A senior official at the Attorney General’s Department (AGD) is determined to keep Shani Abeysekera, Sri Lanka’s most widely respected criminal investigator, behind bars, Colombo Telegraph learns on the eve of his much-anticipated bail hearing in the Court of Appeal on Tuesday (15).
The AGD official has decided that the case against SSP Shani Abeysekera will continue despite written reports to the Attorney General from three senior prosecutors inside the Department recommending the former CID Director’s discharge and exoneration.
Shani Abeysekara
All three reports independently confirm why the case against Abeysekera has no merit, Colombo Telegraph learns. At least one report goes into evidence and proceedings in the original 2016 criminal trial connected to the current case against Abeysekera in which the former CID officer is being accused of fabricating evidence, while another deals with the shoddy way Abeysekera is being investigated by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD).
The CCD case is riddled with inconsistencies, missing statements, and highly suspect inquiry methods. CCD officers, under orders to persecute and imprison Abeysekera at any cost, are scrambling to build a case against the former CID Director who was once praised by the former Attorney General and current Chief Justice of Sri Lanka for his meticulousness in criminal investigations.
Despite written recommendations from three prosecutors inside the Department affirming that the case against the former CID Director would not hold up in court, one senior official is determined to ensure President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is not angered by Shani Abeysekera’s release, even without any basis to hold him.
Colombo Telegraph learns that this senior official has ambitions to be appointed to the Supreme Court, and is concerned that any attempt to treat Abeysekera fairly and impartially would anger the President and vaporize his judicial dreams for as long as Gotabaya Rajapaksa remains in office.
Shani Abeysekera’s bail hearing has suffered long delays, with judges recusing themselves and allowing the AG’s department to drag its feet on filing objections to the motion for bail. The last time Abeysekera’s case was delayed on June 4, it was over a judge claiming he could not come to court due to rain, despite that same judge and every other Court of Appeal judge having made it to court without incident on every other rainy day.
It is unprecedented at the AG’s Department, for one senior official to overrule multiple reports from prosecutors recommending a suspect’s discharge, especially without having reviewed the underlying evidence or providing a legitimate basis to keep a citizen incarcerated without credible evidence against him. The reports recommending Abeysekera’s exoneration are at least a month old, Colombo Telegraph learns, and predate new Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam’s criminal division mounting vigorous objections to bailing the former CID Director.
Former CID Director SSP Shani Abeysekera has been in jail for 11 months on highly dubious charges relating to a former senior police officer he nabbed for running a contract killing squad. At least one police officer has already told a Magistrate that the CCD coerced him to implicate Abeysekera, asking him to choose between lying about the former CID Director or facing arrest himself.
Former DIG Vas Gunewardane was convicted by a three-judge bench of the High Court and sentenced to death for the murder of businessman Mohamed Shiyam in 2013. As CID Director, Abeysekera led the department that investigated a series of high-profile murders and abductions that took place when Gotabaya Rajapaksa served as Defence Secretary in 2005-2015. After Gotabaya Rajapaksa became President in 2019, witnesses in the Vas Gunewardane case suddenly started to “recant” testimony provided during the 2013 investigations.
Vas Gunewardane is a crooked cop closely linked to the Rajapaksa regime in general and incumbent President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in particular. Vas Gunewardane, serving a death sentence in Welikada is now one of the prison’s most privileged inmates. For nearly a year, the former CID Director has been a “Patient” at the prison hospital, together with fellow death row inmate and drug-runner MP Duminda Silva. For 19 months now, President Gotabaya has struggled to find reasons to pardon these criminals without triggering widespread public outrage.
Last Friday, the EU Parliament recognized SSP Shani Abeysekera as one of three key arbitrary detentions in Sri Lanka under the Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In a strongly worded resolution, the EU Parliament insisted that President Gotabaya either file valid charges against these persecuted individuals or release them unconditionally.
The Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration’s continued use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to persecute critics and incarcerate them without charge for prolonged periods has drawn the attention of the EU Parliament which is warning that Sri Lanka could have its coveted GSP plus trade concessions to Europe temporarily suspended. Economists fear that the suspension could strike a body-blow to Sri Lanka’s already flagging foreign reserves and tank the country’s economy. (Nimal Ratnaweera)
Jaffna Man / June 14, 2021
I had hoped that with a new Tamil Attorney General things would be different. Alas, all seem compromised.
