Varuni Amunugama dreams of shutting down Sri Lanka’s social media platforms because the traditional print and broadcast media pay absolute obeisance to the politically powerful media tycoon and partner at Triad, media observers noted after she forced a newspaper to publish a right of response to an Editorial on 14th July 2021.
Varuni | Source: @FernandoVaruni/Twitter
“The time has come to stand up to cyber-bullying. I believe my stand will auger well for all social media users because a few bullies will not be able to over shout and intimidate those with opposing viewpoints in the future,” Amunugama said in her right of reply.
Her response was issued in tandem with Nimal Perera, a corrupt businessman and stock market manipulator implicated in the Airbus procurement scandal and money laundering in connection with the Krrish Deal. The pair have faced strong criticism on Twitter over their public remarks and bullying tactics to curtail the freedom of speech of some users of the platform, by calling up parents and employers. Many of these young social media users have been intimidated into deleting their tweets regarding Perera’s involvement in the Airbus corruption scandal and issuing apologies. Returning to Twitter after a long hiatus, Amunugama slammed users as “Twitter Maggots” and accused them of “patriotic paralysis” for daring to criticize her interview with host Alanki.
Despite these efforts the Twittersphere has remained fired up and relentless in its mocking criticism of Amunugama and Perera. Perera has since “taken a break” from Twitter and made his account private. Sources said the duo were incensed that they have failed to crackdown on the criticism on the social media platform.
“People like Varuni Amunugama and Nimal Perera command unstinted loyalty in the mainstream press because Amunugama holds all the trump cards by virtue of being Managing Director at Triad. Newspapers and TV channels that stray out of line could face a sudden drop in advertising, if Triad advises their clients to stop advertising with a particular outfit in retaliation. But what they have found is that this strategy doesn’t quite work on social media because most people active there are free agents,” a media analyst who did not wish to be named told Colombo Telegraph. “Therefore now they are resorting to threats about legal action and Varuni is claiming that her fundamental rights have been violated. FRs can only be violated by state actors, not social media users,” the analyst explained.
Ironically, Amunugama’s reply to the editorial published on Cyberbullying in Daily FT came out the same day that the women’s newspaper Dharanee that she owns was embroiled in controversy over the unauthorised publication pictures from cartoonist Shanika Somatilake social media as part of an article penned by Keele University Professor of Psychiatry Athula Sumathipala, implying the artiste was “mentally ill.” Sumathipala is also an editorial member of Royal College of Psychiatrists Magazine. Despite multiple complaints to the University, Keele University is yet to respond to the article penned by a faculty member castigating women for posting photos in swimwear on their social media profiles. (Complaints should be addressed to the Communications Department news@keele.ac.uk)
Cartoonist and musician Somatilake posted a series of hilarious videos parodying Amunugama’s remarks in the interview that enraged the media tycoon.
Image Courtesy: Dharanee Tabloid July 14th 2021
“So while Amunugama forced Daily FT to issue clarification on her behalf, that same day, the whole conversation on Twitter that day was about how Varuni had used her Dharanee newspaper to bully and slander Shanika Somatilake,” the analyst said, explaining that the whole strategy had backfired badly.
Amunugama seeks a Goebbelsian hold on the social media space in Sri Lanka, because like the President she created, she realizes this is the one realm SLPP backers cannot control. Like Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Amunugama has also revealed her dismay about criticism of the President on social media, perceiving it as “not giving him a chance”.
Sources said inner circle members like Amunugama who seeks full authoritarian control over the formal and informal spaces for expression in Sri Lanka, could be driving the Government’s new laws to crackdown on social media with regulations and threats of arrest. Several users have been arrested for posting criticism against the Government and the president on social media, but despite this intimidation, the mocking continues unabated.
At a March 2021 Women’s Day event, Amunugama smiled cherubically as she delivered chilling remarks about how she would run the country if she ever had political power.
