Lankan Embassy in Jakarta celebrates Independence Day
Saturday, 14 February 2015 00:47
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On the morning of 4 February 2015, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Jakarta organised a celebration attended by over 80 Sri Lankans and well-wishers living in Jakarta. The ceremony included the hoisting of the national flag, the singing of the national anthem and the lighting of the traditional oil lamp. A meal of traditional kiribath and Sri Lankan sweetmeats followed.
The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Indonesia, Anoja Wijeyesekera, read out President Maithripala Sirisena’s National Day message in English. The National Day messages of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera were also read in Tamil and Sinhala respectively.
Religious dignitaries representing Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam conferred blessings on Sri Lanka and a minute’s silence was observed for the armed forces who sacrificed their lives as well as for all Sri Lankans who perished in the conflict.
In the evening a formal reception was held. A gathering of 260 people comprising 80 ambassadors and their spouses, Ministers and dignitaries of Indonesia and the Sri Lankan diaspora in Indonesia attended a truly Sri Lankan event replete with Sri Lankan food and entertainment organised by Sri Lankans living in Indonesia. Traditional Sri Lankan dances and songs were also performed, with a group of Sri Lankan musicians playing and singing classical Sri Lankan songs.
In her speech, Ambassador Wijesekera explained the gains Sri Lanka has made since its independence, emphasising that the investment in free universal healthcare and free universal education by successive governments over the last 67 years has resulted in a population that is educated and healthy. This educated population exercised their democratic rights at the peaceful election conducted in every part of the country, to bring about a re-calibration of the democratic architecture of Sri Lanka to ensure good governance, transparency, accountability, a commitment to the sovereignty of Parliament and the promotion of pluralism.
