Muslim envoy slams ex-minister for controversial remarks

Un b e l i evable but t rue. A leading Muslim country’s envoy read the riot act to a one- time minister who has resigned in protest.

He did not hide his anger over the controversial politician making public remarks that the diplomat’s country together with other like-minded countries should expose the Sri Lankans over

the treatment of Muslims.

“Don’t place your community at risk with those irresponsible remarks. We are not here to do your bidding,” the envoy exhorted.

Then he dropped the bombshell. The angry envoy held in his hands a pile of documents. “Look what you have done. You got all this money from us saying they were for projects for your people. They never went for their welfare. We know where you sent the money,” he exhorted.

The onetime minister was unmoved. He said he would fight it out and made a hasty exit.

Days later, the envoy in question heard another bitter story. The former minister turned up at the Iftar party hosted by President Maithripala Sirisena last Tuesday evening and told a colleague, “Sri Lanka is becoming a Myanmar.” The one who heard it laughed it off but was dismayed.

He later told another colleague “this guy wants us to fight his own battle.”

In all this, there is a serious snag when it comes to a t h r e e - m e m b e r Po l i c e Committee that is now conducting probes. Diplomats who have incontrovertible evidence through documents about the gross abuse of their countries’ funds cannot complain for fear of being involved in the “internal affairs” of the country. Some are won over and the others are frightened.

Why worry when one has powerful friends in powerful places?