By Colombo Telegraph –
“The simultaneity of such defamatory articles published against me in different newspapers demonstrates the deliberate character of this smear campaign. I would, therefore, ask you correct this defamatory falsehoods that are aimed at undermining my honesty and integrity, publish this right of reply and apologise.” says the Sri Lankan ambassador to Cuba,Tamara Kunanayakam. Requesting a right of reply and a voluntary apology Tamara says the story carried on July 23 edition of Colombo Telegraph is a part of smear campaign against her. But our diplomatic correspondent while stands by the story says, that at no point, was the news story aimed at defamation or character assassination at Ms. Kunanayakam or any other official.
Read both the Ambassador’s and our correspondent’s replies below;
Tamara Kunanayakam
Right of Reply to Colombo Telegraph of 23 July 2012 ,by Tamara Kunanayakam
The July 23rd July edition of Colombo Telegraph carried a defamatory story against me that seems part of a smear campaign that you are carrying on for the benefit of the sources you rely on.
The first lie is that I have requested the Ministry of External Affairs to pay for my travel costs from Havana to Geneva to attend meetings of the Working Group on the Right to Development, which I Chair. I do not, therefore, see how a request that was not made can be turned down!
The second lie is that my successor was forced to stay in a hotel because I decided to remain in the Official Residence and his family has had to stay behind in Brussels until I vacate the Residence. I have already responded to this accusation to the Sunday Times Editor, parts of which I quote below:
“The story that I did not leave behind the keys for my successor to occupy the Official Residence in Geneva is an outright lie. Had your journalist taken the trouble to verify the facts with the Ministry of External Affairs, you would have known that the Ministry had granted me time until 24th July to pack my heavy luggage and then proceed to Colombo. My successor, who received his transfer order at the same time that I did, was given time until 10th August to pack his heavy luggage, and vacate the Residence in Brussels for his successor.
There are procedures about moving to ensure that Government funds are not misused, so sufficient time has to be given for the move from one station to another. Procedures require three quotations to be submitted for Ministry approval, after which the selected company is contacted and a date fixed for packing and removal of the heavy luggage. It is normal diplomatic practice for an envoy to arrive at a new posting only after the predecessor has vacated the Residence! When I was transferred to Geneva last year, I was instructed to arrive only after my predecessor had left. I suppose this is true for all Government servants on transfer. However, in a departure from normal practice, my successor was asked to arrive in Geneva before my departure, whereas his successor was asked to move to Brussels only after his departure! How can I be accused of refusing to give the key to a Residence that I was clearly authorized to occupy and was still occupying at the time of his arrival?”
The simultaneity of such defamatory articles published against me in different newspapers demonstrates the deliberate character of this smear campaign. I would, therefore, ask you correct this defamatory falsehoods that are aimed at undermining my honesty and integrity, publish this right of reply and apologise.
CT Diplomatic Correspondent’s Note:
Ambassador Kunanayakam challenges two points of the news story. Colombo Telegraph stands by its story and reiterates the refusal by the Ministry of External Affairs to bear the cost for Ms. Kunanayakam attending any UN working group sessions to which she has been appointed in her previous capacity as Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva. A decision regarding this matter has been made at the Ministry of External Affairs, although the communications to this effect may not yet have reached her.
With regard to the aspect of the story pertaining to her successor having to be provided accommodation at a hotel in Geneva at state expense, Colombo Telegraph would raise the following in public interest, while reiterating that at no point, was this news story aimed at defamation or character assassination at Ms. Kunanayakam or any other official:
1.Geneva is a critical diplomatic station and currently in the eye of the storm in terms of Sri Lanka’s international challenges, with preparations currently underway for the Universal Periodic Review. It is perhaps Sri Lanka’s most crucial diplomatic battleground at this juncture.
2. Ravinatha Ariyasinha was transferred to Geneva from Brussels at short notice, with an appointment commencing July 1, 2012, and was expected to take up the challenges at the UNHRC immediately.
3. Ambassador Kunanayakam has been on vacation leave for several weeks and has not functioned in the capacity of PR/UN in Geneva, with crucial matters pertaining to the Geneva mission at this critical time being attended to by Deputy Head of Mission Manisha Gunesekera.
