The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that they and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Myanmar have continued to actively seek the assistance and cooperation of Myanmar authorities on the safe repatriation of the 56 Sri Lankan nationals who have been trafficked to Myanmar.

In a statement, the ministry notes that this situation has been an ongoing issue since 2022 32 victims were rescued in the 2022/2023 period from time to time.

“Given the grave nature of the situation, Foreign Minister M U M Ali Sabry raised concerns on the safety of Sri Lankan nationals with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar Than Swe on the sidelines of BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Bangkok, Thailand. The Foreign Ministry officials continue to raise serious concerns on the safety of Sri Lankan nationals with the Myanmar Ambassador in Colombo and seek assistance and early intervention to secure their rescue and repatriation,” it adds.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requests “all Sri Lankan nationals, seeking job opportunities in the Southeast Asia region not to fall prey to human trafficking and criminal syndicates who offer large salaries without proper job contracts and work visas.”

“The Ministry will continue to seek all possible avenues to ensure the safety and security of our nationals and seek early repatriation in consultation with the Government of Myanmar,” the statement further notes.

Eight inmates of the Matara Prison have been hospitalised with fever.

Stringent measures have been taken to curb the fever being spread in the Matara Prison.

Following health guidelines, prison authorities have implemented restrictions on various activities within the facility.

In a directive from the Commissioner General of Prisons, new arrivals at the Matara Prison have been redirected to the Agunukolapalassa Prison.

To adhere to health recommendations, arrangements have been put in place to regulate and monitor visitor access as well.

In a diplomatic ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat, the newly appointed High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, presented his credentials to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, marking the official commencement of his tenure in Sri Lanka.

His most recent assignment prior to the Sri Lankan posting was at the Embassy of India in Brussels, where he served from July 2020 until December 2023.

Jha has the experience of serving as a member of negotiating teams for Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with Sri Lanka and the European Union respectively.

As the new High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha is poised to further strengthen the bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka, fostering cooperation and collaboration in various domains.

The newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, conveyed in the guest book of President Ranil Wickremesinghe that India and Sri Lanka share deep-rooted bonds in history, geography, culture and people-to-people ties.

He highlighted the growth of ties in political, economic, and security fields over the decades, emphasizing India’s role as Sri Lanka’s close neighbour, largest trade partner and a key development partner.

Jha expressed his commitment to strengthening the special friendship between the two countries, fostering closer collaboration in trade, investment, energy, connectivity and other areas. He aligned his goals with the Vision Statement agreed upon by the leaders of both nations, expressing confidence that their cooperation will lead to shared prosperity, progress and regional stability.

The High Commissioner thanked President Wickremesinghe for the warm welcome and looked forward to constructive engagements in the future.

Minister of Health and Industries Dr. Ramesh Pathirana who is the current Acting Foreign Minister and President’s Secretary Mr. Saman Ekanayake were present on this occasion.

(President’s Media Division)