Embassy of Sri Lanka in Yangon celebrates 67th anniversary of Lankan independence
Saturday, 14 February 2015 00:00
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On 4 February the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Yangon celebrated the 67th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence with an elegant ceremony held under the patronage of Ambassador H.R. Piyasiri at the embassy premises with the participation of embassy staff and expatriates living in Myanmar.
The event commenced with the offering of Buddha Pooja. The Maha Sanga chanted pirith to invoke blessings on the President and the people of Sri Lanka. After the Buddha Pooja, the official National Day programme commenced.
Ambassador Piyasiri hoisted the National Flag to the accompaniment of Magul Bera and all the participants sang the national anthem and observed two minutes of silence to salute the martyrs who fought for the independence of Sri Lanka.
This was followed by the lighting of the traditional oil lamp and then a multi-religious ceremony was held guided by Buddhist (Ven. Badantha), Christian (Rev. Father Joseph Maung Win), Hindu (Rev. Sundaran, Chief Priest of the Hindu Temple) and Islamic (Maulana Yacood Noor Mohammed Habib) religious leaders.
The Independence Day messages of President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera were read out.
After the messages were read, Ambassador Piyasiri, addressed the gathering, emphasising that under the dynamic leadership of the President, the Government is determined to foster national amity amongst all communities in Sri Lanka.
At the conclusion of the official ceremony, the assembled guests at the event were invited to enjoy a traditional breakfast which included Kiribath and traditional sweets.
The embassy hosted over 250 guests at a reception in the evening at Chatrium Hotel in Yangon. The colourful event was graced by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, U. Tin Oo Lwin as the occasion’s Chief Guest, diplomats, members of UN agencies, NGOs based in Yangon, members of the business community, Myanmar dignitaries, Sri Lankan expatriates and well-wishers. A documentary on Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage and scenic beauty was also screened.
