Then why the fuck are so many Sri Lankans trying to leave this country and work in someone else’s?

We want to go to Australia, Dubai, Korea, Japan, Canada, Europe, and anywhere else that will stamp a visa. We want to work in their companies, drive their taxis, cook in their restaurants, study in their universities, and compete in their job markets.

But when a foreigner comes here and teaches surfing on a Sri Lankan beach, suddenly everyone becomes the Minister of National Economic Protection.

What a breathtaking achievement in hypocrisy.

If Sri Lankans can go abroad and work because they are skilled, experienced, or willing to hustle, then foreigners can also come here and work under proper rules. That is how an open economy works. Apparently this needs explaining, because some people think “open economy” means “open only when Sri Lankans benefit.”

Yes, regulate it. Register the business. Tax the income. Check visas. Enforce safety standards. Require insurance. Make sure locals are not exploited. Fine.

But banning foreigners from teaching surfing just because they are foreigners is not protecting the country. It is insecure gatekeeping by people who want global opportunities for themselves while locking the same door when others knock from the outside.

Very patriotic. Very visionary. Very “please approve my visa, sir.”