“Discipline is one key area. I will introduce military training at the age of 18 to ensure that this country has a disciplined generation. Finally, finally, finally, because I am from the media background. Misinformation is killing the future generations. I will have a war room, where first I will control social media, maybe bring in censorship – this is unpopular, but I will do that. Then I will ensure that the war room will gather information, assimilate it and I will control the flow of information. For one reason I will lead by example with honesty and integrity, and I will ensure that the future generations of this country will do the same. I will impart information every day, positive news about the country, so that we end up creating a positive Sri Lanka where the people, the citizens are proud to live in this country.”
See Video:
During her remarks, she claimed she was not a “card carrying member” of any political party, but expressed fawning praise of the president she had a hand in creating, saying Gotabaya Rajapaksa was a “humble” leader with integrity. She also praised the Government’s handling of Covid-19, implying that Sri Lanka was doing better than New Zealand and Australia.
Amunugama also defended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s disastrous Gama Samaga Pilisandara (Conversations with the Village) programme, praising him for going to the village to learn about the people’s problems. The programme was suspended after the President’s visits to villages became a laughingstock and offered him too many opportunities to speak off the cuff, threaten media organisations and opposition politicians and critics and display his ignorance on national television every other week. Every single programme became a public relations disaster for a President whose image was carefully constructed in the run up to the presidential election in 2019.
Varuni Amunugama is one half of the media/advertising power brokers with the greatest proximity to President Nandasena Rajapaksa. Dilith Jayaweera, her business partner was instrumental in constructing Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s image as an efficient, clinical bureaucrat and it was a marketing strategy that was so successful that it hoodwinked 6.9 million people, political analysts have pointed out.
Varuni Amunugama is the daughter of veteran politician Sarath Amunugama and cousin to Dilum Amunugama, the thuggish Kandy district SLPP MP who broke the Speaker’s microphone during the 2018 coup riots in Parliament, was implicated in stirring and organizing the Digana anti-Muslim riots in March the same year and recently encouraged Gotabaya Rajapaksa to become “Adolf Hitler”.
See full video of Varuni Amunugama’s Goebbelsian remarks at iLead Women’s Day event here from the 55th minute onwards here.
Humble / July 17, 2021
This is staged drama.
Yes they want to totally censor the internet.
But not because some woman in a political circle (probably a freemason) got offended because a media cartoonist (probably another freemason) made fun of her.
The real reason they want to censor the internet is because of people exposing things like freemasonry, covid being a hoax etc. More and more people are waking up and they are getting worried.
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Sinhala_Man / July 17, 2021
Humble, back to freemasonry?
.
I tried to discuss this with you, but apparently to no avail.
.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry
.
An endless subject, and I don’t think that many will bother with it.
/
nimal fernando / July 17, 2021
Singapore Singapore Singapore
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Everyone wants to be Singapore
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But all these crooks who want to make Lanka into another Singapore won’t tell you is that corruption in Singapore is 0.0 …….. nonexistent!
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That’s the main reason many international corporations and Banks decided to relocate their Asian headquarters to Singapore.
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The primary reason Singapore is Singapore is not LKY but there is hardly any corruption …….. and in the rare occasions when they encounter corruption like in the case with Barings Bank (Nick Gleeson) ……. the culprits are swiftly and harshly dealt with.
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LKY’s greatest achievement is establishing a country with very little corruption ……. and the financial/economic gains/benifits followed.
/
leelagemalli / July 17, 2021
Nf,
.
You are dead right. I think the failure lies with SRILANKEN MAIN STREAM MEDIA. So called investigative journalists refrain from questioning on the cruicial points. Besides, Singapore is yet not even 6 millions. They dont have any kind of natural resources. I still remember how I found first visit in Changi airport in mid 80ties. I thoguht it was a paradise. Yet today, Singapore is one of the attractive airports in the world. Singaporians are law bound people. THey have no space to abuse the law because law and order is placed above to all in that small country.
To my surprise, I have not seen any public discussions rounds being telecasted by any of the TV channels since Gotabaya and Mahinda got reelected. Local press would not care much about the kind of discussions yet today.
Not a single TV channel has beena able to interview them as of today. Leaders behave like “Führer” with no pressure being excercised by the main stream media. That is why I believe, both media mafia men and crook politicians ruin this nation today. Derana TV should be bombed down, if people to improve their awareness in local issues.
