Sri Lanka Army deserters in London events

By Rukman Pereira

(April 25, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Two deserters from the Sri Lanka Army, known as Chanaka Dissanayake and Dusmantha Wijekoon, who have arrived in the UK under suspicious circumstances are frequently seen in events of the Sinhalese community in London.

These two, according to some concerned Sinhala community sources, have entered the UK with the help of influential persons connected to the Sri Lanka government and are in the process of seeking asylum.

One Dias said to be the President of a Sinhala organization, and having contacts with the Labour Party, is involved in arranging the deserts to meet Labour Party high-ups with the hope of seeking the party’s help for their impending asylum application.

In the photographs in circulation with the Sinhala Association members, the deserters and Dias are seen with the Foreign Secretary Rt Hon. David Miliband and Virendra Sharma, the Ealing and Southall MP at a Labour Party event held recently in London.

Pictures also show that the two deserters are with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and Dias during the Sinhala New Year event held recently in London.

It is suspected both Chanaka Dissanayake and Dusmantha Wijekoon have used the clandestine way like the government Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan to enter the United Kingdom few years ago. At that time Muralitharan was not a Minister and was given a Diplomatic Passport under a false name by the Defence Secretary to hoodwink the British High Commission to grant visa for him to travel to the UK.