London mission in webinar link-up with expats to promote Lanka’s interests

By Neville de Silva in London

The Sri Lanka High Commission went hi-tec last Friday when it held a 'webinar' to bring the mission and the UK-based Sri Lankan associations together for an exchange of views on  promoting their home country and what more they could jointly do for Sri Lanka. Among  the participants was the Ven Bogoda Seelawimala Nayaka Thero, head priest of the London Buddhist Vihara and the current Chief Sangha Nayaka of UK

More than 50 representatives from the three main Sri Lankan communities and a cross- section of associations participated in this first-ever gathering of this technical nature operating from home or their offices as Prime Minister Boris Johnson was pondering a national lockdown as the government battled a rising infection of Covid-19.

High Commissioner Saroja Sirisena, Deputy High Commissioner Samantha Pathirana, Minister Commercial Dr Lakmini Mendis and other diplomats related the work undertaken by the mission to help the community in various ways and promote the country's interests especially in trade and Sri Lanka as a technical hub.

The mission was also instrumental in facilitating the repatriation of large numbers of Sri Lankan students, scholarship holders, businessmen, professionals temporarily in the UK who were caught up in the corona crisis and were anxious to get home.

High Commissioner Saroja Sirisena that since she assumed office she has met and tried to meet as many from the Sri Lankan community and attended many events organised by the community.

She said that since it was not possible to meet everybody and interact with them and hear their views and ideas on how to help Sri Lanka this kind of virtual meeting was helpful particularly in these difficult times.

Several participants mentioned the need for their associations and the community I general to make closer contact with British politicians at all levels- from the local councils to parliamentary level. 

Meanwhile a London-based forum has launched a petition urging the British authorities not to

permit the ban on the LTTE to be lifted following the remarks made by the Tribual that heard the submissions from a New York based Tamil organisation last month. The petition is to be presented to the Home Secretary.