A special interview held by the Jaffna Monitor idscussing political opinions based on the current parliament

In his first interview for public television in Sri Lanka upon his return to the country after his stint as Ambassador to France and UNESCO in Paris, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka talked about a number of issues related to governance, foreign policy, devolution, the growing Islamophobia in the country, his work with youth and the critique that he is “a skilful, eloquent, erudite proponent… of the status quo”.

In the aftermath of the victory over the LTTE the Sri Lankan state at its highest level did not subscribe to the absurd doctrine that there was no further need for a political settlement or solution because there was no longer a problem.

On this program Sanjana Hattotuwa talks to Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to United Nations in Geneva.The series that gives you insights on Peace and Politics; Business and Development; Society and the

Recorded on 31st July 2009, this was the first interview on video given by Dayan Jayatilleka after he was asked to quit his position as Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva.

Going into the reasons behind his sudden sacking, the interview interrogates his most contentious submissions regarding the 13th Amendment, his take on the current Presidency and future prospects for peace in Sri Lanka, key memories of his sojourn in Geneva including the epic Human Rights Council sessions and other issues related to politics and democracy.

I also ventured to ask some impertinent questions about his love life, given that for the duration of the interview, he was flanked by his wife Sanja.

Watch Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka‘s first video interview, conducted over Skype, after presenting his credentials as Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland on 6th June 2007.

Topics discussed in our interview ranged from future scenarios arising from the capture of Killinochchi last week and media freedom to international relations and the timbre of democratic governance in Sri Lanka today. You can download the video in full here.

After being recalled from Geneva weeks after he steered Sri Lanka to a historic victory at the 11th Special Session of the UNHRC in May 2009, titled “Out in the Wilderness: Dayan Jayatilleka on 13th Amendment and getting sacked by Boggles”

Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka participated as a panellist at the international conference on "21stCentury, Towards the New Humanism" at the Russian Centre for Science and Culture.

The event gathered dignitaries as well as Russian and French scholars and researchers.