The Australian Government Friday updated its travel advisory on Sri Lanka. “We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Sri Lanka at this time because of the unpredictable security environment.” the travel advisory said.
Tony Abbott – PM
We publish below the advisory in full;
This Advice was last issued on Friday, 17 October 2014. This advice contains new information in the Summary and under Local travel (foreign passport holders now require approval to visit Northern Province). We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Sri Lanka at this time because of the unpredictable security environment.
- We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Sri Lanka at this time because of the unpredictable security environment.
- The Sri Lankan authorities have announced that foreign passport holders, including diplomats and international and local non-government organisation personnel, now require approval from the Ministry of Defence to travel to the north of Sri Lanka. See under Local travel for details of the approval process.
- Security forces maintain a visible presence throughout the country. Military and police checkpoints are present along some roads and road closures can occur without warning.
- You should avoid all demonstrations and large public gatherings as they may turn violent or be a target for politically-motivated attacks. Police have used tear gas in response to protests.
- In the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, which includes Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Kilinochichi and Jaffna Districts, post-conflict security force activity is ongoing.
- In both the Northern and Eastern Provinces you should stay on main roads and pay close attention to signs warning of danger from landmines.
- Pay careful attention to the type of visa you apply for. Travellers risk deportation if they engage in activities outside their visa conditions.
- All regions of Sri Lanka experience outbreaks of the mosquito-borne dengue fever. Almost 60 per cent of the 18,000 dengue cases reported nationwide in the six months to July 2014 occurred in Western Province, where Colombo is located. See Health Issues below for more information.
jenn / October 19, 2014
Wasnt it this Jack ass who said that Sri lanka is back to normal in all aspects
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Seelawathie Jayaratne / October 19, 2014
How can this be possilbe when reading about to have made strong ties with australians lately ? Lies of govt cant live long. That they should realize finally.
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srilal / October 19, 2014
This Tony Abbot is a big time hypocrite ,ideal for MR !
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Sun / October 19, 2014
Our meeharaka is being deceived by anyone to this day.
His politics are not connected with any kind of vision and wisdom: We are all aware why EA to be fallen to this level -are plainely connected with donkey politics of MR.
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Sven Perera / October 20, 2014
Yes, current so called leader is the loser of all times.
He makes every efforts to show the other way aroudn to the rural locals by going and wasting every toilet and lab.
Sometimes, entire costs of MR security and maintenance ( 250 lacks /day) – is multiple times larger than the just built and complete lab being introduced to those people. Why is that he himself need to go and check all thse while Education and high education ministers stay as thakkadiyas.
For what purpose those ministers are there if they can represent the coalition in such openings ?
These ballige puthas could save millions if not billions in that way for the uplifment of suffering large masses today.
Why the ballige puthas seem to have no hearts towards the poor ? and their sufferings ?
It is to manipulate the rural masses fooling them further.
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AVB / October 20, 2014
Your criticism is not fair and insulting.. These western politician may not accept their errors publicly, but they do not hesitate to accept their faults, especially when it may affect adversely to their citizens.. This is an example.. Please don’t compare my children’s PM to a bigot like your MR…
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S.Modaya / October 19, 2014
Not even the most moda Sinhalayas now believe Gota the Goon and Mahinda’s CONS: that the long dead LTTE is about to launch an attack – even from the diaspora! They might as well say that Martians will be invading Lanka dressed as the LTTE!
Now the people who know about the corruption and criminality of the Rajapakse family don’t believe their lies. We have reached a TIPPING POINT and now the lies will back fire on the Jarapassa family..
Like the Balu Sena who has now become an embarrassment, the lies of the regime can only go so far before they BACK FIRE..
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Cool dude / October 19, 2014
Bravo SM! Indeed the lies of the regime are back firing all around the PARANOID, corrupt and criminal Rajapaksa brothers who are running scared as they see power and popularity slipping away from them.
Today 5 years after the end of the LTTE Mahinda Rajapaksa’s motorcades are longer and security greater than ever!
So am looking forward to a martian invasion.. since terribly bored with Jarapassa’s tall stories about the return of the LTTE – to justify holing another illegal election, instead of abolishing the Executive Presidency..
