By Colombo Telegraph –
Dr. Chris Nonis spoke on the Ambassadors Panel of the Global Economic Forum 2013, UK, and highlighted the geo-strategic positioning of Sri Lanka at the nexus between shipping and aviation routes of the West and the East, and the substantial infrastructure development in the country in the post-conflict era. He spoke of the recently inaugurated Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, along with the Hambantota Port, which will help to position Sri Lanka as a logistics hub within the Indian Ocean. But Dr. Nonis refrained from circulating the newsletter of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, a source closed to Nonis told Colombo Telegraph.
Dr. Nonis also spoke of the infrastructure investments in “Uthuru Wasanthaya” and “Nagenahira Navodaya” in the North and East, in addition to the comprehensive reconciliation and reintegration programmes in Sri Lanka.
L to R: Mr Gordon Campbell, Canadian High Commissioner, Ambassador Prof. Miomir Zuzul, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia, Ms Ruth Elizabeth Rouse, Grenadian High Commissioner and Dr Chris Nonis, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK.
He also highlighted the increasing number of tourists to Sri Lanka, with over 114,000 tourists from Britain alone, from a total of over 1 million in 2012, and that British Airways will shortly recommence its flights to Sri Lanka, which are strong indices of the tourism potential of the Country.
The panel consisted of H.E. Mr Gordon Campbell, Canadian High Commissioner; Ms Ruth Elizabeth Rouse, Grenadian High Commissioner; chaired by Ambassador Prof. Miomir Zuzul, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia; and Dr Chris Nonis, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK, who each spoke about their respective Countries on the theme of “Economic Diplomacy” and its value in increasing trade and investment inflows to their Countries.
Meanwhile an anonymous email is being circulated bashing the newsletter of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. ” We are sure you will be impressed, as users, readers and teachers of spoken and written English, by the linguistic brilliance of this memorable tribute on the occasion of the opening of Sri Lanka’s second international airport. Please do forward this inspiring document to others who are working hard to improve this country’s educational standards and Public Relations skills. We can all benefit from it. Note also the Editorial List of names” says the email.
Article published in the souvenir to mark the opening of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport.
winston / April 5, 2013
Chandrasiri Weligamage, well-known UNP “journalist” now with MR, like so many opoorunists. Don’t be surprised by the quality of the document. This is MR quality. Ascharyaya!
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Wuliangguobinjiu / April 5, 2013
English is not the only language moron.
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fred / April 5, 2013
Of course, not. But if you want to express yourself in that language but are not able enough to do so , at least, get someone who can write it correctly, to do it for you.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / April 5, 2013
Perhaps you dont buy Chinese electronics to be saying that! :)
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Jack Point / April 6, 2013
Yes. This reads like a automated translation from Sinhala using Chinese software…..
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Gamunu / April 6, 2013
Yes. Agreed. This is like an essay of a child isn’t ? I wonder who edited this entire souvenir. Someone should have corrected this.
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winston / April 5, 2013
Yes, but when a publication is meant to be read in English, it must be in correct English in the same way as a publication in Sinhala must be in correct Sinhala. If the publication was in bad Sinhala, would you not have criticized it?
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Wuliangguobinjiu / April 5, 2013
A very Utopian concept in a world full of flaws
In this case its Singlish like the Chinese have Chinglish.
Have fun.
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mike / April 5, 2013
I agree Winston, but this guy Wulia….gob…bij has proven to be an idiot??
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blend / April 6, 2013
mike the bike:”but this guy Wulia….gob…bij has proven to be an idiot?”
If we weren’t all crazy, we would go insane.
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Mahadana Muththa (Jnr) / April 7, 2013
This is English for the birds.
This document was meant to be understood only by birds. They are the only ones landing and taking off from the Mattala airport.
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Aney Apochchi! / April 7, 2013
winston:
You are dead WRONG because anything put out by our “resident idiocy” (the Sri Lankan Government) can be written in ANY language and in ANY manner they choose and any criticism thereof will be met by any such critic being removed by the nearest white van available.
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Jack Point / April 6, 2013
This is not just about English – it simply does not make any sense whatsover. There is no message in this article.
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Leela / April 6, 2013
I must say, leaflets and pamphlets are an effective way to convey messages. And very rightly, it was written in English at this instant. But it is full of flaws; no one would read it for none could comprehend it. I just cannot understand why Weligamage had not found someone to edit it.
