Respected corporate leader and outstanding High Commissioner

S. K. Wickremasinghe, affectionately known as ‘SK’ passed away last week at the age of 92 after an illustrious career in the business world and a short distinguished period as High Commissioner in London, in the late 1990s. His wife, Damayantha, whom he met in the mid-1940s at the then Ceylon University, predeceased him in 2011.

Many of his contemporaries and staff privileged to work with him in the numerous companies and banks which he ably led, will be able to write about his colourful and impressive career in the corporate world. My comments here are mainly about his successful period as our High Commissioner in London, during the international struggle Sri Lanka was waging then with the LTTE and its affiliated organisations. I as a former public servant and UN retiree then living in London, was roped in by him to organise a group of Sri Lankan expatriates to work closely with him on a range of successful strategies to counter the LTTE sponsored international movement then centered in London.

Though I and my wife had brief acquaintances with him and Damayantha in our days in Sri Lanka, it was during their stay in London that we became close friends. We were able to see the dynamism and commitment with which they served the country and their unique personal qualities that contributed to the unstinted cooperation and support they got from the entire Sri Lankan community in UK. SK’s innumerable contacts with the business and financial community in UK enabled him to move with ease in British circles, an essential ingredient for any High Commissioner to have an impact with the British establishment and the Foreign Office.

When Lakshman Kadirgamar took over the Foreign Ministry in 1994, Sri Lanka was battling a well-orchestrated international campaign by the LTTE for separation. His priority was to set up a formidable team in the world capitals to counter this campaign. He turned to his close friend SK, for the ‘hot spot’ of London, and it needed some persuasion for him to take this up. The other outstanding figures in Kadirgamar’s team, included Mangala Moonesinghe in New Delhi, Jayantha Dhanapala in Washington, H.L. De Silva in New York, Upatissa Pethiyagoda in Rome and Prasad Kariyawasam in Geneva.

At the time Kadirgamar made this request, SK was at the peak of his corporate sector career. He told me he accepted it: firstly, he could not let down an erstwhile friend with a mission, which the country was waiting for after innumerable bungles by previous governments. Secondly, throughout his life he reveled in challenges and this was one he had to take for the sake of the country. In addition, he was influenced by the fact that UK was like second home for him, due to his frequent travel during his career with the British company

ICI (which he later headed when it was converted to CIC).

SK with his wide experience in international affairs realized that for a campaign against the well entrenched LTTE apparatus to be successful, it should not be directly run by government. Very often British media and the public deride statements by embassy spokesmen. His strategy was to set up a non-government organisation to be subtly supported by the mission. Thus, the International Foundation of Sri Lankans (IFSL) was formed by a group of professionals, who were more than willing to support the effort with generous contributions. I was tasked to steer this group and our primary objective was to come out with a quarterly colourful magazine, titled the Lanka Outlook, for circulation to the UK media. It was to be a commentary on Sri Lankan affairs with a core focus on the political developments slanted against the separatist campaign and LTTE terrorism. The magazine had regular contributions by leading political commentators in Colombo and of course by the then effective media division of the Foreign Ministry, headed by

Ravinatha Ariyasinghe, the present Foreign Secretary. SK ensured that the magazine reached all other SL missions in other countries and their media too

SK also promoted the IFSL to have direct contact with the all powerful UK media. It was to his credit that the IFSL had greater exposure with the BBC during those horrific days when the separatist war was raging in Sri Lanka. The last issue of the magazine was a ‘Lakshman Kadirgamar Commemoration issue’ published in the winter 2005, in which SK had a big hand from Colombo sending very valuable photos and material on Kadirgamar’s brilliant career.

This is one facet of SK’s resourcefulness and unique organizing ability - being able to get together a group and motivate them to achieve a desired goal. I am certain there may be many such instances during his long and illustrious career.

The wide circle of his friends and colleagues and those fortunate to have been associated with him will sorely miss him.