt’ signs trooped in to take photographs. Some took selfies. Even if he is no longer President, Rajapaksa seems to have not lost his fan club. Even when he came in to board the flight, the same scenes played out.

Alighting from the aircraft at Bangkok aiprort, Rajapaksa walked with his entourage to the VIP lounge. There, he was greeted by Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Thailand, Kshenuka Seneviratne, foreign secretary during the Rajapaksa administration. The Foreign Ministry in Colombo had directed her to provide protocol assistance. This was after Rajapaksa’s office wrote to the President’s Secretary and the Foreign Secretary informing them of his trip to Bangkok. Also present were some Sri Lankan residents though it is not clear how they obtained clearance to enter the high security VIP area. This was to become an issue during the former President’s departure.

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