Diplomats paint a one-sided picture of Sri Lanka

In the end, every member state of the Commonwealth makes its own sovereign decisions, but membership in the Commonwealth is not permanent or unconditional for any member. It is tied to a basic respect for the core Commonwealth principles and values. The consistent and serious violation of these could well result in a country’s membership being questioned.”

In early December the Indian newspaper, The Hindu, said that, “Just 19 months after Bandaranayake was appointed…the fate of the 43rd Chief Justice appeared to have been sealed following a ruling she gave to a Bill introduced in Parliament by the Economic Development Minister, Basil Rajapakse, one of the many presidential siblings controlling the levers of power…In early November, when 117 government parliamentarians handed over an impeachment motion against the Chief Justice to the Speaker of the legislature (Chamal Rajapaksa, another sibling), the process that followed affirmed how heavy were the odds stacked against Bandaranayake.”

The Hindu noted that such was the haste to impeach that due process and legal consistency had been given the flick and the government controlled media led by the Daily News had already judged the Chief Justice guilty.

Jayasekara seeks to deceive because, with hubris and ignorance, he thinks we know little beyond what he writes. He should take pause and think again.