4. At this time, the question that needs to be raised is rather than the technicalities about which ambassador arrived prematurely (although the proof of Ambassador Ariyasinha’s appointment date suggests otherwise) and heavy baggage issues, but whether it is in Sri Lanka’s best interest that official duties of the present head of mission in Geneva should be hindered in any way.
Related posts;
Tamara Digs In Her Heels: Ministry And Political Appointees Still On Collision Course
gamini / July 25, 2012
The man who climbed the ‘Kithul Tree’ also claimed that he had been falsely accused and his character smeared.
/
Dodo / July 25, 2012
Tamara should stop whining about being victimized and find another job! Perhaps she is unemployable with all the baggage and hence she is rather shameless – in her desperation to hold mr’s hand and stay on in a foreign service that clearly would like to get rid of her and give her no pleasure.
/
Donald J Gnanakone / July 25, 2012
@CT. Nobody has attacked her honesty or integrity. Everybody was questioning how she endeared a racist-chauvinist regime and President to get the diplomatic appointment from total obscurity even among the Tamils as well as the local Europeans.
Tamara is a local Geneva resident, and has no heavy packages to ship to Sri Lanka, unless she was like that Singhalese Ambassador in Japan who stole the landlord’s piano and shipped it to Colombo with paintings. But she is correct that she was given time from the foreign ministry and she is well within her rights to stay at her residence. If she is entitled for annual leave and vacation, she should be able to enjoy that too.
When Tamara accepted public office and diplomatic appointment even to an unimportant little country Cuba, the rumors which were well locked up in the Pandora’s box was coming out. When she was appointed as PR to the UN to defend and lobby the war crimes and crimes against humanity the Rajapakse regimes were accused of she came into real focus, especially by the 1 million diaspora.
Then she became the “little Kadirgamar” and that she is related to the Kadirgamars by marriage through her father’s younger brother was another matter.
She simply flew into the eye of the storm, and find it difficult to defend her character as a woman. Give her credit, she has been well rewarded and still holds on to her diplomatic appointment as long as her lonely friend in Sri Lanka is President almighty. She also used her Tamil card to lobby against the Tamils, and lobby for the Rajapakses lies of zero Tamil civilian casualty. There she crossed the line, as a Tamil and earned their wrath for eternity.
Now she has become a good example of the Rajapakse’s practice of the “Condom Theory”. Use and throw. It all goes back to Rajapakse the Banda coming to town in 1989 to Geneva.
/
David Blacker / July 25, 2012
What about your insinuation here on CT, Donald, that she had performed sexual favours for Mahinda? What were you questioning there?
/
Vasu / July 26, 2012
This is not a question of diesel for a motor, more intact to use diesel.
/
Donald J Gnanakone / July 26, 2012
@David. Let Tamara and Mahinda answer those questions.
If the cap fits them let them put it on.
If you are insinuating “sex” that is Mahinda’s problem with first lady Shiranthi. Not my problem.
I have some personal issues right now and have been quiet and will be off for some time as I grieve.
/
David Blacker / July 31, 2012
Yes I understand you have personal issues — that’s quite clear — but my point is why you were slandering a woman by suggesting she was sexually involved with MR. Have you any proof of that? If not, why are you spreading innuendo? It’s not a case of the cap fitting — you specifically accused them of this.
/
gamini / July 27, 2012
David there is nothing to insinuate. The igniting was done by them, MR and Tamara in the cold weather to keep warm. Why are you getting disturbed? I know Tamara would have cursed if MR was in your shoes. What to do, napuru kalata?
/
David Blacker / July 31, 2012
Yes, Gamini, I guess in the “evening of your years” such fantasies must be the only thing left to you to stay warm, eh :D I was just pointing out what an unfortunate product you are of your claimed school and aristocratic line. Good thing you’re anonymous — your family would be ashamed of having someone like you for a father or grandfather.
/
gamini / July 31, 2012
David have you not heard, old fiddles play best? In your case you would not know as you are single. I do not live on fantasising, but really live it. On what basis are you measuring that I am an unfortunate product, while you believe you are fortunate. I wonder! However I would have been very unfortunate indeed, had I to father a product as yourself.
