The Lanka Academic carried an online "Question and Answer" sessions with the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Mr. Mangala Moonesinghe from September 1, 2000 through September 24, 2000. Listed below are your questions and his answers.

BIOGRAPHY

Mr. Mangala Moonesinghe is currently the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Prior to this assignment in July, 2000, he was the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India since 1995. He was also a Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament during 1965-1977 (as an LSSP and an SLFP member) and 1989-1994 (as a SLFP member). Mr. Moonesinghe was also a director and a member of the board of governers of the Marga institute (Sri lanka Centre for Development studies). He had been a member of various international parliamentary groups and missions including the membership of group of eminent persons appointed by the heads of states to identify measures and mechanisms to enhance the effectiveness of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Mr. Moonesinghe was also a member of the national assembly to draft the 1972 constitution and was also a member of the 1989 committee on public enterprises. His proposals for a select committee to arrive at a national solution was welcomed by President Premadasa who appointed him the Chair of the committee. Mr Moonesinghe has practiced law for over 20 years. He is a qualified Barrister-at-law in the UK. In 1975, he was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship in the USA. He has studied Space law at Western State University, California, USA and had been a lecturer at Ceylon Technical College in Company law during 1960-1963.