No one in Sri Lanka would ever call me by my lineage name, the anglicised system used in Australia forces me to be a Liyanamohottilage Wijetunga; unfortunately, that … isn’t me
would know, many of us have long names. This is because most have given names sandwiched between a lineage name and a surname. My lineage name, the first of my names, is Liyanamohottilage. If you asked my name, I would tell you it’s Minoli. But anywhere “official” insists on the name as written on my passport – even though their systems can’t handle it; they can’t pronounce it; and contrary to what the system assumes, my first name isn’t my given name.
While this was frustrating, it was still manageable. I only understood the severity of the issue when I registered for. For starters, the online form does not have enough characters to type in my full name. I don’t have the option of using initials either. What ended up on the system is a bastardised version of my name with several letters lopped off.
After the Morrison government, we hoped for a new way on refugees. Instead it is a brutal business as usual | George Newhouse and Duncan FineAt airports, I add-on time to sort out my boarding pass, because much like a library system, the airline’s system often doesn’t know how to print my name on a boarding pass. Then ensues a conversation with an immigration officer on why the name on my passport does not match the name on my boarding pass.
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