^{The Sri Lankan flag raised at Newham Town Hall}

The Chief Executive for Newham, Althea Loderick has apologised for flying the Sri Lankan flag yesterday at Newham Town Hall in London, following a huge backlash from the Tamil community.

In her email response to community members, she accepts failure to “recognising the history and struggle” of the Tamil people, adding,

“Please let me offer my deepest apologies for the upset and distress the raising of this flag has caused you and the members of the Newham Tamil community.”

She went on to state,

“To see the flag that, for you and your community, represents oppression flying as a symbol of honour must have been very hurtful. My apologies go to you and to all of the Newham Tamil Community.

You may be assured that, recognising our error, next year we will not fly the Sri Lankan flag on the date of Sri Lanka’s Independence Day.” 

Mayor of Newham council, Rokhsana Fiaz also expressed “sorrow and regret” regarding the incident, confirming that the issue has been seriously taken into account and putting forward a meeting with representatives of the Tamil community.

“I am very disappointed that this has happened and aggrieved by the hurt that it has caused you.” - Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham council

See the texts of both emails below.

Dear All,

I wanted to write to all following the concerns you have raised in your emails of 4th February to the Mayor and Newham Councillors regarding the flying of the Sri Lankan flag at Newham Town Hall yesterday. The Mayor had asked me to investigate and to reply on this matter as the flag flying policy is one that sits under the remit of the Chief Executive rather than the Mayor and Members and so the Mayor, Executive and Councillors were not part of the decision-making.

First of all, please let me offer my deepest apologies for the upset and distress the raising of this flag has caused you and the members of the Newham Tamil community. Your emails passionately and articulately explain how upsetting and offensive this was for your community and I can fully understand your distress. The raising of the flag came from a place of good intentions – to celebrate the diversity of our Borough and to show how proud we are that people from so many different communities have chosen to live here – however this absolutely does not excuse the offence we have caused in not recognising the history and struggle of your people. To see the flag that, for you and your community, represents oppression flying as a symbol of honour must have been very hurtful. My apologies go to you and to all of the Newham Tamil community.

You may be assured that, recognising our error, next year we will not fly the Sri Lankan flag on the date of Sri Lanka’s Independence Day.

Thank you for taking the time to write to the Mayor and Councillors on this matter, as it has given us a chance to understand the hurt we have caused and allows us to rectify our mistake going forwards.

Kind regards,

Althea Loderick I Chief Executive

London Borough of Newham

 

Good evening,

I wish to start by expressing my sorrow and regret that this has happened. 

As soon as I learned about this today I asked the Chief Executive to investigate because she is legally responsible for the flag raising policy of Newham Council.

I am very disappointed that this has happened and aggrieved by the hurt that it has caused you.  I would be very happy to have a meeting with some representatives of the Tamil Community and my Office will be working next week to co-ordinate that.  The Chief Executive would also attend. 

In the meanwhile the Chief Executive will be writing to everyone who has sent a message in so that you can see it is being seriously considered.

Yours sincerely,

Rokhsana Fiaz OBE

Mayor of Newham