/
Simon / July 17, 2021
nimal fernand: LKY’s Singapore is “HISTORY”. In just two cases, Sri Lanka experienced the magnitude of “Corruption” for your records: (1) The famous “MIG” Deal by the then Secretary of Defense Gotabaya Rajapakse and (2) The “Commission” payments to the then CEO, Kapila Chandrasena of SriLankan Airlines. In both the above cases the “Commercial” establishments that “Handled” the “Deals” were registered in Singapore and all the “Shady” transactions went through its Banking System. You being a well-informed person of what has been going on with our(S/L) Governments, I do not wish to set out the details of these two well-known (Internationally) cases. I do not wish to “SKIP” the case of “Arjuna Mahendran” the citizen of Singapore who “Drained” our CBSL.
If “LKY” was in power, the people involved in the above three cases would have had their graves paved with “Black Tar”. Aren’t all those “Involved” in these cases “Live Happily Thereafter” the “Great Robberies”. I do not wish to go further into their shady activities connected with the “Commercial Establishments” in shady operations but stop at saying: LKY’s Singapore is History.
/
nimal fernando / July 18, 2021
Simon,
–
Some interesting points ……… I don’t know the inner workings of the legal system of Singapore …….. but most countries whose legal-systems are well established and robust ……. have well trodden procedures laid down.
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In the case of Arjuna Mahendran ……. I don’t think Ranil’s or Gota’s governments ever had the real intensions to get him down. People can’t just go around shouting Mahendran is a crook and expect Singapore (or many other countries) to just ship him back. There are well established procedures to extradite a person. I don’t think SL ever made a genuine attempt to properly carry them out.
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With regards to (1) and (2) …… MIG deal etc …… has SL ever made a genuine attempt to recover the funds? There are perhaps millions of transactions going through banks but it’s difficult to monitor every transaction. Some countries have put the onus on their banks to monitor drug-money laundering and child-pornography money-dealings and harsh penalties are imposed if they fail.
/
nimal fernando / July 18, 2021
continued
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No country on earth is populated by moral people ……. some countries have well laid down laws and procedures that keep people “relatively” moral/honest. Most countries’ banking-systems that want to attract funds guard the “secrecy” of their clients ….. Swiss banks are a case in point …… the owners had to fight to get back the Nazi loot and the funds in lost accounts ….. eventually Swiss banks relented due to external (especially US) pressure and to preserve their “reputations/good-name.”
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” “Drained” our CBSL. “
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Can someone please enlightened me about this? Although it’s called the Central Bank robbery ……… the entity that really lost the money is the EPF …… it’s the EPF that eventually bought the bonds and had to pay a higher commission than they otherwise would’ve. The bonds are auctioned by the CBSL to maintain “an air of aloofness” …… a hands off approach …….. although the “auctions/selling” and “buying” by the EPF (which is controlled by the CBSL) are carried out by 2 sections of the CBSL.
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I suppose, the “hands-off” approach is similar to an IPO where a company would hire a investment bank (or several) to book-build and conduct their initial public offering ……….
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OC, I’m sure you know the inner workings of this transaction? …….. Native?
/
nimal fernando / July 18, 2021
“The bonds are auctioned by the CBSL to maintain “an air of aloofness” …… a hands off approach”
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Correction
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Similar to an investment bank ……. Mahendran’s SIL’s outfit was hired to auction the bonds.
/
Simon / July 18, 2021
nimal fernando: Thank you. The details of the “THREE” cases I mentioned are too exhaustive to write in a comments column, but that was to simply say “LKY’s Singapore is History”. That case pertaining to the CEO of Sri Lankan Airline Chandrasena emerged from a court case filed in the UK against an aircraft manufacturing company- Airbus. It was “Established” that illegal payments were directed through the Banking System in Singapore. A case has been filed in S/L against this CEO, but want move because he is another “Goon” of “Rajapakse & Co. Inc”. So with the “MIG” deal. The facts are well recorded. As this comment is not related to the main article, I wish to conclude, but would “Preserve” the detailed information I have for future use. Cheers.
