By Marlon Dale Ferreira –
Marlon Dale Ferreira
The Honorable Ms.Julie Chung
Ambassador of the United States of America
The Embassy of the United States of America
Colombo
Sri Lanka
11th July 2022
Your Message Will Live On Forever
Dear Madame Ambassador Chung,
Ayubowan!
The 9th of July 2022 has now become a historic day in the annals of Sri Lanka’s history with protesters breaching all security defenses and taking control over the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat and also the Prime Minister’s official residence at Temple Trees in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
I am sure that whilst being the current Ambassador of the United States of America in Sri Lanka, these unforgettable series of events that took place, will be etched in your memory as significant moments in your entire professional diplomatic career.
On the evening of the very same day the 9th of July 2022, my wife and I decided to travel to the President’s House and see for ourselves as to what had taken place a few hours earlier.
Once we reached the President’s House and went inside, we saw a priceless piece of history thrown on the floor.
It was the Visitors Book, where Heads of State and also Ambassadors such as yourself had scripted beautiful handwritten messages and had personally autographed its pages.
I instantly told my wife to pick it up and hand this priceless piece of state property to a Sri Lanka Army Officer who was standing nearby and informed him to ensure that this Visitors Book be kept safe.
We were happy that he obliged and gladly handed it to his care.
However, prior to handing it over to him, we did take a picture of your photograph that was inside the book, along with your beautiful handwritten message. We also filmed it on our phones, which also captured the crowds that had gathered inside the Presidential Palace.
The reason we took these pictures is, if in the event this Visitors Book happens to get lost in transit, your beautiful message will forever be preserved, just the very same way you had scripted it.
Your message reads as follows:
“It is truly an honor to serve as the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka at this juncture for both of our countries and the entire Indo Pacific region.Together we can use this time to build upon the seven decades of trust and partnership between our great nations, and together we can address the many unique challenges of this era.
I look forward to working with you and the people of Sri Lanka to strengthen democracy, increase prosperity, and ensure a healthy, connected and secure future for all.”
There were certain key attributes in your last sentence such as “strengthen democracy, increase prosperity, ensure a healthy, connected and secure future for all”, that really touched me as a citizen of Sri Lanka.
This is, as it provides much hope to us as a nation that has been battered and bruised after tumultus years of uprisings, a 26 year old brutal civil war, natural disasters such as a Tsunami, frequent earth slips and floods, a Covid-19 pandemic, the worst socio-economic crisis that has plummeted our country into bankruptcy and finally a political crisis to hit this nation, as never seen before since gaining Independence in 1948.
I am confident and also hopeful that your message will soon spring into action, that will help us heal as we rebuild.
My sincere best wish is that your tenure as the US Amabassador to Sri Lanka will be spent with much joy and that you will evetually take back the happiest and fondest of memories, of the time spent in this our paradise isle.
Kind regards
Marlon Dale Ferreira
Hon.PDC (EIU) Paris, France
chiv / July 11, 2022
Over to Godwin Constantine , Doctorate and few stereo types of his ilk.
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Dinuk / July 12, 2022
The US ambasador and Govt. should stop MILITARIZING the Indian Ocean and world to back to USA to the Pacific Ocean.We see through the empty words and debt trap dollar diplomacy and the cyber, air sea blockade on Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocea to prevent oil and gas from Russia at discount prices arriving in the country to save Sri Lanka.!
Please leave the Indian Ocean to the Asian Peoples.. F-off and take your QUAD and 750 military bases too!
There is no such thing as the Indo_Pacific! America’ sfree and open Ind-Pacific is a myth to promote the US military business industry in the region.
Sri Lanka is suffering from the Weaponization of the US dollar. IMF bullshit to bailout Black Rock and Adani and QUAD cyberwar. Enough is enough- just F-off!
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Champa / July 11, 2022
The US Ambassador for Sri Lanka should be declared persona non grata and expelled from the country for aiding, abetting and funding for the removal of democratically elected President of Sri Lanka through harassment, intimidation and threats.
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SJ / July 12, 2022
C
The US has been supportive of the GR government unlike in the case of the the MR government which it helped to brig down.
The US is in the habit of meddling in internal affairs of other countries for two centuries now, a whole century earlier than when it became an imperialist power.
It recommended RW for the job.
The ambassador even said that US assistance is given to countries regardless of who rules. Nice to hear that, and I dearly wish that it will be the policy with all of Latin America.
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Rajash / July 12, 2022
I dont think Gota understood the message couched in diplomatic language. He would have taken it as an endorsement of his presidency.
when you look at the social media images of the presidential palace, the luxury, he glamour.
Compare this to his office as gas station attendant in the US.
He meets with these Ambassadors and tweet “I had a productive meeting …bilateral…bla bla”
No wonder he wants to hang on at any cost
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