Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Media Release

Appointment of Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army

 With reference to comments that have appeared since the above appointment, the following is noted:

 • The appointment of the Army Commander of Sri Lanka is a sovereign decision by the Head of State.

 • Foreign entities trying to influence the decisions and internal administrative processes of public service promotions in Sri Lanka is unwarranted and unacceptable.

• Articulating a position of concern on this appointment by certain bilateral partners and international organizations, based on allegations, is regrettable and contrary to the principles of natural justice espoused by all responsible members of the international community.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

20 August 2019

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මාධ්‍ය නිවේදනය

ලුතිනන් ජනරාල් ශවේන්ද්‍ර සිල්වා මහතා ශ්‍රී ලංකා යුධ හමුදාපති ධූරයට පත්කිරීම

ඉහත පත්කිරීමෙන් අනතුරුව පළ වූ අදහස් දැක්වීම් සම්බන්ධයෙන් පහත කරුණු සඳහන් කරනු ලැබේ.

• ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ යුද හමුදාපතිවරයා පත් කිරීම රාජ්‍ය නායකයාගේ ස්වෛරී තීරණයකි.

• විදේශීය  පාර්ශ්වයන්  මඟින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ රාජ්‍ය සේවයේ උසස්කිරීම් පිළිබඳ තීරණ හා අභ්‍යන්තරික පරිපාලනමය ක්‍රියාවලීන්ට බලපෑම් කිරීමට උත්සාහ දැරීම යුක්ති සහගත නොවන අතර, එය පිළිගත නොහැකි ක්‍රියාවකි.

• චෝදනා මත පදනම්ව, ඇතැම් ද්විපාර්ශ්වික හවුල්කරුවන් සහ ජාත්‍යන්තර සංවිධාන විසින් මෙම පත්කිරීම සැලකිලිමත් විය යුතු තත්ත්වයක් ලෙස පෙන්වා දෙනු ලැබීම කණගාටුවට කරුණක් වන අතර, එය ජාත්‍යන්තර ප්‍රජාවේ සියලුම වගකිවයුතු සාමාජිකයින් විසින් අනුගමනය කරනු ලබන ස්වාභාවික යුක්තියේ මූලධර්මවලට පටහැනි වේ.

‍

විදේශ කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශය

කොළඹ.

2019 අගෝස්තු 20 වැනි දින 

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ஊடக வெளியீடு 

இலங்கை இராணுவத் தளபதி லெப்டினன்ட் ஜெனரல் ஷவேந்திர சில்வா அவர்களின் நியமனம் 

மேற்கண்ட நியமனத்தைத் தொடர்ந்து தோன்றிய கருத்துகள் தொடர்பில் பின்வருவன அவதானிக்கப்படுகின்றது:

• இலங்கை இராணுவத் தளபதியின் நியமனமானது அரச தலைவரின் இறையாண்மைக்குட்பட்ட தீர்மானமாகும்.

• இலங்கையில் பொதுச் சேவை பதவியுயர்வுத் தீர்மானங்கள் மற்றும் உள்ளக நிர்வாக செயன்முறைகளை பாதிக்கும் வகையிலான வெளிநாட்டு நிறுவனங்களின் முயற்சிகள் தேவையற்றவையும், ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள முடியாதவையுமாகும்.

• குற்றச்சாட்டுகளின் அடிப்படையில் சில இருதரப்பு பங்காளர்கள் மற்றும் சர்வதேச அமைப்புகளால் இந்த நியமனம் குறித்த அக்கறையுள்ளதொரு நிலையை குறிப்பிடுவது வருந்தத்தக்கதும், சர்வதேச சமூகத்தின் அனைத்துபொறுப்புள்ள உறுப்பினர்களும் முன்வைக்கும் இயற்கை நீதிக்கான கொள்கைகளுக்கு முரணானதுமாகும்.

வெளிநாட்டு அலுவல்கள் அமைச்சு, 

கொழும்பு  

2019 ஆகஸ்ட் 20

The Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Toronto, as a part of the country promotion/tourism promotion program 2019, participated in the 8^th annual One World One Family multicultural festival held in Erin, Ontario from 4 to 5 August 2019. The event showcased products, games, crafts, cultural heritages  and performances from 28 different countries around the world.

The Consulate’s participation facilitated promotion of Ceylon tea and Sri Lanka tourism by raising awareness among the participants on Sri Lanka’s rich culture, history of Ceylon tea and travel information. Ceylon Tea samples from Dimbula, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Uva, Uda Pussellawa, Ruhuna and Sabaragamuwa regions, were displayed. Hot tea from the above regions was also served to the visitors.

Read more: Sri Lanka participates in the 8th annual One World One Family multicultural festival

The First Meeting of IORA Maritime Safety and Security (MSS) Working Groupchaired by Sri Lanka and held in Colombo on 8-9 August with the participation of 22 foreign delegates representing IORA member countries and representatives of the IORA Secretariat has finalized the Work Plan for action.

