The pawns in international disputes

The pawns in international disputes

What has happened?

Among the many hazards that diplomats face today, the most ancient one is expulsion, also known as declaration of a diplomat as persona non grata. It is the most effective bloodless punishment as the person concerned is removed lock, stock, and barrel from the scene, never to return

Current event

The recent coordinated expulsion of over 100 Russian diplomats by more than 20 countries is huge even by the standards of the coldest days of the Cold War

Austria didn’t expel diplomats

• Austria did not join some of the other EU members to expel Russian diplomats because it felt that communication channels should be kept open, particularly during crisis
• For U.K., the Austrian decision was unfriendly as it revealed the chinks in the European armour
• Russia gloated over the fact that a majority of nations in the world, including China and India, wanted concrete evidence about Russian complicity.

India’s stand

India takes recourse to expulsion of diplomats only in extreme circumstances when it has clear evidence of wrongdoing

Instances involving India

• With Russia: India has expelled Soviet diplomats even during the heyday of India-Soviet friendship. In retaliation, Moscow had technically expelled Indian diplomats, who were already under orders of transfer from Moscow
• With Fiji: After a military coup in Fiji ousted a Fiji-Indian dominated government in 1987 and changed the Constitution which effectively disenfranchised Fiji Indians.

Analysis: Shooting the messenger

In modern times, expelling diplomats has become the instrument of weak nations to show displeasure to stronger ones even at the risk of facing retribution

Example:Nauru, a little island nation in the Pacific, once expelled the only resident envoy of Australia over a petty quarrel, but restored its vital link in a short time

Emergence of a new Cold War

• The expulsion of Russian diplomats should be seen as part of the emergence of a new Cold War, resulting from the assertive policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the aggressive posture of Mr. Trump and his love-hate relationship with Russia

Least disruptive but disturbs personal lives of diplomats

Among the many diplomatic devices countries possess to express outrage, expulsion is the least disruptive, though it plays havoc with the lives of diplomats and their families.