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Dilshan / June 14, 2021
It will be worse with Sanjay a back boneless back licker
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nimal fernando / June 14, 2021
Honest men who want to do a honest job are in jail ……. made to feel like the bottom rung of society …….
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While serial-killers and grave-robbers get elected president …… made to feel like the top rung of society ……
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What an example!
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And the Mahanayakes and the Cardinals and the 6.9million who helped to usher in these scum are daily wondering why the country is in the pits! …….. Why Sri Lanka is Sri Lanka!
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In this topsy turvy society ……… Buddha is standing on his head trying to make sense ……… wondering how his philosophy ended up creating the exact opposite of his teachings.
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He is outdoing Nadia Comaneci somersaulting ……….. 10/10.
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If one is not forced to live through this crap ……. it would have been hard even to imagine such a feat is possible.
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Lankans are to be congratulated.
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Well done!
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nimal fernando / June 15, 2021
Prof SJ,
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“non-judgmental”
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Lasnatha Wickramatunga was killed like a dog in the street ……
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It was judge, jury and executioner all rolled into one ………. it doesn’t get more judgemental than that!
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He too had children and loved-ones ………it’s not only the Rajapkses’ children who should have the best of everything ……..
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This daily manufactured stupidity/mental-disease …… transcend ideology, nationality, race, religion, caste, creed, color ……….
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Trump, a monumental crook, who should be in jail for the rest of his days ……. is made a hero ……… supported by the Right …..
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Gota, a monumental crook, who should be in jail for the rest of his days ……. is made a hero ……… supported by the Left …..
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When it comes to self-manufactured stupidity …….. for destroying the societies …… that have given them some freedoms …….. The Left or The Right do not enjoy a monopoly ………
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They fear The Truth more than anything ……. even more than Native fears his wife ………
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And spend all their waking-hours …….. trying to create/manufacture a reality/truth they can be comfortable with ………
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“Everything that can be thought at all can be thought clearly. Everything that can be said can be said clearly.” —- LM’s German cousin Ludwig W.
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It high time, people stopped pussyfooting around.
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chiv / June 15, 2021
Nimal Fernando, you said it Bro. After reading your comments I find my self having nothing to say. By the way Prof SJ is busy having in depth discussion (or is it pussy footing) on “being non judgmental”, do not disturb his flow of thoughts.
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Native Vedda / June 15, 2021
nimal fernando
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I am sorry are you sitting on the fence, was expecting hard hitting criticism of all fake patriots, fake socialists, Mao’s remaining devotees, Sinophiles (for wrong reason), ……………. You are soft on Maoist, soft on defenders of Maoism, Chinese atrocities, soft on Gotaist, soft on crooks, you are silent on Hindian’s inability to match their words with deeds, ………………..
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The way things are in North Eastern Hindia its a matter of days Chinese goods are being illegally brought to this island including stuffs from Golden Triangle through Vedaranyam ( in Nagapattinam a well established smuggling route during LTTE heydays) and flooded with cheap and dangerous goods (such as plastic rice) including Human trafficking with the support of Sri Lankan (All Powerful) Navy (remember – Yoshitha Rajapaksa is a Lieutenant Commander) …….
Again you are silent on bribery case, Namal taking/accepting, $500,000 from Hindia’s Krrish Group in 2013.
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?????
Whats going on Nimal?
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nimal fernando / June 16, 2021
Geeze man Native!
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You are worse than a girlfriend I had a long time ago …… when I was trying to solve one problem she would try to heap on a litany of other complaints!
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“Namal taking/accepting, $500,000 from Hindia’s Krrish Group in 2013”
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$500,000 ……. that’s peanuts …….. it’s like giving 5 rupees to beggar on the street ……… you have to come up with more substantial complaints!
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Native Vedda / June 16, 2021
nimal fernando
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You Americans don’t understand.
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“$500,000 ……. that’s peanuts …….. it’s like giving 5 rupees to beggar on the street “
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One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Collecting dimes makes them rich.
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How are you?