Inaugurating the meeting Foreign Secretary RavinathaAryasinharecalling Sri Lanka’s role in spearheading the Indian Ocean Peace Zone proposal in 1971, said at the time few recognized the importance of the concept. He saidit was pleasing to note that times have changed. The Indian Ocean has today been acknowledged as one of the world’s busiest and most critical trade corridors, carrying two-thirds of global oil shipments and a third of bulk cargo and hosting the most critical Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs), directly impacting global trade and economy. Sri Lanka as a country central to this region, while protecting its self-interest, is keen to ensurefreedom of navigationand lines of communication, which were an essential prerequisite not only to maintaining regional security and stability, but is also crucial for the future prosperity of the region. He said “The Indian Ocean: Defining Our Future” multilateral diplomatic engagement hosted by Sri Lanka last year which brought together not only the Indian Ocean littoral states, but also its maritime users, was an expression of this commitment.

Read more: Sri Lanka led IORA Maritime Safety and Security Working Group finalizes Work Plan

The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmed Shaheed called on Minister Tilak Marapana at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, commencing his official country visit to Sri Lanka from 15- 26 August 2019.

The Special Rapporteur is undertaking this visit in response to the standing invitation extended to all thematic UN special procedures mandate holders by Sri Lanka in 2015. This is the 10^th such visit by a special procedures mandate holder to the country in the past four years. The Government of Sri Lanka and the Special Rapporteur had agreed to schedule this visit in 2018.

During the meeting today, Foreign Minister Marapana said that in line with the Government’s policy of engaging in an open, transparent and constructive dialogue with the international community including the UN, a number of visits of special procedures mandate holders have been facilitated. He noted that the Government has always appreciated engagement with the Special Rapporteurs and taken note of their feedback positively.  He assured the Special Rapporteur that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) will provide its fullest cooperation to him during his visit.

Read more: UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief visits Sri Lanka

The Committee on High Posts of the Parliament of Sri Lanka to Examine the Suitability of Persons Nominated/Appointed to the State Services and State Corporations (High Posts Committee) has approved the appointments of thirteen persons nominated by President Maithripala Sirisena, as Heads of Sri Lanka Missions overseas.

Among the thirteen new Heads of Mission appointed, there are nine career diplomats of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service (SLFS): Mr. A.S. Khan, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Nigeria, Mr. U.L. Mohammed Jauhar, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Kuwait, Dr. A.S.U Mendis, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Korea, Mrs. S. Shanika Dissanayake, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Jordan, Mr. W.G.S. Prasanna, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Vietnam, Mrs. Himalee Arunatilaka, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Nepal, Mr. Lakshitha Ratnayaka, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Cuba, Mr. P.R.S. Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Ethiopia and Mrs. D.P.C.W. Karunaratne, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Lebanon.

Sri Lanka maintains 52 High Commissions/Embassies overseas. With these appointments, the percentage of career diplomats who will head Sri Lanka Missions overseas will increase to 54%, from 37% at the commencement of 2019. Of the 27 Heads of Mission appointed this year, 23 have been from the Sri Lanka Foreign Service.

Colombo

10 August 2019

10 August 2019

Text in Sinhala (PDF)

Text in Tamil (PDF)

• At the invitation of His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath NORODOM SIHAMONI, King of Cambodia, His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka paid a state visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia from 07 to 10 August 2019.

• The President of Sri Lanka laid wreaths at the Independence Monument and paid homage in memory of the great war heroes and heroines of Cambodia. He also paid tribute at the Royal Memorial of His Majesty the late King-Father of Cambodia, Preah Bat Samdech Preah NORODOM SIHANOUK PREAH BOROM RATANAK KAUDH.

• During this visit, His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena had an audience with His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath NORODOM SIHAMONI, King of Cambodia. His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka attended a state banquet hosted in his honour by His Majesty the King at the Royal Palace, where he also met with Samdech Vibol Sena Pheakdei Say Chhum, President of the Senate and Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly.

• The President of Sri Lanka also had a bilateral discussion with Samdach Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, during which both Leaders reaffirmed commitment to further deepen bilateral relations which are firmly supported by the cultural and religious affinity of the two nations.

Read more: Sri Lanka-Cambodia Joint Statement

Sri Lanka High Commissioner to Canada, M. A. K. Girihagama attended the 34^th annual Tri- City Cricket Tournament organized by the Sri Lanka Canada Association of Ottawa (SLCAO) on 2^nd of August at Hunt Club- Riverside Community Center. The event was attended by MP David McGuinty, Ottawa South, Hon MP Chandra Arya, Nepean among many other distinguished guests.

Two teams each from Ottawa and Montreal and one team from Toronto competed for the SLCAO Tri City Championship. The team from Toronto “TW Cricketers” won the championship. The event also consisted of a 1 hour complimentary softball cricket workshop/demonstration for children/youth, books giveaway and Sri Lankan acoustic music.

Read more: Sri Lanka High Commissioner to Canada attended Tri- City Cricket Tournament