Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was a ministry
of the Government of Ceylon that conducted and managed all of Ceylon's relations with other countries and its military matters from 1947 to 1977.
's government adapted two separate ministries, forming the Ministry of Defence
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
.
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
of the Government of Ceylon that conducted and managed all of Ceylon's relations with other countries and its military matters from 1947 to 1977.
History
The ministry was formally established in 1948 following the independence of Ceylon as the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence, coming under the direct control of the Prime Minister of Ceylon. In 1977, J.R JayawardenaJunius Richard Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene , famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the first executive President of Sri Lanka, serving from 1978 till 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence...
's government adapted two separate ministries, forming the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order is the Sri Lankan government ministry responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces....
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka that conducts and manages Sri Lanka's relations with other countries...
.
Senior officials
- Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs and Defence
- Parliamentary SecretaryParliamentary SecretaryA Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
for External Affairs and Defence - Permanent SecretaryPermanent SecretaryThe Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
to External Affairs and Defence - Additional Secretary to External Affairs and Defence
Departments
- Ceylon Army
- Royal Ceylon Navy
- Royal Ceylon Air Force
- Protocol Department
Parliamentary Secretaries
Incomplete- Hon. Major Montague "Monti" Jayawickreme
- Hon. Felix R. Dias BandaranaikeFelix Dias BandaranaikeFelix Reginald Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician who served as Cabinet Minister of Finance, Parliamentary Secretary for the Prime Minister and Defence and External Affairs and Cabinet Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Prime Minister...
Permanent Secretaries
Incomplete- SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Kanthiah VaithianathanKanthiah VaithianathanSir Kanthiah Vaithianathan KBE CCS was a Sri Lankan Tamil civil servant, politician, Member of the Senate and government minister.-Career:Vaithianathan he had a long carrier in the Ceylon Civil Service...
, KBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, CCSCeylon Civil ServiceThe Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, originated as the elite civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule in 1833 and carried on after independence, until May 1, 1963 when it was abolished and the much larger Ceylon Administrative Service was... - SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Velupillai Coomaraswamy, CMGOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, CCSCeylon Civil ServiceThe Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, originated as the elite civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule in 1833 and carried on after independence, until May 1, 1963 when it was abolished and the much larger Ceylon Administrative Service was... - G.V.P. SamarasingheG.V.P. SamarasingheG.V.P. Samarasinghe, CCS was a Sri Lankan civil servant. He was the former Permanent Secretary of Defence and Foreign Affairs and Cabinet Secretary. Educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo, he is a graduate from the University College, Colombo....
, CCSCeylon Civil ServiceThe Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, originated as the elite civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule in 1833 and carried on after independence, until May 1, 1963 when it was abolished and the much larger Ceylon Administrative Service was... - N.Q. Dias, CCSCeylon Civil ServiceThe Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, originated as the elite civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule in 1833 and carried on after independence, until May 1, 1963 when it was abolished and the much larger Ceylon Administrative Service was...
- W.T Jayasinghe, CCSCeylon Civil ServiceThe Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, originated as the elite civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule in 1833 and carried on after independence, until May 1, 1963 when it was abolished and the much larger Ceylon Administrative Service was...
- Gunasena de SoyzaGunasena de SoyzaGunasena de Soyza CMG OBE was High Commissioner for Ceylon in Britain from 1960 until his death. He had previously been the most senior civil servant in Ceylon.-Life:...
(1953–1960)
Additional Secretaries
Incomplete- S.A. DissanayakeS.A. DissanayakeS.A. "Jingle" Dissanayaka is a former Sri Lankan Inspector-General of Police. He was played a major role as Director of the Criminal Investigation Department in stopping the attempted military coup of 1962...
- (former IGPInspector General of Police (Sri Lanka)The Inspector General of Police is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Police. He is the most senior police officer in Sri Lanka and oversees all police personnel throughout the country. The IGP reports to the minister of defense, when the Police Service is under the Ministry of Defence as it...
) - Tissa WijeyeratneTissa WijeyeratneSuratissa Diyasena Wijeyeratne was a Sri Lankan politician, diplomat, barrister and businessman...