Sinhala Modayas are indeed seeing the light – and seeing through the Jarapassa SPIN.
You can’t fool all the people all the time!
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Lanka Liar / October 19, 2014
“You can’t fool all the people all the time! “
Try Australians – you will succeed.
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len / October 22, 2014
S.Modaya aka Antony you keep using the aka S.Modaya. I know in your heart you believe and know even the Sinhala Modaya has a better education & far more knowledge than you will ever be. Heart breaking, you must be shattered have to live in the West that you loath as a refuge loser and been unemployed living off a Western government hand out which taken pity on you.Atleast the Sinhalese as you call Moday’s got a country of their own to live.
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Sun / October 19, 2014
Seelawathi@,
problem is the UPFA idiots always get it wrong.
Just because two ferries or trollers are giftedy by AUS was interpreted by the govt as if Aus and SL have the best relationship. Aus expected to minimise the number of migrants ending up at the coast of australia. This they do with Indonesia and other countries too. But INDONESIA and other poor countries are well aware of this kind of tricks being played by Aus govt. Gonwassa in lanken regime cant have good vision to get all these in a heathy manner. Unfortuantley, the entire nation has to pay a price for his dimiwit behaviour.
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Thiru / October 19, 2014
He forgot about Gnanasara the international Buddhist terrorist and his terror activities – May be next time.
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Lanka Liar / October 19, 2014
This is Australia mate Darrel Hare country. SL will learn from them
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Ansar / October 19, 2014
In short you say, “BEWARE TREADING ON MARA’S TERRORIST SOIL.
Welcome aboard Albott, keep apple polishing the MARA STATE TERRORIST till our country becomes another North Korea,Libya or Zimbabwe.
You guys are a crying shame for democracy. Hang yourself if you have any regard for democracy and rule of law or apologise publicly for being a party for the making of a CRIMINAL STATE.
This has become a norm in our part of the world, since of late.
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Ben Hurling / October 19, 2014
An echo of Idi Amin’s Uganda in the making?
All signs are ominous. You ani’t seen nothing yet. A very dark period is about to begin in Sri Lanka.
Buckle up Sri Lanka for mother of all “Gil Marts”! Presidnetial election will usher in unprecedented vioelnce, vote rigging and abuse of state power.
Cheers!
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Bensen Burner / October 19, 2014
Tony Abbot the Dill has once again fallen prey to another cunning ploy of the Rajapaksas, this time, to keep independent foreign observers from visiting the north to observe the Presidential elections which are to be rigged.Bensen
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / October 19, 2014
Tony Abbott is more interested in “stopping the boats” than anything else. He knows that to stop the boats he has to work with the Sri Lankan government.
For the past 15 years, or so, the Australian government has been trying to “send a message” to those who would come here by boat, by making an example of the people who succeed in getting here. This means mistreating asylum seekers.
The conditions in the detention centres has been monstrous since the time they were run by the American prison corporation WCC. For many years the refugees were kept in large prisons run by the American Private prisons corporation Wackenhut Corrections Corporation (WCC), which ran all the detention centres in Australia as well as private prisons in the USA, South Africa and New Zealand. The refugees and asylum seekers were placed in indefinite detention and treated in a cruel and degrading manner. For example, they were issued with numbers which replaced their names – a classical dehumanizing technique. The abuse only came to the attention of the Australian public when the ABC’s Four Corners did an expose of the plight of inmates of the Woomera Detention Centre.
The abuse was so extreme that some inmates had sewn their lips together in silent protest and self-harm was common, even in children. There was no school for the children and nothing to do. The refugees were given no idea as to how long they would be imprisoned as if they were criminals. Tony Abbott was a senior member of the Howard government that was responsible for these abuses.
Since then the Labor Party and Liberal Party have been competing to be “tough on our borders”. They argue about whether there should be “onshore” or “offshore” detention. This just means more cruelty to those who are seeking a better life in Australia by coming here by boat.
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srilal / October 20, 2014
we all know these barbaric treatments were initiated by then the immigration minister Mr Philip Ruddock , so there is nothing new , question is about your support for the brutal MR regime , is it fare to say that you had been trying to get even with your dad by high lighting isolated crazy LTTE supporters as your scape goat to justify your support for the despot?