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leelagemalli / June 15, 2021
My dear NF,
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I am worried of Honourable Ranjan Ramanayaka( RR). He did a great job. Sometimes, it was beyond all possible boundaries in the country. However, with the grand support of Mafia BOSS, Nimal Lanza became minister, while RR is being thrown to jail ??????????????????????????????????????????????? can this ever be acceptable if we have some sanity ?
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I too had links to him not once several time, in terms of sexual harrasment towards the CHILD monks in so called sinhala buddhist temples across the country.
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This hidden topic was revealed to the nation by Ranjan Ramanayaka, because those victims approached him not once several times.
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Ajith / June 14, 2021
Whether it is Tamil or Sinhala or Muslim AG is immaterial as long as they are under the control of executive dictator.
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MyView / June 14, 2021
Dear DJ
…..a new Tamil Attorney General….
This case was a carry over from Dappula. Give the new man a chance.
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MyView / June 14, 2021
Sorry not DJ.
It is JM for above.
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punchinilame / June 16, 2021
J.M .. A Tamil Executive is more amendable is Nandasena`s view at these times. A Test was
the last judicial high up too. Further, the SB intelligentsia is dumfounded.
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Andare 2.0 / June 14, 2021
Sri Lanka’s most widely respected criminal investigator
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Fake news. Widely respected by whom ?
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leelagemalli / June 14, 2021
Andare,
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that is your definition. But entire world would respect him to be the best ever CID officer to have done his job to the top.
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Even MaRa the most abusive man in SRILANKEN politics, even if he has been acting yet today, fooling around you the kind of dimwits, had once said, SA is the best.
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However, MaRa as the most known high criminal in our times, would never stay consistent.
The bugger ‘s typical words on the stage ” ARE U HAPPY NOW – ඔබට දැන් සතුටුද?இப்போது உனக்கு மகிழ்ச்சியாக உள்ளதா? are now out of MEDIA ‘s voccabulary today. …. how come if SO CALLED JOURNOS are neutral … and doing the job for the whole benefit of the PUBLIC ?
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Simon / June 15, 2021
My Bro. LLM: Excellent. When did you learn that “Tamil”? I feel ashamed of not learning that language. Yet, these days, I am trying on “Chinese”, it is soon to be the “2nd Language”. I sent a reminder to PM, MRA: “Dan Sepada” – “Sein Saye Shufuma”. In the message, I asked him: ” Dami Dushan Cuin” (How much is rice) “Gai Dushan Cuin” (How much is coconut) : “Nee Suigin Chi Yanlima” (Did you recently eat union).
No reply yet.
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leelagemalli / June 15, 2021
Dear Simon,
Thank you my dear, I have never learnt Tamil, and had the chance to do so. I regreted not to have gotten it in my schooling /upto early 80ties. Had I been comprehesible to Tamil, mine would have achieved a lot more than what I enjoyed as of today.
Please reveal more about your area people to the readers. I last met them Feb 2020. There too, they were in the mode of getting caught by the easy tricks being spread in SLanken TV channels from dawn to dusk. Today none of them exchange with me, since all what I predicted have turned out to be ” consequences” before their eyes. Nothing is achieved by WEERAKETIYA PATTA PAL HORU… the wounds of the people have turned out to be ” beyond cure” if I may say so.
Good hearted unbiased sons like you and the few on CT have been doing a great job and your comments would definitely help improving the knowldge of the youth. I realize that yours and Sugandh’s are fastly outreaching masses. YOu have the the god given talent to do it. No fears, we have help taking the PUNNAKKU drinkers to the track.
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leelagemalli / June 15, 2021
As added to my previous comments, I know the pulse feeling of the people in South. I was born to a prominent sinhala buddhist familiy, but today, I respect only “meditation” part of true buddhism (which is not at all BUDDHAGAMA being practised in current day srilanka). I came to know GOOD BUDDHIST monks in CA and Europe. Unfortunately I had no chance to learn good ones in Srilanka. I become nervous whenever I see that Chief incumbent monk of KELANIYA temple, though he himself tied a ” pirith noole” around my right wrist, 6 years ago…. I thought the guy would have been a monk with some wisdom. No, it was it was wrong.
