Sri Lanka’s former permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Tamara Kunanayakam said the assault of High Commissioner Chris Nonis is only one in a series of acts in a tragedy that opened in Geneva in 2009 with the same cast of villains, followed by other acts also in Geneva in 2011 and 2012, and still others played out in Rome and Paris.

In a brief comment made on the incident by email, she said, “The method they used then to disarm Sri Lanka's representatives was mobbing. And now they have advanced to physical thuggery, and these top "diplomats" continue their devastation, not only with total impunity, but enjoying high patronage, promotions, and financial advantages.

Their modus operandi may have changed, but their objective hasn’t. Their actions have always put Sri Lanka on the defensive -- in the position of the Accused. There is a striking coincidence between the defeat of the West along with the LTTE in 2009 and the beginnings of this Tragedy.

At a crucial juncture in the history of our country, when unity and cohesion are national priorities, and credibility and allies international priorities, such hooliganism on the part of Sri Lanka's top "diplomats" raises questions about the very nature of the Sri Lankan State and its state of decay,

It is urgent that the parliament, the parties that represent the people and the people themselves put an end to this public humiliation of the nation, if the country's sovereignty, independence, and dignity are to be defended.

She also said, “The questions that everyone should be asking is:  "Why now?  Why in New York? Why in the context of the UN General Assembly? Why during the Human Rights Council session in Geneva? Who benefits from the crime? What is the mission of Sri Lanka's diplomats?"