Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra celebrates 69th anniversary of Independence Daily Financial Times, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, February 8, 2017. Sri Lanka High Commission in Australia celebrated the 69th anniversary of Independence on 4 February at the High Commission premises with the participation of over 300 Sri Lankans in Canberra. After the hoisting of the National Flag by High Commissioner Skandakumar, school children supported by adults sang the National Anthem in Sinhala and Tamil which was followed by two minutes of silence to honour all those who sacrificed their lives for the Independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Clergy representing the Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Islam faiths invoked blessings on the people of Sri Lanka. Thereafter, the National Day Messages of President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera were read out. Addressing the large gathering High Commissioner Skandakumar said that the messages explicitly ...