List of high commissioners of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom facts for kids
Quick facts for kids High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom |
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Emblem of Sri Lanka
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Incumbent
Saroja Sirisena since 2 March 2020 |
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| Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |
| Reports to | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Seat | Sri Lankan High Commission, 13 Hyde Park Gardens, London, United Kingdom |
| Nominator | The President of Sri Lanka |
| Term length | No fixed term |
| Inaugural holder | Sir Claude Corea (As Representative of the Government of Ceylon) |
| Formation | 1946 |
The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom is a very important official. They are Sri Lanka's main representative in the United Kingdom. Think of them as a special messenger or a top diplomat.
Countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations usually exchange "High Commissioners" instead of "Ambassadors." The Commonwealth is a group of countries that were once part of the British Empire. Even though there are small differences in how they are officially recognized, a High Commissioner does the same job as an Ambassador.
The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom also serves as the Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland at the same time. This means they represent Sri Lanka in both countries. The person holding this important job right now is Saroja Sirisena.
Contents
Who are the High Commissioners?
This section lists the people who have held the important role of representing Sri Lanka (and before that, Ceylon) in the United Kingdom.
Ceylon's First Representatives (1946-1948)
Before Sri Lanka became fully independent, it was known as Ceylon. These are the first officials who represented the Government of Ceylon in the UK.
| Representative | Start of Term | End of Term |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Corea | 1946 | 1948 |
High Commissioners of Sri Lanka (1948-Present)
After Ceylon gained full independence and became Sri Lanka, the representatives were called High Commissioners. This list shows the people who have served in this role.
| High Commissioner | Start of Term | End of Term |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Corea | 1948 | 1949 |
| Sir Oliver Goonetilleke | 1949 | 1952 |
| Sir Edwin Wijeyeratne | 1952 | 1954 |
| Sir Claude Corea | February 1954 | December 1957 |
| Gunasena de Soyza, CMG, OBE | December 1957 | October 1958 |
| P. R. Gunasekera | October 1958 | February 1960 |
| Gunasena de Soyza, CMG, OBE | February 1960 | October 1961 |
| Sir Senerat Gunewardene, KBE | October 1961 | June 1963 |
| Professor Gunapala Malalasekera, OBE | June 1963 | February 1967 |
| Sir Lalitha Rajapakse, QC | February 1967 | October 1969 |
| M. V. P. Peiris, OBE | October 1969 | December 1970 |
| Tilak Goonaratne | December 1970 | 1975 - Last High Commissioner from the Dominion of Ceylon (1970-72), and the first High Commissioner from Sri Lanka (1972-75). |
| Vernon Mendis | 1975 | 1977 |
| Noel Wimalasena | 1977 | January 1981 |
| A. T. Moorthy | January 1981 | May 1984 |
| Chandra Monerawela | May 1984 | March 1990 |
| General Sepala Attygalle, LVO | 1990 | August 1993 |
| General Cyril Ranatunge | August 1993 | February 1995 |
| S. K. Wickremasinghe | February 1995 | January 1999 |
| Dr. Lal Jayawardena | January 1999 | July 2000 |
| Mangala Moonesinghe | July 2000 | April 2002 |
| Faiz Mustapha, PC | April 2002 | February 2005 |
| Kshenuka Senewiratne | February 2005 | May 2008 |
| Justice Nihal Jayasinghe | May 2008 | 31 December 2010 |
| Dr Chris Nonis | 1 September 2011 | 20 October 2014 |
| Sugeeshwara Gunaratna (Acting) |
21 October 2014 | 14 November 2016 |
| Amari Mandika Wijewardane | 15 November 2016 | 1 April 2018 |
| Sugeeshwara Gunaratna (Acting) | 1 April 2018 | 20 February 2019 |
| Manisha Gunasekara | 20 February 2019 | 31 January 2020 |
| Saroja Sirisena | 02 March 2020 |
Helping the High Commissioner: Deputy High Commissioners
The Deputy High Commissioner helps the High Commissioner with their duties. Here are some of the people who have held this role.
- Sir Velupillai Coomaraswamy, CMG (1948-1953)
- Theodore Duncan Perera, CMG (1953-1956)
- B. F. Perera, CMG, OBE (1956-1958)
See also
- High Commission of Sri Lanka, London
- List of heads of missions from Sri Lanka