/
old codger / July 19, 2021
Nimal,
The notoriously incorrupt Singapore authorities need solid evidence that AM committed a crime. The fact is, there isn’t any. Our lawyers, from the AG downwards, are as incompetent as the “engineers” at Norochcholai. People tend to repeat catch-phrases like “drained the Central Bank” without any understanding of what happened. It was the government that took a loan from Aloysius, not the other way around. In the case of the EPF,, paying even 2% premium isn’t going to collapse it, especially since the interest will roll in for the next 25 years. You may have seen my challenges to several pundits on this forum to provide figures, but, predictably, no response.
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nimal fernando / July 20, 2021
OC,
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“Singapore authorities need solid evidence that AM committed a crime. The fact is, there isn’t any.”
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Simple as that! ….. now wait for the majority of Lankans to comprehend.
–
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” “drained the Central Bank” “
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“It was the government that took a loan from Aloysius”
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So, the government/CBSL sold the bonds to Mahendran’s SIL’s Perpetual Treasuries who on-sold them to the EPF? …….. And Perpetual Treasuries would’ve facilitated the transaction by taking a short term loan from the CBSL or the EPF! …… very clever! :))
If I’m not mistaken, there are only 2 “legitimate” (discounting any underhand deals/transactions that we don’t know) ways CBSL could have lost money
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1) Sell the bonds to Perpetual Treasuries at a lower price (say selling a $100 bond for $95) …… then PT on-sold the bonds to the EPF for $100 or higher (depending on the perceived movement/direction of future interest rates) ……. and pocketed the difference
/
nimal fernando / July 20, 2021
continued
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2) Pay a higher interest rate for the bonds (say 10% instead of 8%) …….. I’m unclear how PT would benefit if this is the case …….. for a bond with a 25 year maturity, that would take 25 years ……. unless PT also sold the spread to the EPF taking a cut.
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Anyway, the way the rupee is going, the government is already up on the deal – if they used the money wisely! :)) ……. a rupee then was a lot worth than now! ……….
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old codger / July 20, 2021
Nimal,
30 years is a long time. I believe 10 billion rupees might get you 3 Marutis in 2050.
Interesting fact: A stainless steel washer the size of a 1 rupee coin (also made of s/s ) is worth 9 rupees now. Don’t let that give you any illegal investment ideas.
/
old codger / July 20, 2021
Nimal,
Yes, it was an opportunity loss. The difference between 9% and 11%. 2% of 10 billion is hardly likely to drain the CBSL. But it was enough to sink the UNP and land us in the current Splendour
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old codger / July 17, 2021
If Varuni wants to be President, she’ll have to dump her husband Fernando and marry a Rajapaksa. That’s how this country works.
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leelagemalli / July 18, 2021
Dear OC,
.
There are rumours that DUMINDA SILVA will be their presidential nominee for 2024. He is best candidate to succeed record breaking criminal Gota.
/
Native Vedda / July 17, 2021
Sinhala_Man
–
Have you heard of China has already harvested rice in the space?
Siri Mao was right when she wanted to import rice from moon, this what she exactly meant, some 60 years ago?
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Scary.
/
Native Vedda / July 17, 2021
Sinhala_Man
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I am sorry I forgot the link:
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Space rice feeds new space race: China is getting serious
https://www.zmescience.com/science/agriculture-science/china-space-crop-13072021/
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Let us congratulate SJ.
/
nimal fernando / July 18, 2021
You guys are dead wrong! …….. China’s moon is Sri Lanka ……. they are already cutting down forests and dredging lakes to grow their rice here!
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Don’t mind if it’s all done by Chinese women! ……. Native, wanna know about Chinese gals? :))
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Buddhist1 / July 17, 2021
The reason why they want media restriction is because they do not want the people to know, especially the younger generation that her father stole money and took bribes when he was in UNP. He jumped over to Mahinda’s lap when UNP lost and SLFP won to save his neck from the grip of the law. She is living a luxurious life off the stolen money and bribes.
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leelagemalli / July 17, 2021
Now many of us should be clear as to why so called powerful Gota to stay deaf and dumb whenever Dilum Amunugama is making silly public statements one behind the other: Not even Sorysen would be that that lethargic/sloth like as Gotabaya.
