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British visa: Mangala not fingerprinted
The British High Commission has finally issued a visa for former minister and SLFP MP Mangala Samaraweera to visit London after he was interviewed for two hours.
His secretary Ananda Dharmasiri, however, said the MP did not have to submit to what is widely seen as the indignity of being fingerprinted.

As reported in The Sunday Times, the High Commission had delayed the issue of the visa to Mr. Samaraweera and wanted him to come to the mission personally.

Mr. Samaraweera said he had gone to Britain several times but never had he been asked to come to the High Commission personally to obtain the visa, with his officials getting it for him.

The new move to summon the Sri Lankan MP to the High Commission coincided with Mr. Samaraweera's petition to the Supreme Court claiming that the government's decision to allow Britain to fingerprint Sri Lankans seeking visas to visit that country was a violation of their fundamental rights.

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