Parents of students returned from Australia thank President

Source:FT

A total of 272 Sri Lankans who were stranded in various parts of Australia were brought back home to Sri Lanka on UL 605, daybreak Sunday 10 May. Amongst these passengers were 31 students following higher studies in Australia who opted to return and be in the safe custody of their parents.

A family who wishes to be anonymous voluntarily offered to be the group leader on behalf of all parents and they coordinated this return with much communication between the President, the Prime Minister, Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the team of the National Operational Centre for Prevention of COVID-19, the Embassy of the Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra, and officials of Srilankan Airlines in Colombo and Melbourne.

These parents have jointly by letter, expressed their thanks and sincere gratitude to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and to the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Minister and staff of Health and the Minister and staff of Foreign Relations, the team of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 together with a number of authorities who directly and indirectly were involved in ensuring the safe return of their children to Sri Lanka. The excellent coordination by Sri Lanka’s Acting High Commissioner in Australia was notably highlighted. A special thank you to President Rajapaksa was also mentioned for granting their children the opportunity of selecting individually paid quarantine hotels or comfortable government facilities in view of children following online studies and examinations. It was hoped that the use of individually paid hotel facilities would to some extent ease the financial burden of the government. 

In closing, they thanked the President for the positive and democratic leadership given to the country, during this global crisis and wished him the very best in all his endeavors in leading Sri Lanka out of this crisis and into a future of prosperity.