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srilal / April 6, 2013
What else Leela, must be a combination of national and international conspiracy!
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PresiDunce Bean / April 5, 2013
Shame on you Ambassador Nonis, for not circulating this sacred document amongst the citizens of the world. May you suffer eternal damnation and may fire and brimstone consume you in hell for this unpatriotic act that you committed on our beloved Fatherland! May you be eternally cursed, never to be borned in this peak of progress paradise, and may your hands be never powerful to never ever forever and ever touch a sacred document such as this, where ever in the universe galaxy you are borned! May the giant force curses of the people destroy you and your kith and kin forever and ever! Amen.
Long Live Our Leader
Long Live Our Country
Long Live Freedom
Long Live Our People
WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, and IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH!
PresiDunce Percy Jilmart Bean,
(B.A.(Bad Attitude) Diploma in Journey Lissome)
Black Belt 3rd dan,
MBBS(Member of Bodu Bala Sena)
PresiDunce of the DemoCrazy, TheoCrazy, International ConsPirazy of Sri RajaPakistan. :D
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justice / April 5, 2013
Dr.Nonis very correctly did not circulate this document.
It is a disgrace to sri lanka & journalism
This “journalist” should be releived of his duties.
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Mama Gona / April 5, 2013
Justice
Why you say truth telling is bad? I read the letter and i see nishe words being saying about our great president and his place in airport?
We don’t see mistake, actually to tell you I don’t understand what is their, but seem like good picture giving people of english country the great britain all the ideas to come to our country.
But Nonis not knowing it is president who wants this done and also senior Minister not supporting president he has to get thing done no.
Dr. Nonis, he should sent to all the british the letter and they will all coming laughing also to Sri Lanka, for perfect holidays
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Park / April 5, 2013
I am confused again. If the development of the North is to be named, why should it be named as “uthure wasanthaya”, why not “Vadakkin Udayam”. This again shows how shallow the government is. Who in the north will understand what uthure wasanthaya means.
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Anpu / April 5, 2013
I AGREE with you Park. “uthure wasanthaya” – it is ok for people like DR RN
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Sudda / April 5, 2013
Long live our Queen! Kaduva, Kaduva, Kaduva!
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GCE Tutionpala / April 5, 2013
If you can’t beat the kaduva, join it.
GCE Tuitionpala
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SunilLokka / April 5, 2013
This is not a publication of the official media of the Sri Lankan Government.
Never known set of people have made this to gain some publicity to them.
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Suddage Putha / April 5, 2013
Is not MRIA a government owned airport, Sunil Lokka? See the logo on the left!
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JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA / April 6, 2013
MRIA Or MARAYA.
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Suddage Putha / April 5, 2013
I am sure President will take swift action as he is expecting Queen Elizabeth to attend the CHOGM at the end of the year!
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Samuel Wijayawardene / April 5, 2013
how can you be that sure ? Are u one of them or what ?
No doubt, queen will not be present in the CHOGM. As they the IC expected, no progress in human rights within the country yet.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / April 5, 2013
She is sick dont bank on her appearence as its confirmed.
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The Duke / April 5, 2013
My wife will definitely be there. She has an audience with His Excellency and hopes to be awarded the Parana Rajini Vibhushana medal.
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Mahela / April 7, 2013
He already has the world’s longest and the most Prestigious award given to HE Mahinda Rajapakse by Kandy Asgiriya Preletes.
If queen is also planning to award one, it should then be more longer and more prestigious than what HE MR has, and it will be difficult to find one other than contact Prof. Mervin Silva.
Is there anymore award could be matched to the one that President Mahinda Rajapakse is the Blood Relative of Lord Buddha and Kung Dutugemunu.
Please ask Jackson Anthony on MR’s roots. He pi…..p knows everything.
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Suddage Pavula / April 5, 2013
This must be an international conspiracy to defame Mattala!
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Anon / April 5, 2013
I don’t whether you’re being sarcastic or a ignorant fool
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GCE Tuitonpala / April 5, 2013
‘An ignorant fool’ not ‘a ignorant fool’. ‘An’ is used if the following noun begins with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u) or a consonant that is silent.
So we would write ‘a President’, ‘an outrage’ but ‘an hour’ because the h in hour is not pronounced.
