Sri Lanka has accused the diplomatic community in Colombo of lacking in objectivity.
Following an incident of protesters disrupting a meeting between some Colombo-based diplomats and relatives of disappeared persons, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday night that while it recognised the fundamental right to freedom of assembly and expression, “a certain section of the diplomatic corps appears to be involved in a manner lacking in objectivity, in events organised for a particular region and community.”
On Monday, an angry mob, including some Buddhist monks, stormed the meeting venue shouting hateful slogans, making unfounded accusations, and behaving threateningly towards the families of the disappeared, according to the U.S. embassy statement released here.
However suggesting that diplomats stay out of such developments, the Foreign Ministry urged the diplomatic community “to be more conscious of local sensitivities when attending events of an emotive nature.”
Queried on the incident, Sri Lanka’s police spokesperson Ajith Rohana said both sides were being summoned for investigations.
