SL expresses displeasure to NZ

6 April 2011 01:01 pm

The Sri Lankan Government has expressed its concern to New Zealand government on the latter’s recommendation of Arumugam Thevarajan for the Queen’s Medal Acting Minister of External Affairs Dilan Perera said in Parliament today.

Queen Elizabeth II, who is the reigning queen and head of state of the 16 independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms, honoured three Tamils – two Sri Lankan Tamils, who reportedly had direct links with the banned LTTE organization and an Indian Tamil this year at New Year’s awards in New Zealand and in UK.

The Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) to 77-year-old, Arumugam Thevarajan from New Zealand, an old student of Hartley College, Point Pedro, was in specific recognition for his services to the Tamil community in New Zealand.

Arumugam moved to New Zealand in 1997 after one of his two received a scholarship. He then founded the New Zealand Tamil Studies and Humanitarian Trust, which was in the forefront in helping the Tamil migrants in many ways. He is also one of the two members representing New Zealand in the so-called 'Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam'. (KB/YP)