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mike / April 5, 2013
GCE Tuitionpala, no offence meant. Please consider the possibility of giving English tuition to MaRa, GoRa and BaRa to name a few. These jokers murder the Queen whenever they are interviewed by journalists internationally and locally. Their English Language is painful to my ears. It is high time they learnt to speak in the official language with the aid of an English translator!
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zaheer musamil / April 6, 2013
People who like you, like to taste para sudda’s shit and lick their ass hole.It’s absolutly outragous to see this kind of bastard putting their rubbish in the CT.
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mike / April 6, 2013
Arsehole, what is bad about stating the facts in an esteemed journal like CT? If the cap suits you, put it on and go and see MaRa, GoTA or BaRa to taste their “chilli” paste!!
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srilal / April 6, 2013
” So we would write ‘a President’, ‘an outrage’ but ‘an hour’ because the h in hour is not pronounced.”
Rather we would write as “the president” (definite article) instead of ” a president “, even though vowel letter words start with ” an ” indefinite article , this is not necessarily true at all times , here are few examples ,
we never say “an advice “ or “ an information “ simply because these words are considered as uncountable nouns.
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srilal / April 7, 2013
this comment is for GCE Tuitonpala .
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Samuel Wijayawardene / April 5, 2013
there is nothing more to be defamed there or in SL.
Rajapakshes caused to change the image that the island deserved for the decades
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Peace lover / April 5, 2013
First and foremost you must get the language right,whether it is English or Sinhalese, if not the readers would not be able to understand.I think this guy has written some ‘gobbledygook’!! there is no meaning or wisdom in his writing. I think his main aim was to lap the hierarchy and made himself a fool!!
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Wuliangguobinjiu / April 5, 2013
They got the language right first time for the present Singaylish and Engaylish folk unfortunately you are using the older version.
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veerajay / April 5, 2013
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
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Mahela / April 7, 2013
Who is left there to check English language after sending all the educated and qualified professionals on early retirement.
Who said education is required in Rajapakse Regime. It’s only requirement is to be a FOOT AND AS…S LICKER, BENT ON FOURS WORSHIPPER IN PUBLIC DOMAIN (mervin silva) AND BE A CLOTHES WASHER TO BE QUALIFIED FOR ANY RAJAPAKSE KINGDOM JOB.
ALSO SHOULOD BE A SHOW OFF, ALIBABA, THUG LIAR LIKE THE NEW CJ,AG and the governor CB AND PARLIAMENT MINISTERS AND MP’S.
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Mahasohon / April 5, 2013
Are you sure this handbill is genuine? It seems to be an April Fools’ Day stunt ! Or a feeble transliterature attempt ….?
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veerajay / April 5, 2013
No. This is MR quality.
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Ranil / April 5, 2013
This is Sri Lanka, anything is possible!
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mala / April 11, 2013
Every one have seen only this image so far. None had seen the ORIGINAL copy of what is shown in this image. So it is easy to believe that this is a “made up” thing that is scanned and sent around by email. This whole thing is a fraud. It is silly that people can fall for this type of foolish stuff
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Leon / April 5, 2013
Now that the innocent Tamils have been massacred it is time to murder the Queen.
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mike / April 5, 2013
MaRa, GoRa and BaRa have done that!! – They murdered the Queen repeatedly.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / April 6, 2013
School teacher you sound like the typical red necks on international sites. Whats up you dont get enough bread?
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Kalu Nangi / April 5, 2013
Its the work of the Chinese. Direct translation from Chinese to English. MR is so grateful to the Chinese, he told them to do the article as well.
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Reaper / April 5, 2013
Despite the signature at the end, it looks like it has been done by the same computer programme that writes the instructions for the Chinese made electronic appliances. Hilarious!
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manvork ontharrabijja / April 6, 2013
very much peple telling racist things becos chandrasiri welgame is village boy also and doing best rajapaksha documant. pukkah srilankans who like quens english dont like wen even wen our top crickets players tork after match winning. pukkah peple telling why you murder quens english an orl only sangakaara very fine fello becos he went for trinity.
Bandaranaike did best english torking with suddhars at oxford also but he had best names like soolayman west ridgeway so he half muslim and half britisher becos his father granfather doing nice jobs for british. pukkah peple always try to forlt wen us make littel mistek even but nowing peple no wat we are saying. saranang gatchami to evryone.
long live the satakaya
long livethe wowlar
long livethe amuday
long live the ammageretther
long live ariyasingaler
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Concerned / April 6, 2013
Ha ha ha ha ha welcome to the new Sri Lanka. If one cannot write in perfect English then perfect Sinhala or Tamil would be a better option.
