The Sri Lankan expatriates in the United States, with their intense lobbying, have succeeded in getting the attention of prominent American Congressmen to the serious Covid virus situation in Sri Lanka to inform the U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken of the importance of installing temporary mobile medical units in critical districts in Sri Lanka.

The expatriates were well aware that the Biden administration in which secretary of state position holds a prominent Cabinet status could negotiate with the Secretary of Defense to get the US Pacific Command (USINPACCOM) to install these temporary mobile medical units to alleviate the situation to which the four US Congressmen in their direct communication to the secretary of state has seriously emphasised.

The socio-politically active Sri Lankan expatriates in the State of Nevada had been in close contact with these congressmen for a very long time to have direct dialogue about Sri Lankan situation and the necessity of getting the Biden administration to extend its helping hand toward Sri Lanka.

One of the signatories to the letter Congresswoman Dina Titus sits on the South Asia sub-committee of the House Foreign Relations Committee under whose purview foreign assistance program, terrorism and the promotion of U.S. trade exports come. She is also the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Sri Lanka. Congressman Frank Pollone, the other signatory was the founder of the Congressional Caucus on Sri Lanka. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, of Indian descent, maintains close rapport with Sri Lankan expatriates who willingly became a signatory to the appeal letter. The fourth signatory was Congressman Henry C. Johnson who belongs to the Black Caucus.

 The constant rapport, discourses, engagement and frequent contact with the American lawmakers who now have working relations with the Biden-Harris administration, the Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security became effectively possible due to the decades-long rapport by State of Nevada Democratic political activist Sanje Sedera who was responsible in mobilizing the Sri Lankan expatriates in the states of Nevada and California. His public affairs and public diplomacy skills brought dividends in mobilizing U.S. Congressmen to reach the US Department of State’s highest-ranking official, the Secretary.

This outreach to the American administration’s policymakers and congressional lawmakers – having had face-to-face dialogue initiated by Mr. Sedera and the group of Sri Lanka expatriates – succeeded in the increase of Covid virus vaccines donation to Sri Lanka last month. In May, these Nevada Sri Lankan expatriates launched a fund-raiser – which brought US$35,000 – to purchase medical equipment for Sri Lanka, a task executed by the North American Medical Association. In July, a group of Sri Lanka expatriates – associated with the Sri Lanka America Association of Las Vegas – launched a Sri Lanka America Chamber of Commerce under Mr. Sedera’s chairmanship to initiate trade and investment between the two nations, having Las Vegas the premier international convention center in mind.

Expert knowledge, connections and public affairs-diplomacy expertise that are found within the Sri Lankan community in the State of Nevada were put into full use in undertaking to make U.S. Congressmen aware of misinformation unleashed by pro-separatist elements within a section of the Sri Lankan Diaspora following the introduction of the May 18, 2021 US House Resolution 413 which disseminated false data and information about Sri Lanka. The expatriates undertook the task to lobby many US Congressmen – face-to-face and through several zoom meetings – in collaboration with the Sri Lanka’s diplomatic mission in Washington and the Consulate in Los Angeles with the sole objective of changing their mind-set infected by the false propaganda and misrepresentation about Sri Lanka. The final result of that endeavor was that the Resolution failed to enter the US House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The immediate task of the Sri Lankan expatriates is to get the good offices of the Departments of State and Defense to set up temporary mobile health units in vulnerable districts in Sri Lanka to combat the spread of the virus. The closest such assistance is available with the US Pacific Command.

The urgency of the situation was well depicted in the letter addressed to the US Secretary of State by the four leading Congressmen:  “We request that the State Department rapidly increase medical assistance to Sri Lanka by specifically providing temporary mobile medical units in critical districts around the country to assist the health authorities in addressing the serious situation. In the past, the United States has provided critical assistance to Sri Lanka when the nation faced emergency situations and now during this critical hour, we must again take the lead to provide support in setting up vital medical units for a trusted and strategic partner”.