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1) Dilum Amunugama’s public statement on the teachers recently
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https://asianmirror.lk/news/item/33363-one-teacher-is-enough-for-entire-country-for-online-education-dilum-under-severe-fire-over-remarks-on-teachers
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2) Dilum Amunugama is in the view that Nandasini/aka murderous Gota would be acting like Hitler soon
https://ceylontoday.lk/news/president-should-become-more-like-hitler-dilum-amunugama
/
deepthi silva / July 17, 2021
Half-baked woman. Is there a single country which developed because there was a censorship ! ?
Her mother was a teacher from Balapitiya, Varuni hasn’t got the suavity and class that her father portrayed.
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ramona therese fernando / July 17, 2021
God! Who is this terrifying woman? Very scary.
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leelagemalli / July 18, 2021
another Pawithra/or Seetha Arambepola.
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Sugandh / July 17, 2021
This article has given us an opportunity to hear the incredible speech delivered by Dr. Santhushya Fernando at the March 2021 Women’s Day event! SHE is an incredible human being… We need to hear more from HER. And nothing at all from Varuni Amunugama.
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Sugandh / July 17, 2021
Another incredible human being: Sarah Kabir, Activist, Author & Researcher – Peace building and Reconciliation. Wow, what an incredible speech and vision!
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Nilshani De Silva, Differently-abled teacher (Bishop’s College, Colombo) and motivational speaker too delivered an inspiring message!
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If you haven’t heard their message, don’t miss the “if I were the President” messages delivered by these Amazing souls in March 2021
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Sinhala_Man / July 17, 2021
Sugandh,
.
You always speak sense.
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There seem to be all sorts of links incorporated in this article.
.
Could you please indicate, in a comment of your own, the lists which are worth following up.
.
It looks as though those who talk rubbish are having a field day.
/
Sugandh / July 17, 2021
Dear Sinhala_Man
–
Thank you for the kind words…
It’s the very last hyperlink provided within the article that has the full video of the March 2021 Women’s Day event and includes the speeches of some incredible human beings. (Please click on the very last word of this article).
/
Simon / July 17, 2021
Sinhala_Man: You are a TEACHER and my WORSHIP to all my Teachers. Pl. follow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlWplaHd_t8 by Manel Rebera.
” Moosilaian Udumale – Ape Guruthuma Thawamath Yayi Iskole”.
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / July 17, 2021
This woman probably has a misguided idea of what Lee Kuan Yew was, in Singapore’s rapid ascent to a world-class economy, without the freedoms enjoyed by many western democracies. Hence her remarks about what she would do as a leader if she ever got that opportunity. She probably believes that freedoms to express dissent are the same as sabotage or civil disobedience that Mahatma Gandhi successfully campaigned for, under the repressive British rule that stifled and oppressed all Indians. She would do well to read about developments in universal human rights, enshrined in UN conventions, rather than resorting to ignorant comments like her cousin Dilum who wanted a Hitler to run Sri Lanka.
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KP / July 17, 2021
Does Varuni Amunugama realise it is because of freedom of speech that she is able to air her views publicly? Not a smart lady after all!
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Native Vedda / July 17, 2021
KP
–
“Does Varuni Amunugama realise it is because of freedom of speech that she is able to air her views publicly?”
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You are missing the point.
She wants to air only her views in public, not yours nor mine.
She is her masters voice. Thats all.
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Captain Morgan / July 17, 2021
Varuni Amunugama can try to do whatever she wants with Facebook and Twitter. But if she ever tries to lay hands on Colombo Telegraph she will never find out what hit her as lies there in the accident ward staring up at the ceiling. She had better be careful!
P.S. That warning is for everybody else too!!!
/
Native Vedda / July 17, 2021
Captain Morgan
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Varuni Amunugama (Her Master’s Voice) is not just one person who is denying our people’s right to free speech but there are others too.
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Shavendra recently warned “media must be closely monitored”, (Colombo Gazette, 28/05/2021).