/
David Blacker / August 6, 2012
It is unfortunate for us that you were produced, Gamini; given your uncouth behaviour. Yes, I’m sure you harbour many fantasies on fathering :D
/
gamini / August 7, 2012
David for your information, I do not have fantasies on fathering illegitimate bastards as I have legitimately produced a son who is a well known figure.
/
Peter Casie Chetty / July 26, 2012
What will you do you clown if you were offered a proper job? [Edited out]Ah Thambi you have to wipe the slate clean before you can get anywhere… even as a diplomat for the Global Tamil Forum. See you at the Protest… the Olympic Games I mean. Fredrica will be there in a clean pair of running shorts as well I am sure!
Part of this comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/
In short:
• If you act with maturity and consideration for other users, you should have no problems.
• Don’t be unpleasant. Demonstrate and share the intelligence, wisdom and humour we know you possess.
• Take some responsibility for the quality of the conversations in which you’re participating. Help make this an intelligent place for discussion and it will be.
/
Kumar / July 26, 2012
You Kasi (Casie) glad to you worried these affairs once more,
Who are you worried about neither Donald nor Tamara.
You are government pupet and live on there expenses,
whatever any government does is marvellous for you.
You are neither independent nor qualified talk about these affairs.
/
Vasu / July 26, 2012
Our Casie Chetty, our copy and paste sinhalese prominent trash, is not ready to tell his real name. He can polish his identity with a tamil prominent name.
/
Jay Ranaweera / July 27, 2012
Gnanakoon, How dare you accuse this Govt as ” a racist-chauvinist regime and President to get the diplomatic appointment from total obscurity even among the Tamils as well as the local Europeans.”
If I can remember well, U R the idiot who tried to dupe President MR in order to get LTTE MURDERER SAVED FROM HIS DEATH!!!
So stop this BLATANT ACCUSSATIONS AGAINST AN HONOURABLE PRESIDENT-THE FIRST PRESIDENT IN THE WORLD TO DEFEAT A MURDERERS TERRORISTS,LTTE FROM SRI LANKAN SOIL!!!
/
Rama / July 27, 2012
war criminal should be put to death.
/
T.Ramanathan - Toronto / July 27, 2012
WAR CRIMMINALS SHOULD BE STONED TO DEATH.
/
Raja / July 28, 2012
Rama, you mean war criminals Prabakaran and gang? They are already dead, if that makes you happy.
/
Jegan / July 28, 2012
Oh Raja, lets forget the sacrifice of our soldiers shall we.Die hard Mahinda fans talk of “political leadership” he gave in war, see non of his leadership got LTTE ban or destroy LTTE supplies or split LTTE, it was all the work of Ranil and Chandrika, he was just a proxy, even he told on NDTV, “I fought India’s war”, it was India that took all diplomatic pressure on srilanka on its shoulders, then again die hard fanatic like you act sleeping, impossible to wake you.
/
Kotawa / August 9, 2012
Jay Ranaweera,
You know that this President of yours had to bribe VP to get Tamils boycott the election, inorder to become “President”.
Still you call him:HONOURABLE”!
You belong to the few who worship him, to get rewards.
/
Raja / July 28, 2012
This is a discraceful insunation against Tamara by Gnanakone, clearly exhibiting his own values and inability to enter into a productive and civilised debate. As for the response by the Colombo Telegraph to Tamara’s challenge, it is quite obvious the CT is trying to wriggle out of a mess they created for themselves. From what I hear, I woder whether any comment not favourable to the CT and their supporters in this website will be published for readers to see.
/
gamini / July 28, 2012
Raja, you have been proved wrong as your comment is published. You talking of civilised debate and on the other hand prop uncivilised Rajapaksas who openly display their low breeding and character, it is not CT that is trying to wriggle out, but you apologists.
/
Jegan / July 28, 2012
Raja,
Lankaweb.com which you are fond of follows the same trend, never publishes any comment that goes against their sinhala chauvinist thoughts.
/
Ranjan B / July 25, 2012
She should explain why she’s accepting ANOTHER dpl position after saying in her leaked letter that she intends not to accept any other appointments for the sri lankan government. Thamara has lost all credibility. She should have taken up a UN job and kept her dignity.