Today, I would not fall/kneel down before a buddhagama monk just because virulent men are wrapped up by SIVURU, I dont believe ” that we have to respect sanga contume etc”…. for having done nothing for the benefit of the masses. if Sanga Constums to be regarded as ” sacred”, then we should better worship ” atairikara” before offering it to the monks. It is just a ritual, got established in sinhala conditioned mind set.
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Not just PUNNAKKU drinking majority, but the fake monks that became decorative animals for Mafia Boss’s political agendas did mislead the nation.
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leelagemalli / June 15, 2021
Bro Simon,
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https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/athulasiri-samarakoon-10-june-2021/
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Please check the bits closely and please add your thoughts.
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Simon / June 15, 2021
Dear LLM; Thanks for giving me the link. I read it once, but need to “study” a bit more. Will come back.
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leelagemalli / June 16, 2021
My dear SIMON,
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Please check the articles below. I consider you as one of the few sensitive commenters to CT.
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/uvindu-kurukulasuriya-7-june-2021/
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Andare 2.0 / June 14, 2021
Sh*tty EU also want to release Tamil political prisoners (aka Terrorists). You better do what your globalist masters ask you to do or you be damned.
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MyView / June 14, 2021
Dear A 2.0
….do what your globalist masters ask you to do or you be damned….
So we should reject off hand the G7 offer :
……Leaders of the major industrial nations have pledged one billion COVID vaccine doses to poor countries……Yes, better be damned – is that what you say?
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leelagemalli / June 15, 2021
Shitty Europeans would have become the LIFE LINE at this critical state of SLGO if their external politics would have been neutral.
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Bottom line is to protect the nation, not the WEERAKETIYA CATTLE thieves.
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Today weeraketiye siblings focus on their family…
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Plato / June 14, 2021
…….A Judge claiming he could not come to court due to Rain……
Usaviyata Pieingthe Yanne.?
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Captain Morgan / June 14, 2021
I am very disappointed that CT has omitted to give the name of this “Senior Official” at the Attorney-General’s Department. Anyway, whoever he is, I know for sure that this chap is a real boot-licking SOP (sic).
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Good Sense / June 14, 2021
Under this setup of a failed state, the existence of a clean, blameless, upright public officer is a rarity. To be fair by the AG’s Department, there are enough of instances where junior officers recommend one course of action, and the top seniors decide on another. It is the basic right of Shani and others that their cases be heard without any inordinate delay, and I see no reason to make a big fuss for the AGD to oppose the cases of Shani and others. It is for the judges to decide, and it is hoped that they would display a level of courage far greater than the lady forest officer of Gampaha in deciding what is legally right, whether it is for or against Shani and others. Shani may not be “agreeable” to this government and will be on remand for a long time and ultimately for nothing just as much as late Anura Senanayake, ex-DIG was not “agreeable” to the “Yahapalana” government and was on remand for about one year with the hype created on account of Thajudeen’s death, with ultimately no case against him. Whatever be the Government, this culture must stop.
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Simon / June 14, 2021
The whole of the Law Enforcement, including the Judiciary is a”Stinkin Hell Hall”. This situation cannot be corrected from within. Read the comment by “Jaffna Man” and one can understand to what “LOW” levels our thinking have deteriorated. We need the “intervention” from outside to “Tighten the Noose” on all these vagabonds so that some sort of “SANITY” could be brought in. Now the question is: Who will Bell the Cat? All this while I thought it would be the PEOPLE, but after reading the comment by “Jaffna Man”, that hope is beginning to fade.
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leelagemalli / June 14, 2021
My Dear Simon,
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If almost everyone or majority of the hell all is well aware of the fact that THE JUDICIARY is overflown with corruption/biased handlings. So why on earth, OUR HONOURABLE RANJAN RAMANAYAKA is still jailed on that matter ?
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I question today not once on and on,, can we ever be proud of being Sinhalayas ?
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Not the monorities but the majority of this country should be made accoutable for their INDIFFERENCE nature against the BIASED nature of Judiciary.
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leelagemalli / June 14, 2021
Our people dont give a damn, even if their lovely ones would have been destroyed to the manner, those murderers exploded worshippers on the Easter sunday of April 2019
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Total ignorants…. I really dont know how our people became that indifferent with the time….. MEDIA mafiosos fish on muddy waters to the very same manner Rajapakshes continue with their mlechcha politics. .
