Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa participated in the Heads of Mission Spouses Association charity event organized to raise funds for school supplies for Indigenous children in Ottawa on 11^th June 2019. This was the first time that the Mission participated in this annual charity event.

The spouses of Heads of Mission Spouses Association’s Asia-Pacific chapter organized this event together with a team at the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, which is an Ottawa-based health centre aimed at supporting the Indigenous community in Ottawa. The goal of the event was to raise $10,000 to supply 50 children at the centre with basic school essentials as part of the centre’s “Walk in Beauty” program.

Read more: Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa takes part in Heads of Mission Spouses Association (HOMSA) Charity event at Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health

High Commissioner Asoka Girihagama attended the Roundtable Luncheon with Deputy Speaker, Bruce Stanton hosted by the Embassy Connections Canada on 06th June 2019. During the Roundtable discussion, current political situation in Canada and its international relations were also discussed.

The Embassy Connections Canada is a non-political organization founded to provide spiritual support and assistance to Canadian Parliamentarians and foreign diplomats in Canada. In Ottawa, it facilitates networking between these leaders by organizing luncheons, roundtables, seminars and other activities featuring prominent Canadian leaders.

The Ambassadors of Poland, South Korea, Yemen, El Salvador, Latvia, Serbia and Jerry Sherman, President of the Embassy Connections Canada attended the Roundtable Luncheon.

The newly appointed State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake assumed duties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, today, 29 May 2019.

He was sworn in as the State Minister of Foreign Affairs this morning before President Maithripala Sirisena.

State Minister Senanayake was received by Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha, Additional Secretaries and other senior officials upon arrival at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Prior to assuming duties, the newly appointed State Minister of Foreign Affairs met with Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana at his office.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo

29 May 2019

The Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tea Board hosted the first ever Ceylon Tea and Cake Dansala at the High Commission premises on 24^th May 2019, to celebrate the Vesak festival this year.

The Vesak Dansala offered passersby free Cake and Ceylon tea from Nuwaraeliya, Dimbula, Uva, Uda Pussellawa, Kandy and Ruhuna giving an opportunity for the Canadians to taste different flavours of Ceylon Tea. The passersby were also provided with complementary Ceylon Tea sachets to enjoy at home. The Dansal premises were decorated with Buddhist flags, tourist attractions related to Buddhism and cultural heritage.

Read more: Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa hosts first ever Ceylon Tea and Cake Dansala

Responding to the joint statement issued by the United Nations Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng and the United Nations Special Advisor on the Responsibility to Protect Karen Smith on 13 May 2019, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York Ambassador Dr Rohan Perera stated that their prejudiced statement only serves to sensationalize issues at a time the government is taking stringent measures to maintain law and order and quell unrest in the interest of safety of all and that it skews the situation on the ground and interprets post-April 21 events through a narrow prism of stereotypical labels, while disregarding the deeper and more nuanced issues at play.

The full text of the response is appended below:

Begin Text

Mr. Adama Dieng

United Nations Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide

Mrs Karen Smith

United Nations Special Advisor on the Responsibility to Protect

Dear Mr. Dieng and Mrs. Smith,

The Government of Sri Lanka has carefully reviewed your joint statement of 13 May 2019, issued as a note to correspondents, where you have expressed alarm on the ‘growing acts of violence on the basis of religion’ in Sri Lanka. While noting your concerns, we were taken aback by your oversimplified narrative of events that are nuanced and complex in nature.

For the past decade, the people of Sri Lanka had been enjoying their hard-won peace and freedoms, and had embarked on the arduous path of reconciliation and national healing after nearly three decades of struggling against separatist terrorism. As has been perpetrated by ruthless terrorist groups inspired by ISIL/ Da’esh with global reach in many parts of the world, the horrendous Easter Sunday attacks were intended to create division among us and destroy the very fabric of our multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural society, and deal an intentional blow to our economy. All peace-loving citizens of Sri Lanka are still trying to come to terms with the shock and aftermath.

While we mourn the loss of innocent lives, the support and solidarity from our friends in the international community, including the UN Secretary-General, have been overwhelming. We were reminded that we are fighting a common adversary in terrorism, and its associated manifestations of radicalization and violent extremism, which had taken many innocent lives from across many parts of the world in recent times.

Read more: Sri Lanka's response to the joint statement issued by the UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide and the Special Advisor on the Responsibility to Protect

The Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa, Canada joined Vesak celebrations on the Parliament Hill hosted by the Member of Parliament of Canada and a member of the Canada - Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group, Chandra Arya on May 18, 2019.

Addressing the gathering at the ceremony Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Canada, Asoka Girihagama appreciated the efforts of different Buddhist monasteries and temples in Canada to propagate Buddhism and celebrate Vesak by arranging various spiritual programmes. The High Commissioner also described the current situation in Sri Lanka and explained how Sri Lankans had celebrated Vesak in a simple manner this year by diverting from normal practices such as Dansalas (free Giveaways) to provide more assistance to the churches and families of the victims of the April 21^st attacks in keeping with the real practice of Buddhism.

Read more: Vesak on the Hill 2019

The Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa participated at the 8^th annual Vesak in Ottawa and Asian Heritage Month celebrations at the Ottawa City Hall on 5^th of May 2019.

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Canada, Asoka Girihagama together with the Staff of the High Commission offered Dana (almsgiving) to 16 Buddhist monks who attended Vesak ceremony representing many Buddhist countries.

Addressing the gathering at the ceremony Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Canada` paid his respect to late hon. Lakshman Kadirgamar, former Minister Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka who pioneered in UN to accept Vesak as an international celebration day. High Commissioner also highlighted the teachings of Buddhism such as respect to other ideas of beliefs, freedom for belief and noninterference of other cultures and how they have led to Buddhist Culture to co-exist among many other cultures and traditions in Canada. He also thanked the Mayor of Ottawa for proclamation of Vesak in Ottawa and acknowledged Government of Canada for accepting and facilitating Vesak in Ottawa.

Read more: Sri Lanka at the 8th annual Vesak in Ottawa and Asian Heritage Month Celebrations at the Ottawa City Hall