/
Gowrie / July 25, 2012
Hey Tamara!
Do you want to sue someone? Why not sue your boss and still show up for work, huh? “Undermining my honesty and integrity”..I don’t think you have the foggiest idea what honesty and integrity means..Why don’t you, Madam Ambassador, pick up the “Oxford” dictionary and look for the REAL meaning of it? Then decide whether you deserve to sue CT or anyone else for that matter. The purpose of suing someone is to decide if anyone is at fault.Tort law sets standards for our behaviour and provides remedies if we do not meet those standards. It imposes on each member of society the duty to take reasonable care to avoid causing harm to others. It provides legal recourse to those who suffer harm as a result of the breach of this duty. Now, Madam Ambassador, can you tell me who suffered here by the action of your boss and your attempts to cover up a genocide? Who do you think that should be sued here? Sitting in UN and talking like an “electronic parrot”, I mean repeating everything Gota says “zero casualties”.. Madam!talking about casualties, can you add another 150,00 in front of your “zero”. Aren’t you ashamed Thamarai? By the way, are you Tamara or Thamarai?
/
Reader / July 25, 2012
As a Sri Lankan all I see here is all the blunder done…and still continuing to do by the GOSL at a heavy cost to our foreign policy and foreign exchange.Simply changing the coat will not cure the patient.This is like passing the stone from hand to hand.Finally justice has to prevail whatever dragging the govt. does.
/
Anti-Boru / July 26, 2012
NOBODY has to defame this woman. Her actions have spoken far louder than her words, David Blacker, that apologist for treating the bodies of dead Tamil women like firewood, notwithstanding!
/
Nadesan / July 26, 2012
Tamara
We though you are reall proved Lankan.
Its so shame to see you back as the Ambassador in Cuba.
Now you accepted that you are inefficient Ambassador who became an Ambassador through back-door.
Shame on you Tamara.
We dont think any person with Singhalese or Tamil blood will go away from their prestigeious stand.
You lost everything – self-resespect, proud, dignity.
Sorry to say, now you are NOTHING.
/
T.George - UK / July 27, 2012
The Sri Lankans knows that Tamara helped Mahinda giving him board and lodging in Geneva when he faced real danger for his life from the UNP Govt.
/
raymond / July 27, 2012
Did she help him with his biological needs??
/
Jegan / July 28, 2012
Or Hormonal needs?If you know what I mean.
/
T.George - UK / July 27, 2012
Biological needs! [Edited out]
/
T.Ramanathan - Toronto / July 27, 2012
Tamara cannot Read, Write or Speak Tamil or Sinhalese.
/
Rama / July 27, 2012
so what can she speak. could it be swahili.
/
T.Ramanathan - Toronto / July 27, 2012
Tamara cannot speak,Read or write Tamil but she says she was discriminated because she is a Tamil.
/
gamini / July 29, 2012
T. Ramanathan Tamara need not know Tamil, Sinhalese or any other Language as long as every Human understand the Common Language, to communicate in the most pleasurable way. Don’t you think so?
/
rondaMegan / July 27, 2012
Tamara,
A Hero to Geero!!!
Don’t just sit there and count your misery.
After all you deserve it. It has bit your ego so hard. Keep on lying to the world community about the War-human rights.
You have nothing upstairs. McDonald’s is always hiring.
Get a life!!
/
Rama / July 27, 2012
tamara, we tamils couldn’t give a monkey about what happened to you. . you were defending war criminals and murderers of innocent tamils. you desrve what you got. end of story.
/
Naga Ramalingam / July 27, 2012
Influence peddling in diplomatic postings is a curse to SL. Recently Frederica Crusz has lobbied for a diplomatic post from the President. Dr.Peiris is a law professor, but not an efficient FM, he has messed up in Tamara’s case. Eceryone appreciated the hard work of Tamara during the crisis at UN, she defended SL excellently. Alas, it did not help her retain the position. Ravinatha Ariyasinghe seemd to be the pet for the time being. Definitely GOSL has proved that N0.1 requirement for a diplomatic posting in Geneva is to be a Sinhalese first. MR beware! world is watching how you are treating a diplomat, and above all how you are treating a Tamil.
