“We congratulate the people of Sri Lanka on their historic Provincial Council elections on September 21. The high turn-out and participation in all three of the provinces holding elections is a victory for the democratic process.” the US Embassy Colombo said today.
Michele J. Sison - US Ambassador
Issuing a statement the US said; “We remain concerned about reports of elections violence, however, and urge a transparent and independent investigation into the various attacks and that the perpetrators be brought to justice swiftly. Particularly troubling have been reports of involvement by uniformed individuals in these acts.
A process free of violence and intimidation in the Northern Province is required for greater civilian administration and to help further the reconciliation process four years after the war. These elections provided a starting point for that process. Democracy is not simply about elections, however, and more must be done to ensure that Sri Lankans of all communities can live in the peace and dignity that they deserve.”
Max Silva / September 22, 2013
Whether one likes it or not Mahinda Rajapakse will remain as president for a long time to come.So it’s high time that those who are always nagging about democracy,work with Mahinda.Message to the diaspora,NGO & INGO so called HR activists is very clear.That is that Mahinda is becoming popular day by day.No point pinning your hopes on the habitual looser Ranil.Golden opportunity for the TNA to serve the Tamils of the north.Lets hope that instead of cooling their heels in Colombo,London,NY,Oslo that the TNA will take up residence in the north and serve.
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Silva / September 22, 2013
Max Silva
Don’t you think it is high time for the TNA to work with Mahinda Rajapakse rather than work against him?
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Dum / September 22, 2013
YES HIGH VOTER TURN OUT in the North.. And a Huge Voter Victory for the TNA.. which even they didn’t not expect to get such a Huge Result.. That is some strange kind of Voter Intimidation and Prevention.. As Logic and simple Math seems to defy propaganda peddled by Certain NGO’s and the INT LTTE emigres and their Organisations. The same People who said Once the Elections wont go-ahead, Then there would not be a Free and fair election, Then Called on all Tamils to boycott as they don’t believe in the 13A… But A Note to the USA remember hamid karzai.. How he openly cheated and even later acknowledged by the UN, the west and eventually the USA has was not the legitimate winner.. But was it not clinton who went during his inauguration and congratulated him??? All UDER THE CAREFUL WATCH BY PEOPLE IN USA ARMY UNIFORMS.. Now this is different facts and logis from what happend in SL
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Silva / September 22, 2013
Max Silva,
“..work with Mahinda..”! From which side of the bed did you get up today? The only category who can work with Mahinda are the thieves, robbers, shoplifters, murderers, rapists, gangsters and uneducated and unprincipled gasgembas! His cabinet is full of rogues, criminals, rapists, swindlers and the unprincipled frogs who have been lured by millions of plundered money of the citizens by MARA! Are you saying TNA should work with such a bunch of rogues? No way! You never thought TNA would become so much stronger overnight! You all have got your shit leaked in your pants by now in fear of what will happen to your racist hegemony in the encounter with the TNA. The Wigi is a difficult customer to handle for you. He is just reported as saying they will talk directly with the Rajapaksha Governemnt and try to solve their problems and live in peace with the South but if the regime does not co-operate with them they would talk to India, UN, USA and other international players! Do you mongols see what is going to happen to you! This is the end of your racist game! Tamils will demand their rights, land and police powers, sending the war criminal army lock stock and barrel to the racist South etc. and if the Rajapakshas try to be too smart they will demand autonomy! And of course all the international players are there waiting for this moment to happen and to help Tamils to create their own independent country! So then what? Is this what all the stupid racists in the South have voted for to racist MARA? The very racist bastards who overwhelmingly voted for the racist despot will ultimately realize their deception and would condemn and haul the uneducated despot to the Hague themselves! As for Ranil, this is just another bungled choice of the ignorant voters and not him but the majority fools are the real losers and sufferers. Sinhalese Buddhists are the dumbest fools in the world. Proof of the pudding is everywhere in every social strata. Such a brain-dead nation have used their dead-brain exactly as it can and should! They will all perish together with the uneducated Rajapaksha racists and rogues!
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aratai / September 22, 2013
.
“…Whether one likes it or not Mahinda Rajapakse will remain as president for a long time to come….”
Do you think Mahinda will stay another two or three terms and then Namal takes over?
Are you crazy? How long Gota can stay as Defence Secretary?
Can you imagine Gota calling Namal as “Mr. President”?
:-)
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Saro / September 22, 2013
Tamils welcome the chance given by the president to vote and express our desire to see a form of provincial administration with autonomous powers. The opportunity was created by the international community by UN HRC resolutions and repeated appeals to the government to let the ethnic minorities, too, be extended the same democratic rights as the ethnic majority and any let up will strength the military and paramilitary who were involved in intimidation and violence against unarmed civilians in Tamil areas in the north. What is happening in the north and east is colonisation with the Security Forces and unelected military governors.
The western governments that helped the president crush the Tamil Tigers must show the same enthusiacism and not just passing resulutions at UN HRC and naking statements to make peace and reconciliation. Peaceful co-existance is posible by treatment of all the communities as equal and respect their religions.
The TNA is given a mandate to work with the government to get genuine powers to administer the province with dignity and with resources collected locally and obtained from abroad. The government must let the democratically elected Council function without hurdles put on its way.
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Banda / September 22, 2013
I am not amused by the contents of various statements by the US embassy.
Let the Northern Tamils elect proxies of LTTE terrorists as their representatives, and we shall retain our heroes who drowned them in Nanthikadal.
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Piranha / September 22, 2013
Bow to the will of the people, man. You have no business questioning the choice of the people. LTTE is gone.
You find difficulty in accepting it? I know it was a convenient excuse for Sinhala racists like you to treat tamils as second class citizens in their own country labelling all tamils Tigers. Live with it.