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Darlin de Silva / April 6, 2013
The article in question indicates the quality of the rulers of Sri Lanka. Most of the advisors around the President are half-baked products and are a disgrace to Sri Lanka.
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Aney Apochchi! / April 7, 2013
Darlin de Silva:
If those around the president are half-baked, have you ever considered what the president is?
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Visakha Tillekeratne / April 6, 2013
Oh my god what an embarassment! These are independant journalists!!!
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Mahela / April 6, 2013
The following may be the reason why Dr.Chris Nonis reluctant to circulate Mahinda Chintana Wonderland Mattala Airport.
1)The biggest ever Environmental Disaster ever done in Sri Lanka by covering 400 Acres of very fertile virgin soil and land with three feet of thick Concrete.
2)Mattala soil is the best soil to grow commercial fruits like Apples,Oranges, Grapes, Date palm trees etc, and also low country vegetables which is low investment and maintenance and hi-yield crops.
3)Covering 400 acres with concrete will have adverse effect on environmental and seasonal weather patterns in already dry land.
4)CO2 and green house gas effect at most when concrete is laid where’s the heat receiving to ground, sent back to the atmosphere without absorbing it which will have adverse weather patterns in coming months and years.
5)Mattala animal habitat is been effected heavily and now Elephants are dying or been killed at the rate of one per day, and also other animal habitat been effected, effecting our tourist industry.
6)Regular Daily operational, administrative, and OH expenses are running at 20 Million rupees per day, and how many planes should land to cover this OH expenses alone, with heavy costs been generated to transport Jet fuel in Bousers to Mattala due to not available of storage tanks. Similar situation for other logistics supplies also.
7)Mattala is a Gungle and not a commercial hub while electricity rates are climbing over the roof in Mattala Airport.
8)How much spend on electricity alone per day to light up the airport building, AC, airport loungue, terminal, hangers, rest areas, hotels for 24 hours and to light up 40 miles of thick jungle at night.
7)Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport is not running at full capacity ( approx. three million passengers arrived in 2012 where it has capacity for 7 million passengers).
8)Each Colombo Mattala Transit landing costs 2 million rupees additional for the airlines, burning extra 4000 gallons jet fuel for each landing/ take off in addition to passanger inconvenience.
9)British Airways commencing their London, dubai,Male, Colombo flight from 15th April could be a direct competition to our Air Lanka and Mihin Air which already loosing at 50 Million rupees per day.
8)Mattala could be the next Mahinda Chinthana Museum for our next generation to visit….and may be. Dr.Chris Nonis Knows about it.
Any suggestions……Please don’t castigate me as a terrorist, foreign conspirator or an INGO Kakka. I just use my little working brain only.
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Kamal / April 6, 2013
This must be direct Google translation of Sinhala (if that is available) and since Google is from USA the author assumed this is American English!!
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Ronny / April 6, 2013
Me, con graduate chandisiras are tickle in these be halfs to the Rajapuksa Precedent. Rajapuksa inglich vary god like me. Matala hairpot are big to big frying burds. Poreen mony came on the fucher. I angree to Nonis as she not sow my aretickel to ingreasy man. she where cote and trowser no ariya cinhala soot no sapayakata hens vary bade. i and Mervyn vil riten in cinhala nekst ear. Tanc yuu. Wimal
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fred / April 6, 2013
I do apologise for my earlier statement. Upon reading what the likes of Wuliangguobinju have had to say, I have seen the error of my ways. I have now learned that how you say anything does not matter, never mind the fractured language – it is the thought that counts!
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Patta Pal / April 6, 2013
As for the article, the mere fact that it was published in the Souvenir of the opening of the Airport is sufficient to consign the Organization to the rubbish dump. No one who can read English can understand, so those responsible should be ashamed of themselves, but they are not!
Further the intention of teaching English ‘our way’ is the most retrogressive step taken by the Govt. It is simply because English is for the purposes of Communication, with those who do not speak or read Sinhala. No foreigner can understand the English that is taught, no it is a patois called Singlish. We must teach a language called English where we are able to communicate with people, not people who use English as a mother tongue but as a communication tool with say a Russian. Even a Russian can understand the English I speak, but cannot understand the Singlish that is taught. I rest my case.
People forget that a few words of English will help our migrants just a little bit more in the host countries which are not English speaking, but use it as a tool of communication with people of other nationalities.
