Avishka Mario Senevratne in Facebook, April 2026, where the title runs thus: “When an imposter took the UN by storm as Sri Lanka’s “Foreign Minister.”
In one of the most audacious episodes to occur at the United Nations General Assembly, a man briefly took the world stage under false identity. On 5 October 1978, during a packed session attended by thousands of global leaders, Krishna Vaikunthavasan rose from among the delegates and impersonated Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, A. C. S. Hameed. He walked up to the podium after being mistakenly recognized by the Assembly’s chair and began delivering a speech intended to draw attention to the alleged Tamil Eelam cause. For a few tense moments, the hall listened, unaware of the deception….
The act was swiftly uncovered. Officials cut his microphone and removed him unceremoniously from the chamber. Shortly after, the real Hameed, looking amused, took the stage to sustained applause, restoring order to what had become a brief but striking breach of diplomatic protocol.
Though not shown in the clip Hameed started his speech saying: Mr President I want to thank the previous speaker for keeping his speech short.” The house erupted with laughter.
Video courtesy: AP Archive
Video of speech at https://x.com/i/status/1890350453755416843
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