The tamil people chose TNA by 78% of the popular vote. Rajapaksa can only dream of such support.
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Native Vedda / September 22, 2013
Banda
“Let the Northern Tamils elect proxies of LTTE terrorists as their representatives, and we shall retain our heroes who drowned them in Nanthikadal.”
The Sinhalese repeatedly elected Sinhala/Buddhist terrorists yet Mahinda is in bed with some of their rumps.
Remember not only they drowned their own people in Kelania but burned them under pyres made of tyres. Retain them as you please they will show you another Kelania moment. Even recently we saw them in action, killing innocent Sinhalese who demanded clean water.
“For the powerful, crimes are those that others commit.”
― Noam Chomsky
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justice / September 22, 2013
“a process free of violence and intimidation” is required – and will occur only if the army maintains only a ‘token presence’ and lets the police ensure the rule of law.
Will his excellency allow this?
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MJ / September 22, 2013
Well-done TNA and Tamil people in the North of Sri Lanka. God is watching you. US government did nothing to help Tamil people. They only talk and enjoy the comfort they got. This is Tamil people’s victory they scarified there lives to have this.
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Dum / September 22, 2013
Idiot MJ u say the USA did nothing to help.. Cast ur mind back when they were going to send ships to save the LTTE leadership.. Yes All because they love democracy.. They wanted to save the LTTE those Great Lincoln style democarts.. Dum Stupid SO
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Abhaya Premawardena / September 22, 2013
we dont care for your announcements . they are meaningless to us . go back to the hole you came from
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Bandula / September 22, 2013
The current autocratic MR regime is just sodomizing the sovereignty of the people of Sri Lanka, in the name of democracy. Hey Americans, why are you financially propping up this regime by buying the dollar-designated bonds they are marketing, through their national banking system? Just let the rogue regime collapse.
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Dum / September 22, 2013
@bandula ‘current autocratic MR regime’ So u don’t believe in democracy.. Just like the people in the North Voted Freely for the TNA and in the very North UPFA came second not the Traditionally Strong UNP in that area. and the rest of the country also had elections which elected the UPFA.. U cant hail democracy in one part and condemn it in another part..Just like the properganda by the Int LTTE emigres who are Now at a Loss u dont have logic
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Rahula Gunasekera / September 23, 2013
How can Rajapaksha be in power for long time, is it a democracy or a Dictatorship? Hello has anyone heard of term limits. So Sri Lanka will eventually become a basket case like Zimbabwe?
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Spring Koha / September 23, 2013
Let us graciously allow the US government to make their statements as they must.
Most predictions of the results have come true, some with an unexpected twist. We really shouldn’t be surprised at the auto-sodomisation of the UNP by its own ineptness. The permanent leader of the opposition had this coming to him; but he will, thick skinned as ever, gloss over the results and harangue his remaining stooges to order. We hope the freshly-minted Chief Minister is scouring CT in the hope of picking up some valuable tips on how/how not to conduct business with the GOSL. We are in uncharted territory, so it would be sensible to wait till the first ‘shots’ are fired before rushing to our keyboards. One thing is certain; MR has not lost too much sleep and is honing his speech to the General Assembly with nicely capitalized references to this outbreak of democracy where once there was only subjugation to a now deposed sun god. MR will surely enjoy the red and gold autumn leaves as they drift to earth; and declare contentedly that life is indeed good.
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Suresh / September 23, 2013
The Tamils have given a crystal Clear verdict in a democratic manner. They are not for a separate country anymore but wants to live peacefully in their homeland with peace and dignity. The TNA says it is willing to work with the government.
The problem is, will the Rajapakshe brothers accept the verdict of the Tamils and work with the TNA or will they listen to the Racist Sinhala-Buddhist Nationalists and cause unnecessary problems and create a mess.
This is the best chance for the country to establish peace if the TNA and the government work together but it all depends on the Rajapakshe brothers (the most powerful among them is Gota).
The US, UN, India and the International community should monitor the situation and make sure that the Rajapakshe brothers (specially the most powerful Gota) will not cause anymore trouble and create another crisis.
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Silva / September 23, 2013
As you said, it all depends on how the Rajapakshe brothers act. Either they can take the path of the Sinhala-Buddhist racist Nationalists and push the TNA towards the Tamil Diaspora, Tamil Nadu, TGTE, GTF, BTF, and International community or they can take a moderate path and work along with the TNA.
If the Rajapakshe government is clever enough to silence the Tamil Diaspora, Tamil Nadu, TGTE, GTF, BTF, and so on and make them non-relevant, they should work with the TNA and help them. If the TNA can solve the Tamil issues by working with the government, they do not need any support or interference from Tamil Diaspora, Tamil Nadu, TGTE, GTF, BTF, and so on.
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Thondamanaru / September 23, 2013
Michele.J.Sison, kindly mind your own business to the atrocities committed by your Country.
Violence, Intimidation and moreover killing innocent Civillians and taking out civillian targets identified by the INFAMOUS US TASK FORCE 373 – THE DIRTY SECRETS OF WAR – NAVY SEAL CHRISTOPHER HEBEN HAVE THE AUDACITY TO “ADMIT”.
Collect DNAs of UN Diplomats ordered by HILLARY CLINTON…
Do not bother to bother about election violence BUT be concened about the violence committed on innocent civillians by your Country the USA,
YOU DOUBLE TONGUED DIPLOMUT.
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Spring Koha / September 23, 2013
KENT STATE UNIVERSITY – MONDAY 4th MAY 1970.
A template for all time. Always kept in the top right-hand drawer of Gota’s and MR’s desks and regularly referred to.
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