Let us get back to basics, and not piss around the dark to inflate someone’s ego. Drop Singlish and reinstate English
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Michael Perera / April 6, 2013
Chandrasiri Weligamage of Davasa fame is in the news again!! He was a reporter for the Sinhala daily. Then, he had only one major problem – getting into his badly tailored trousers. If he played football wearing that, the referee would have cried “off side.” If he were to board a flight from Mattala, he would have had to swear an affidavit that he was not carrying two grenades between his legs.
Dr. Nonis is lucky not to have circulated the souvenir to mark opening of Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport or MRIA. He would have been accused of murder, of trying to murder Her Majesty.
But Weligamage has achieved something. He has managed to get more people to talk about Mattala by doing a Geoff and Mutt act. That is why he won a doctrate in journalism. Some of the tutories in Sri Lanka sell three for the price of one!!
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kattakarawala / April 7, 2013
Wonder why the Presidential Advisor on English Dr. Sunimal Fernando didn’t correct this document.
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Piranha / April 7, 2013
He did, but didn’t see anything wrong with it!
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Yakada Yaka / April 7, 2013
Ha Ha Ha! Good one Piranha! True as well.
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gamini / April 7, 2013
Possibly because he felt it is befitting Mattala and the standards of MR.
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Mahela / April 7, 2013
Sixty percent of any Project is spent on MR Image building and Promotion. Big talk, advertisements and cutouts, hiring unlimited media,REadio, TV, Camera crew, hiring unlimited journalists, foreign reporters paid by treasury, foreign dignarities brought 100 percent on Govt. expenditure (similar to the hired plane load of US delegation at Mattala opening ceremony) and all others who were there etc,etc…..
Aishcharya….Gangnam style.
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ELMO / April 7, 2013
IT’S A BLOODY DISGRACEFUL DOCUMENT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPENING OF SL’S SECOND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. IF HE COULD NOT WRITE THE BLOODY THING IN ENGLISH WHY THE F…. COULD’NT HE WRITE IN SINHALESE, OR TAMIL OR CHINESE. THIS IS SOME THING THAT HAPPENS EVERY DAY, IN OUR STATE NEWSPAPERS, STATE DOCUMENTS AND STATE NOTICES, AND BUGGERS LIKE WALLIU….. WILL DEFEND THIS GOO BETTA. MAYBE HE IS THE BUGGER WHO WROTE THIS.
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Diva boru nokiyai / April 7, 2013
What I like best is the statement that “His Excellency the President did not putting the development to backside”. Wonder whose? The tone of the whole piece does indicate a lot of salivating taking place at someone’s rear end…
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Gamey Keruma / April 8, 2013
You all forgot one thing about Chandrasiri
Weligamage. It was not meant for overseas
consumption. It transpires that the document
was meant for the thousands who attended
the event but did not sit in the VIP enclosures.
They understood what our BA qualified in Journalism
said. What for the tellin. Knowin peeple knows whos
the we are…
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benett / April 8, 2013
Actually you are all geting it totally wrong. Because what you see on that leaflet is actualy the way MA and his goons think… Very revealing.
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sagara / April 9, 2013
If you cannot comprehend this letter, that makes sense. Who decided to build an airport in the middle of a sanctuary? Can you comprehend it? If so, what’s the wrong with the leaflet?
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gaje / April 9, 2013
Interesting to see comments adding on and on…….!
There is no doubt about Wickremage’s fluency? What is more important is the lack of depth of thinking by the government and the wowlars (bats) who are hanging on including guys like Chandraprema! The whole thinking pattern is directed at the gallery Sinhala Buddhist vote! Not the intellectuals. The bats hanging on cannot conceptualize anything beyond this, even lies like the learned Dr Nonis is able to present! There are many types of bats, 1. Those who are bribed to keep quiet (e.g pabha, Bharatha Lakshman’s wife ?? Even the daughter), those who maintain positions with fringe benefits e.g Dr Nonis, others who are benefited by tenders and bribes, those blackmailed to keep quiet (e.g. Grero, and Earle etc) or even threatened with takeovers or bodily harm (the white van is sent only if these options fails!). THEREFORE there are many levels of bats some at the supposedly ntellectuals level like the UGC chairman and the vc in waiting, Pseudo CJ etc.
In terms of English, God Save the Queen, in terms of Sri Lanka, subha anagathayak!
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