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Unambuwe (Ambassador to Germany) floated the idea that an anti terrorism task force on cyber security should established to monitor social media platforms of youth in Europe, especially Sri Lankan Tamils living in the are (Colombo Telegraph JULY 31, 2020)
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High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the UK Saroja Sirisena kicked up huge fuss when The Guardian published a trivia pusuit in which it asked its readers -‘Eelam is an indigenous name for which popular holiday island?’ According to Guardian the correct answer was Sri Lanka (3/06/2020 dailymirror.lk). This entire island was known as Eelam from ancient time.
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We have enforcers, Goebbels, and clueless historians not only decorating top offices of this island but also representing all of us abroad. The above news items show one wants to openly sensor media, the second wants to eavesdrop youth abroad (ready to defy laws of the lands), the third one believes it was her duty to pervert history.
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Does it matter a local b***s carrier encourage or give media cover to a fascist leadership?
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old codger / July 18, 2021
Native,
Do you remember that “Anti- porn Task force” that Mahinda set up many moons ago?. It seems that a bunch of people were paid by the state to view porn all day. They must have had the time of their lives!
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Native Vedda / July 18, 2021
old codger
–
“It seems that a bunch of people were paid by the state to view porn all day. They must have had the time of their lives!”
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Is it why soma does not regularly appear on Colombo Telegraph?
Whenever he decides to have break he pops in here and type …………….
/
Simon / July 17, 2021
This is another “Action Plan” of “Militarization” of “GR’s” regime. As I said in an earlier comment, there are “SELECTED” five areas to be encroached upon and “RE-DESIGN” to suit that establishment to be established. Those “Selected” areas are (1) EDUCATION (2) RELIGION (3) ART (4) JUDICIARY and (5) MEDIA. This “Entry” of Varuni Amunugama is on “Designing” the “MEDIA”. It would be interesting to observe and study the “REFORMS” that are slowly but steadily being introduces in the above-mentioned “FIVE” selected areas. Keep an eye.
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ramona therese fernando / July 17, 2021
Dolores Umbridge !
/
leelagemalli / July 17, 2021
Nf,
.
You are dead right. I think the failure lies with SRILANKEN MAIN STREAM MEDIA. So called investigative journalists refrain from questioning on the cruicial points. Besides, Singapore is yet not even 6 millions. They dont have any kind of natural resources. I still remember how I found first visit in Changi airport in mid 80ties. I thoguht it was a paradise. Yet today, Singapore is one of the attractive airports in the world. Singaporians are law bound people. THey have no space to abuse the law because law and order is placed above to all in that small country.
To my surprise, I have not seen any public discussions rounds being telecasted by any of the TV channels since Gotabaya and Mahinda got reelected. Local press would not care much about the kind of discussions yet today.
Not a single TV channel has beena able to interview them as of today. Leaders behave like “Führer” with no pressure being excercised by the main stream media. That is why I believe, both media mafia men and crook politicians ruin this nation today. Derana TV should be bombed down, if people to improve their awareness in local issues. xxxxx
/
chiv / July 18, 2021
This one reminds me of Presidential Thatha,s girl. Lanka is full of such righteous creatures. I remember how she defended her Father’s diplomatic postings as illegal FM , during the brief political coup.
