A. T. Moorthy | |
---|---|
Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom | |
In office January 1981 – May 1984 | |
Preceded by | Noel Wimalasena |
Succeeded by | Chandra Monerawela |
Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan | |
In office 1978–1981 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Batticaloa District, Ceylon | 10 August 1928
Died | 1 April 2008 London, United Kingdom | (aged 79)
Alma mater | University of Ceylon, Colombo |
Profession | Diplomat |
Ethnicity | Sri Lankan Tamil |
Arambamoorthy Thedchana Moorthy (10 August 1928 – 1 April 2008) was a Sri Lankan Tamil diplomat and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Moorthy was born on 10 August 1928 in Batticaloa District in eastern Ceylon. [1] He was educated at Sivananda Vidyalayam, Batticaloa and Jaffna College. [1] After school he joined the University of Ceylon, Colombo, graduating in 1948 with a degree in economics. [1]
Moorthy married Suseela, daughter of P. Sriskandarajah, in 1959. [1] They had two daughters (Uma and Ima) and a son (Sri Ayilavan). [1]
Moorthy joined the Ceylon Overseas Service in 1953 and his first diplomatic posting was in Jakarta, Indonesia. [1] He became chargé d'affaires of the Ceylonese embassy in Beijing, China in 1957, meeting leaders such as Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. [1] He was first secretary at the High Commission of Ceylon, London between 1961 and 1963. [1] During this time Moorthy and Suseela studied for the bar at Gray's Inn. [1] He was called to the bar in 1965. [1]
Moorthy then served in various diplomatic positions: first secretary in West Germany (1964–66); chargé d'affaires in Thailand (1969–70); permanent representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East; and chargé d'affaires in Iraq (1970). [1] He returned to Sri Lanka in 1974 to co-ordinate the fifth Non-Aligned Summit which was to be held in Colombo in 1976. [1] He was appointed High Commissioner to Pakistan in 1978 (also accredited to Iran). [1] After the 1979 Iranian Revolution Moorthy played an important role in Sri Lankan government's attempts to free the US hostages in Iran. [1]
In 1981 Moorthy was appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. [1] [2] [3] Back in Sri Lanka violence against the country's Tamils escalated, culminating in the Black July riots of 1983. [1] Sinhalese expatriates living in the UK started a campaign to have Moorthy replaced by a Buddhist Sinhalese. [4] He received a letter, allegedly from a member of the Sinhala Association in UK, threatening his life. [5] The Sri Lankan government ordered Moorthy to declare that his appointment was evidence that there was no serious discrimination against the Tamils. [1] Moorthy refused make such a declaration and resigned in 1984. [1]
Moorthy and his family remained in the UK. [6] He died on 1 April 2008 in London. [1]