MFA User – Page 680 – විදේශ කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශය

Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Los Angeles Celebrates Thai Pongal Festival

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The Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Los Angeles celebrated Thai Pongal Festival in association with the Tamil Hindu community at United Hindu Temple, Covina, Los Angeles County, California, USA on Sunday, 13^th January 2013 in the presence of a large gathering of all the communities living in Los Angeles.

The Thai Pongal was celebrated according to the Hindu tradition with boiling of Milk and Rice which is the highlight of this festival called ‘Surya Mangalyam’ under the auspices of the Hindu Priest of the Temple. All the communities put rice into the Pongal pot for blessings of Surya for good life and successful harvest.

Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries Earl Gunasekara call on the Vice Governor of Hunan Province of China

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Earl Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries visited Shanghai on a familiarization tour in early January organized by the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Shanghai on the request of Sri Lanka Tea Board.

Sri Lankan seaman in the hijacked vessel “Orana” by Somali pirates released

A cargo vessel “MV Orana” owned by an Ajman based shipping company, Kassab Inter Shipping LLC was hijacked by Somali pirates on 2^nd December 2010 with twenty crew members on board including a Sri Lankan seaman named Mr. K.A.S.Soorasena.

The Ministry of External Affairs, through the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai and the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Nairobi, was in constant contact with the owner of the vessel with a view of securing the release of Mr. Soorasena while keeping his family briefed about the developments on regular basis.

President Rajapaksa and the Government deplores the beheading of Miss Rizana Nafeek

It has been confirmed that Miss Rizana Nafeek was beheaded by Saudi authorities this morning at Dawadmy, Saudi Arabia.

The Sri Lankan housemaid was employed for less than 6 weeks in 2005 when she was charged by her Saudi employer for allegedly killing their infant while she was bottle feeding and thereafter sentenced to death in the year 2007.

The Government of Sri Lanka arranged for an appeal against the death sentence with the assistance of the Asian Human Rights Organization based in Hong Kong but the Superior Court of Saudi Arabia reconfirmed the death sentence.

Canadian minister biased and ill informed: GL

External mea Affairs Minister G.L Peries said the statements made by the visiting Canadian Minister Jason Kenney were “biased and unbalanced”.

“Sri Lankan Government will not conduct its affairs in a way that suits the domestic politics of another country. The government will act in the best interest of our people,” he said.

Minister Kenney, who met Minister Peries on Sunday, said the domestic issues in Sri Lanka were causing an influx of asylum seekers to Canada and Australia.

High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam visits the state of Chhattisgarh

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During an official visit to the state of Chhattisgarh, High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam called on the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Dr Raman Singh, at Mahanandi Bhawan, the new Secretariat building of the new capital, Naya Raipur, on 4th January 2013. The High Commissioner met the Minister of Tourism & Culture Brij Mohan Agrawal and other senior officials as well.

Hon. Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia Host Sri Lankan Cricket Team

Hon. Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia and Partner Mr. Tim Mathieson hosted Sri Lankan and Australian Cricket Teams with their families on the 1^st January 2013 at the Kirribilli Admiralty House in Sydney at a Reception to mark the New Year Test Match. This Test Match is incidentally the first ever Test Match for Sri Lankan Cricketers in the Sydney Cricket Grounds.

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