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RohanaW / June 14, 2021
If judges are honest and straightforward, they can give the correct verdict, whatever AG says.
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MyView / June 14, 2021
Dear RW.
The judges only give judgements on the case presented by the AGs Dept. in the prosecution filed.
If AG is malfeasant, the judges hands are tied. Same with Police – if investigations not done, the case presented can be weak and judges are not responsible.
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SJ / June 15, 2021
MV
I appreciate your being non-judgmental.
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MyView / June 15, 2021
Dear SJ
Thank you.
Yes. non-judgemental is good, but rational and logical thinking is better, I think. May not be, to some. To each his own.
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SJ / June 15, 2021
MV
Thanks for the sobering thoughts.
I do not see much conflict between the two. The former is passive but no obstacle to the latter, unlike its opposite that obstructs reason.
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MyView / June 15, 2021
Dear SJ,
Thanks. A notch up on the usual comments.
It is not a conflict but one follows the other.
Yes, Non Judgmental is passive and only the start, but should be followed by the active Rational thinking and Logical reasoning for effective conclusions.
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leelagemalli / June 15, 2021
RohanaW,
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In Srilanka or In western EUrope ?
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As far as my info are concerned, it is impossible in SRILANKA, a country new known as pariah state number one.
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All is now becoming clear, that our predictions are the truth about WEERAKATIYA cattle thieves.
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My elders went on saying, dogs would never stop asskissing welcome gesture when meeting their race. Likewise, RAJAPAKSHES and their men (punnkku drinking majority ) would take long to fathom out …… lets wait… our future generations curse woudl be THE SIZE of UNSTOPPABLE torential rains ….
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Dilshan / June 14, 2021
Judges are worse criminals than the AG dept officials
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leelagemalli / June 15, 2021
Dilshan,
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Judges,
Doctors
Engineers
All other graduates that obtained their degrees done. All these are not from outside world, but from our own country. Be them sinhala, tamils, muslims or others, if they come from SRILANKA….. they have much in common. Look at that B+++++son – minister of justice – ALi sabry… or any other tamil politician in the north… you will become speechless… their thinking patterns are CANCEROUS… beyond cure.
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Are all high criminals and supporters of criminals.. this is how I answered the questions raised by my nephew last week.
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It is upto you to take what is right what is wrong.
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Ad / June 15, 2021
This only proves Rajapakshe’s are guilty without any doubt. Shani is right as always. Great service to the people Shani.
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leelagemalli / June 15, 2021
Ad,
that is why I beleive now and further.. if UURUJUWA and MAKANDURE MADHUSH and their fates should be ended up by extra judicial killings.
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Well derserve to the same treatments are the Rajaakshes from MaRa to their little ones… for all the mess deliberately being continued with the twist of GAWKY stupid masses being guarded by and worshiped by SO CALLED BUDDHAGAMA rituals.
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Pundit / June 15, 2021
It is quite disappointing that a handful of regulars posting comments on CT use the term ” Buddhist ” and derivatives of it , ad nauseam . The so called ‘rulers’ of this land claiming to be followers of that particular doctrine should not be the basis for decent , law abiding citizens including clergy to be repeatedly insulted and humiliated by depraved individuals who clearly lack good upbringing and finesse.
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justice / June 15, 2021
Now in Sri Lanka, all policemen are subject to/are beware of, the reaction of the state, to any arrest, of citizens and state officers, including law enforcers.
Law enforcement is/has become a farce.
This is the beginning of a “police state”.
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Sinhala_Man / June 16, 2021
I’m conscious of not having said anything in defence of Shani Abeysekera. I don’t know him but I have read much of what has been circulating in the media.
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What I have gathered from many sources is that he is suffering because of his dedication.
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leelagemalli / June 16, 2021
SM@
Please read more about SA and leave a comment again.
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SA s life is now in danger. Not just COVID, but he was caught by Heart Surgeries as reports revealed it lately.
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Human rights organisations in and out of the country should involve in the matter, else, doublepakshes would let him die in order to fully destroy the pandora-box SA carries.
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Nathan / June 16, 2021
Dear Sinhala_Man, I have said nothing, consciously!
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