Admiral Samarasinghe appointed High Commissioner to Australia

Former Navy Commander Admiral Thisara Sugeeshwara Gunasekara Samarasinghe RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc has been appointed High Commissioner for Sri Lanka to Australia, succeeding S.C.B. Walgampaya, the External Affairs Ministry announced on Friday.

Admiral Samarasinghe will leave Sri Lanka soon to assume duties in Canberra. Admiral Samarasinghe retired from the Sri Lanka Navy on January 15, 2011 after completing 36 years of service as a Navy officer. During his exemplary naval career, he functioned as the Eastern and Northern Naval Commander during the humanitarian operation and played an active role in destroying the floating warehouses of the LTTE which contributed to the eradication of LTTE terrorism from Sri Lanka.

He was appointed Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy on July 15, 2009. The Australian Government has accepted his appointment as the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, despite protests by certain Tamil organisations based in Australia.

-RW