/
Ramasamy - Kandy / July 28, 2012
THANKS FOR MR AND THAMARA FOR BRINGING SRI LANKA AT THE UNHCR AND GET ACCUSED OF KILLING OVER 40,000 INNOCENT TAMIL CIVILIANS. SHAME ON YOU TAMARA FOR TOWING MR A WAR CRIMMINAL.
/
Mervyn silva / July 28, 2012
Tamara has done a good job as a diplomat. She has the signs of becoming the next Kadiragama. Terrorist organisations like Global tamil forum is trying their best to get rid of here.
/
ponseka / July 28, 2012
What a joke ??? She was the pin up girl for the Rajapakayas !!! Sri Lanka did not the LTTE on thier own they had the support of the squint eyed yellow aliens and the malayalees !!
/
Nadesan / July 28, 2012
Come on Thamarai,
You took a short cut for quick glory and now crying of losing your self respect. Your alleged self respect is no more and more importantly you don’t deserve one. You are a shame. You are an opportunist and it is an irony that you are also in some way connected to well known late Kathirgamar who metamorphosed through various stages until he died as a virtual Sinhala Buddist. It was unfortunate that he died before achieving his final destination.
In your case you are still riding, and you are back in Cuba, and the way you were crooning I thought that you will never go there but alas it was not the case. You only needed time to pack your bags to go there.
I even heard at the UN session that you did not have a chair to sit in one of the sessions! Yet you were clinging on. You were only faithful in repeating what you were paid to do, but never cared to speak about the truth in an important forum like the UN Human Right Council. For you, faithfulness for the back door admission that you had, is more important than being a goodwill ambassador and to be truthful in a Human Right forum!
Shame on you lady. Do we really need to survive like that? Thamarai is a flower well revered by Hindus and Buddists and it is a legend that Godesses Saraswathi and Luxmy sit on Thamarai flower. But you have changed it to Tamara like Kadirgamar in an attempt to hide your origin. But yet things did not work out so well for you as expected. But you will be remembered for a long time to come! May God give you better wisdom.
/
Raja / July 28, 2012
Tamara, the venom and the low grade insinuations directed at you by some of these no hopers, in itself proves they fear that your commitment and ability could very well help SriLanka to expose Tiger propogandists and other hostile forces holding positions on various foreign organisations and the UN. Just ignore them and work even harder to demolish their plan to silence you.
Like Lord Buddha once told when he was abused, just tell them that you do not accept their abuse, and they can take their abuse back with them.
/
gamini / July 28, 2012
Another like MR, trying for accomodation at Tamara’s, praising her. Good Luck Raja!
/
Jayraj / July 28, 2012
To all who made comments about Tamara taking up the post as Ambassador for Cuba. She has still not taken it.
/
Nadesan / July 28, 2012
Like Lord Buddha once told when he was abused, just tell them that you do not accept their abuse, and they can take their abuse back with them.
Raja,
The above may be tare blaming Tiger supporters for condemning this lady Tamara and ask her to continue with her good work.What good work, you are talking of? You may be aware that when Tamils were physically abused from 1956 and when they accepted the blows and cried in silence what happened, absolutely nothing. Only the intensity of violence increased.
Unfortunately LTTE came into the scene and refused to accept the blows and started giving back the blows, then Tamils overnight became terrorists. Even people who expressed saner views were branded as Tigers or Tiger supporters or even Sinhala Kottiyas.
This is why I said that unfortunately Buddha’s wisdom is not working today. This lady Tamara is making a living, fair enough, but to accept respect she has to at least speak the truth.
/
Raja / July 28, 2012
I lived for long periods both in the West and East of SriLanka. I had Many Tamil friends whom I in fact offered help by way of offering safe acommodation at my place in Colombo, if they felt threatened by any Sinhala goon. Similarly in the East the Tamil goons were targeting the Sinhalese and my Tamil friends were helpful by advising us to get out from the East in time. But for many sinhala families it was too late. So,during these meaningless communal riots which were good only for the looters, not only the Tamils suffered, as you try to portray. However, the biggest killers of Tamils for the logest period in recent times were the Tamil Tigers and the biggest killings of Sinhalese took place during the JVP insurrection, mainly by the armed forces, which at the time had members from all communities, including burghers. So any armed struggle would only lead to misery to all irrespective of their ethnicity. Our goal should be not to exagerate the truth but promote a just society for all and not blame each other for the cowardly acts of violent groups. This is why I support people like Tamara Kunanayakam who try to help SriLanka to move forward as one nation.