/
Pandi Kutti / July 18, 2021
In future all other books and authors will be banned from the island and only text books and fairy tales written and approved by Varuni Amma will be sold and read at schools to make all children feel good from a tender age, towards the Rajapussies and their acolytes. Eg Namal befriends the Chinese Dragan. Gothic and his pet Russian dog ( A must for all animal lovers, How Gothic rescues a little Russian puppy from freezing Russia and even sends a special plane to transport it to sunny Sri Lanka) . Gothic and his pet sharks. A story of Gothic preserving endangered sharks by feeding them environmental refuse that is delivered daily by special white vans( a must for all environmentalists and for little children to appreciate sharks, the environment and the valuable work done by white vans). Basil and his wonderful lamp, A good story on economic management and how to performs all sorts of tricks with money. Lastly Mahinda Baba and his gang of patriotic marauders. A feel good story of how brave Mahinda Baba and his gang, manage to steal and cunningly plunder and amass a lot of wealth from various underserving and nasty people like the Thamizh and the west all for their common betterment . Lastly how to keep fit and healthy. Singing and dancing lessons from Varuni Aunty
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Thiha / July 18, 2021
This is an upside down fairy tale. Lets get the facts straight she wants positive news about Sri Lanka. She thinks the youth needs military training. She is a reflection of her lord and master Gotler. It is his brain talking. That said her mother is from Balapitiya no wonder she can do this. My father had a very low opinion about people from these areas as nasty scheming scoundrels must be in the genes. The Father is an ace pole vaulter who jumped like a kanagroo from one political party to another. Dilum her brother is another idiot who parties hard and gives press conferences thereafter still half drunk and babbling rubbish. Trinity College Kandy has a lot of such idiots. Some are playboy sons of politicians others just plain stupid with no brain to bless themselves with. I once knew a few of them. Anyway she presides over the most corrupt regime run by a family of murders and crooks and she wants only positive news about the place? Also she thinks she can ram down her propaganda down the throats of the youth by forced military training. The brown shirts of Germany made no difference to the megalomaniac who reduced Germany to a pile of rubble.
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Ajay / July 18, 2021
Part 1
Varuni has demonstrated to the whole world what an immature and ignorant little twerp she is. Such people only become bloody arrogant and resort to cheap bullying when someone makes valid criticism of their publicly expressed views on public issues. That means she’s not fit to be in the media profession, or for that matter any profession at all. She should resign and go home right away. In a more civilized country, public outrage would have forced her to quit by now. Her interview with Alanki was a disgrace to say the least. It’s simply mind boggling a woman could hold such feudal, patriarchal and sexist views on her fellow women in this day and age. Actually she comes off as a misogynist and a fascist. She doesn’t seem to have a clue how young women of today, and millennials in general – whether rural or urban, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, local or foreign – feel about themselves, their sexuality and gender, gender relations, and social equity and justice. Actually Varuni’s utterances are threats amounting to micro-aggression towards women, making them feel unsafe in any space with a TV on Derana Channel.
[Contd. Below]
/
Ajay / July 18, 2021
Part 2
Now Shanika is a brilliant satirist with an acerbic wit, and she is fully justified in using her talents in countering Varuni’s wanton humiliation and disparaging of women on national TV. No one defamed Varuni – she did it to herself by displaying in public her ignorance, primitive mind-set, and servility to the powers that be. How does Varuni react? She stoops to the low level of threatening Shanika, publishing her pictures without her consent, and calling her mentally ill with the highly questionable backing of someone supposed to be a professional psychiatrist. Now who is the defamer, the bully, the mad person. What Varuni has done is an appalling violation of all journalistic ethics, norms of professional conduct, and even basic human decency. She should publicly apologize at least to salvage what is left of her reputation. And the psychiatrist, I think, is going to have to answer some tough questions as he’s in the UK and it’s not like working for the Rajapaksas.
/
Rajash / July 18, 2021
Drumming for the Rajapasas?
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KP / July 18, 2021
Ajay you say: “And the psychiatrist (Keele University Professor of Psychiatry Athula Sumathipala), I think, is going to have to answer some tough questions as he’s in the UK and it’s not like working for the Rajapaksas.”
~
Can I have the link to what the Professor had said?
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If I were to find his comments inappropriate, I would be writing to Hannah Barjat at University of Keele to make a complaint relating to what is really an equality and diversity matter. Also to Joe Caine, Head of Business development. Their email addresses are in this link.
https://tinyurl.com/ba84h95e
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I will also be copying my compliant to the following two people:
Professor Trevor McMillan, Vice-Chancellor
https://tinyurl.com/63pcvw8u
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Miles Venvil of the Student University who covers the area of inclusivity and diversity. It’s important for women students at the University, in particular, know their professor’s views on gender equality. You will find his email address in this link.
https://tinyurl.com/ysv57nr8
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I am a British citizen with ancestral roots from Sri Lanka. I have been a resident of the UK for 53 years (Sri Lanka was then known as Ceylon!). I am not a dual citizen.
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