Sri Lankan born author Ru Freeman’s new novel “ On Sal Mal Lane” was launched at the Sri Lanka Residence , Washington DC on May 18, 2013 .
“This notable novel which presents a storyline revolving around Sri Lanka’s long and bitter conflict has been recognized by reviewers as a resounding cry for reconciliation. The Embassy organized the event to felicitate Ru’s achievement and to recognize the importance of reconciliation on the fourth anniversary of the end of Sri Lanka’s conflict.” says the Sri Lankan Embassy Washington.
Ru Freeman presenting the first copy of her book On Sal Mal Lane to Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya at the Sri Lanka Residence
We publish below the statement the Sri Lankan Embassy Washington statement;
Ru Freeman hails from a distinguished family of writers. She received her education from Murdoch University, Australia, Bates College in Main , USA and obtained her masters in Labor Relations from the University of Colombo. Ru’s maiden novel “A Disobedient Girl” has been translated into several languages.
Thanuja Usliyanage, Minister (Political) of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in his welcome remarks recalled that four years have passed since the conflict ended in Sri Lanka in May 2009. The invitees joined the Embassy staff to observe one-minute silence in honor of the valiant heroes who lost their lives in the conflict.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya called Ru Freeman a brilliant and internationally acclaimed writer whose literary work brings pride to Sri Lanka. He appreciated Ru’s skill to transform the readers mind to a Sri Lankan setting through her writing and thereby create a realistic understanding about the country’s culture and social issues.
Introducing her book, author Ru Freeman said it is a story about Sri Lankan society five years leading up to the ethnic riots in 1983. She said the idea of the book first came to her when an editor of an American newspaper tasked her to write an article on Sri Lanka’s war recognizing the “good” & “bad” people , after the end of the conflict .
“That was not the story of my country… and I realize that I need a bigger work in which to talk about the fact there are no good people and bad people. It doesn’t matter whether you were someone who protected people during the riots or you were one of the people had violence perpetrated against you , you were all culpable in some way”, she said
Ru called the novel a gesture towards reconciliation that should be achieved through a deliberate but unforced process . Also, she added that she is very proud to be identify herself as a Sri Lankan writer and thanked Ambassador Wickramasuriya and the Embassy of Sri Lanka for hosting the book launch.
At the end of the proceedings, guests were treated to a delectable Sri Lankan dinner. The invitees included journalists, academics, US officials and Sri Lankan American community leaders.
essie / June 1, 2013
No sound? Is the book available in Sri Lanka?
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Sama / June 2, 2013
They may have blocked it deliberately. Many of CT readers can guess why.
It is all about TODAY´s SRILANKEN Ambassodors´credentials to represent the country in the US
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Dude / June 3, 2013
This Babe writes tosh.. Lankan village life imagined in USA – awful stuff actually – Ran menike went to the well sort of stuff..!
Also she is a regime supporter.. just like brother Malinda Seneviratne – boycott her and the book!
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Dodo / June 3, 2013
Any Tamil authors or musicians felicitated by the clown Jaliya?!
Multiculturalism is a prerequisite for reconciliation.. not this SINHALA ONLY crap..
We want a balanced picture of the Rajapassa Brother’s Terrorism as well as all the other terorisms..
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Don Stanley / June 5, 2013
They should felicitate Michelle De Kretser whose work is far superior in Washington and Aussie..
But then, her writing is far too sophisticated to the uneducated Rajapassa regime and its ambassadors..
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Aney Apochchi! / June 7, 2013
Don Stanley:
Michelle would be disqualified also by virtue of not being a Sinhala Buddhist!
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Santhan / June 1, 2013
“…..Bates College in Main ….”
It should be Maine (state of Maine) Not Main!
SL embassy don’t even have a good PR person?????
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Chandra / June 1, 2013
Malinda
How about a review of your sisters book?
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Aney Apochchi! / June 2, 2013
Chandra:
Yours is a legitimate question. At least MS is not as stupidly illiterate as Jaliya Wicks, the Rajapaksa clansman who is following up door-to-door tea sales with Washington diplomacy.
While MS is doing a puff-piece for his sister – reciprocating her conduct here when she doesn’t mention her sibling relationship to MS when she sings the praises of “brother dear” at such as the Galle Literary Festival – he can tell us what her citizenship is in the same manner that a citizen of Sri Lanka is a “Sri Lankan,” a citizen of India is “Indian” etc. This is pertinent because this lapdog of the Rajapaksas recently stated categorically that citizens of the USA should not be calling themselves “Americans” despite the fact that the rest of the world (except, presumably for the Seneviratne clan)refers to them in those terms.
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nilan / June 2, 2013
Her name is Rupika. Bullshit book
She like publisity
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Poosa / June 3, 2013
All this at Sri Lankan taxpayers expense
to promote Jaliya, the super diplomat
par excellence. He is next only to Henry
Kissinger in diplomacy. Henry, however, did
not go from house to house selling Ceylon
Royal tea until he became Ambassador.
Service cutlets, patties and distributing
tourist literature is our Ambassador’s forte.
In fact his chef won two awards among
Ambassadorial chefs in Washington DC. One was
for making cutlets. The other? for brewing
Royal Tea. The Ambassador drank it without burning
his beard.
What idiocy is this? Hasn’t he ruined Sri Lanka’s image
enough? We are told that he is negotiating now with
both McDonald’s and Taco Bell to promote Sri Lanka. Outsourcing
is his job.
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Fair N Square / June 4, 2013
Wonder who paid for the fanfare and the DINNER…Tax payers money? ummmm… It took the SL embassy 4 years to observe a minute’s silence? really?
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Fair N Square / June 4, 2013
I’ve been to teh SL residence a few times… NOT a very good place to reside.. the staff has NO personality EVER and dont even know how to communicate…all political appointees….The layout of the building is ewwwwww too.
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