Missing Kadir

Tomorrow, 12 August marks the death anniversary of Sri Lanka’s much respected former Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar. He was slain by a terrorist at his official residence in Colombo, 17 years ago.  Much has been written about the late Kadirgamar and his service to Sri Lanka. Some have lionised him in death while others have romanticised him beyond the imperfect Politician, Foreign Minister and man he was. This however is a lament over the state of foreign affairs and the professional foreign service he strived so hard to achieve, both of which lie in ruins after years of rampant politicisation, neglect and intentional harm.  

Accepting the invitation to become Foreign Minister in the Chandrika Kumaratunga Government of 1994 at the age of 62, he inherited a diplomatic establishment in shambles. Between the 1983 anti-Tamil program and the brutal crushing of a southern insurgency, the Sri Lankan State ranked among the worst human rights violators of the world. Until the Second Republican Constitution in 1978, the portfolio of foreign affairs, along with defence, was the exclusive domain of the Prime Minister. Kadirgamar’s predecessors since 1978 treated the Foreign Ministry like their private fiefdom, recruiting friends and relatives, mostly based on political considerations and merrily globetrotting at the expense of the taxpayer.  

Believing that ‘the image is a reflection of reality,’ Kadirgamar did not merely attempt to change perceptions about Sri Lanka through propaganda. Instead, he genuinely attempted and often succeeded, in changing realities on the ground. Even amid an escalating war, he pushed for human rights and humanitarian law training for the military and adherence to these standards. It was with unique eloquence and remarkable foresight that he spoke of post-war peace at the height of the war. He was certain that the day would come when the war would end, but he was also keenly aware that winning the peace with minority communities would be harder.

One of Minister Kadirgamar’s most enduring legacies were the reforms he put in place at the Foreign Ministry, especially with recruitment and attempts at establishing a Professional Diplomatic Corps. The coveted Sri Lanka Foreign Service which had been the domain of a few, based on political patronage, was opened to all through an island-wide competitive process.  These recruits were given opportunities to shine and hone their professional skills required for successful diplomacy. Regular recruitment ensured a steady flow of new blood into the system. Kadirgamar’s reforms at the Ministry included necessary investments in career advancement of the professional diplomatic cadre. As a result, a SLFS officer must today be fluent in the two national languages, Sinhala and Tamil, while being competent in English and at least one other international language. As a minimum requirement, each SLFS officer must obtain a master’s degree in international relations or a related subject before he or she completes 10 years in the service. Furthermore, in a changing world of global diplomacy, modern day career diplomats must be equipped with negotiation, communication and inter-personal skills in addition to the basic requirements.

Today, the institution Kadirgamar most cherished, believed and invested in – the professional diplomatic service lies in great peril. A batch of career foreign service officers have not been recruited since 2018. Instead, children of politicians, from all shades of the political spectrum have been given plumb diplomatic positions. The militarisation that was taken to another level by the previous administration continues unabated and several more Military personnel are to be dispatched as heads of mission soon. An alleged executioner and member of a Paramilitary Organisation during the 1980s remains Sri Lanka’s envoy to the UN in Geneva, while a disgraced Chief Justice holds that post in New York. There has been hardly any investment to add value to career diplomats who now lag significantly behind their foreign counterparts in skills, competence and sadly even knowledge of international relations. Both the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute and the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute remain underutilised with neither delivering on their stated aims of strategic international studies or training diplomats.

Once institutions such as the professional diplomatic service are destroyed, there is little that can be done to resurrect them. The legacy of Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka’s greatest Foreign Minister is now limited to memory.