/
prasad abeysinghe - Sydney / July 29, 2012
Tamara’s response to the Sunday Times has met with an intersting response by one James Banda…
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120729/columns/rajapaksa-bombshell-more-unpers-will-cross-over-but-jayasekera-mystery-continues-7468.html
Jamis Banda adds:
The sources I rely on have no mud to sling but only embarrassing facts to throw. They hurt no doubt. She talks of “journalist taking the trouble” to contact her. Intriguing enough, every time the Sunday Times tried to reach her, either by e-mail or telephone, it has proved futile. E-mails are not answered. Phone calls, answered by a male voice, have directed us either to her office or home only to be told “she is not in.” That is from a Sri Lankan head of mission sustained by the Sri Lankan taxpayer’s money.
Now, to the issue at dispute. To use Ms. Kunanayakam’s own words: “�..I was instructed to arrive only after my predecessor had left. I suppose this is true for all Government servants on transfer. However, in a departure from normal practice, my successor was asked to arrive in Geneva before my departure, whereas his successor was asked to move to Brussels only after his departure! How can I be accused of refusing to give the key to a Residence that I was clearly authorised to occupy and was still occupying at the time of his arrival?”
This leaves many questions unanswered though Ms. Kunanayakam says there was no need for her to hand over the keys. Who asked her successor to arrive in Geneva before her departure? She is now trying to blame the External Affairs Ministry again for sending her successor to Geneva before she packed her bags and left.
Had she just left for Havana on transfer without first riding the moral high horse and all that public posturing about her refusal to accept the transfer, and eventually eating humble pie by going to the Cuban capital, much of this could have easily be avoided. Prima Donna hopefuls must know when they have fallen from grace, surely.
/
Merril / July 30, 2012
We can disagree with her in a civilized way, Tamara is entitled to have her own opinion and freedom. Many of these attacks are disturbing, without justice, fairness and freedom there is no hope for a future.
/
DAS / August 8, 2012
Tamara,in 1987,as a member/interventionist of the World Christian Students Federation,at the UNHRC’s Periodic Review, severely criticised the human rights violations in sri lanka.
In her new Avatar, as a sri lankan diplomat, she appears to be learning the true form of the sri lankan state.
Well, all of us live and learn every day.
She will now no doubt be teaching the ‘truth’ about the glorious humane sri lanka government,to Fidel & Raul Castro.
/
Senguttuvan / August 9, 2012
Looks like while the expected role of diplomats is to narrow
the problems of the country they represent, Tamara K keeps increasing her personal and official problems. Her initial mistake was to join the ara-Soysas and “hit” America and the West before the UNHRC vote.
That was a time when the Rajapakses were assured by their kusu-kusu gang everything is going their way – until they got their noses bloodied. She sent out a Circular to all UNHRC members directed against the USA. She got some diracha-lanu from some of her backers in the diplomatic circuit, who themselves earned a reputation as trouble makers – not an asset in the diplomatic world. And now her patrons and her friends have almost jettisoned her. She sulks as a wall-flower – in some way. This is one further reason there is no substitute for a trained, experienced, well-connected career diplomat to lead Sri Lanka’s cause.
Certainly, like in most cases. there are exceptions – such as what Mangala Moonesinghe so ably turned out to be.
Her case is best described in Tamil “arasani nambi purushanai vitten.
Ippo arasanum illai purushanum illai” (roughly translated – I left my husband trusting the King. Now I have lost both my husband and my King)
No point in blaming CT for all your self-inflicted wounds, dear girlie.
Senguttuvan
/
American Lanka Lover / August 10, 2012
Dear Lady do not fret as the defeated defame all except their fallen “heroes”. Any Tamil that dares “collaborate” with GOSL is smeared or killed. I DO hope you have ample security as they are desperate to silence any voice, particular one of their own, that deviates from the LTTE dogma of never ending war in the quest for Eelam.
/