John Howard’s racist policies are known to every body , so does Tony Abbot’s ,if you can , please explain your stance on the junta regime !
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / October 20, 2014
Srilal,
I support some of the government’s actions and policies and oppose others. It is not a concern of mine if the Rajapaksa government is voted out at the next election. I am unambiguously opposed to the LTTE, given what I know about the organization.
Not everyone knows about the inhumanity of Australian detention centres, or the role of Ruddock and Howard. These politicians have not yet been held accountable for their actions.
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srilal / October 20, 2014
Dr Romesh ,
what are the actions and policies that you support of this brutal regime ?
LTTE is a terrorist organization and its violent history is no secret , there are no qualms about it , issue is , why certain countries and individuals opted to support MR junta regime ? most probable answer would be self interest , isn’t it ironic that Australia was reluctant to name LTTE as terrorist organization when all most all the western world proscribed them as a terror group ? but now all over sudden Australian government coming forward to help SL !
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / October 21, 2014
Srilal,
I may be able to explain the Australian government’s attitude to Sri Lanka and the LTTE. There are key differences between the Labor Party and Liberal Party when it comes to both Sri Lanka and the LTTE. Kevin Rudd, who was Foreign Minister before he became Prime Minister was sympathetic to the LTTE, while his Liberal counterpart Alexander Downer wanted (under the Liberal Howard government) to have the LTTE banned.
Once the Liberal Party got back into office after the end of the war, there remained concern that the human rights situation in Sri Lanka was as grim as it was portrayed by the Channel 4 documentaries and Amnesty International until senior members of the Australian government visited Sri Lanka to see for themselves. Julie Bishop had visited Sri Lanka to see the ground situation when she was was in opposition and what she saw did not match with what she had expected. There were no “concentration camps” or evidence of Nazi-style genocide, which is what she had been told was going on after the “genocide” of Mullivaikal.
Since then, the Australian government has taken what it hears about Sri Lankan human rights abuses with a pinch of salt. At the same time their biggest concern is “stopping the boats” – something that the Liberal and Labor parties are competing to do. Since the Australian Government started cooperating with the Sri Lankan government there have been hardly any boat arrivals. This has meant that many lives have been saved from drowning.
At the same time, there have been documentaries and news stories on Australian TV that indicate that most of the “asylum seekers” now are economic refugees. It was different when the war was still going on. The government argues that there is a long list of people waiting in detention camps for years to get to Australia, and that those who pay people smugglers to come here by boat shouldn’t try and “jump the queue”.
The bottom line is that the Australian government’s policies have indeed stopped the boats, so they have no intent on changing them.
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srilal / October 21, 2014
Dr Romesh ,
There is absolutely nothing new on your explanation , it’s the same old story which Australian and Sri lankan governments want to portray to the world .
You had taken extra effort to explain Julie Bishop’s blunder , first of all Julie B’s tour was organized in 2013 and she was the Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs ,to begin there were no nazi type concentration camps existed in 2013 , they were there during and soon after the war but had to close down due to international pressure (birth of Ch4 drama began after their correspondent’s revelation about nazi type concentration camps , after that exposure Junta expelled CH4 reporter from SL ) , JB was doing her Hollywood movie along with her co-sponsors and issued a clearance certificate , basically JB white washed the junta regime for her future prime minister (Tony Abbot). Tony Abbot’s policy is simple , no more boats , period ! before the election he promised Australians , that there won’t be any boats coming to our shores , he delivered that promise , how he delivers his promise is the issue at hand here , Abbot administration has been very busy with damage control for the junta , Tony A was generous enough to issue a statement for the junta at the CHOGM as opposed to Julia Guilad’s arrest warrant statement for MR at Perth , not just moral support , TA was kind enough to award two gun boats for the brutal regime .
Dr Romesh , if you have time please check what has Malcolm Frazer said about MR and his counterparts John Howard & Tony Abbot.
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srilal / October 21, 2014
since you brought up the name of Alexander Downer , where is that “i know all ” hot shot ? he was very good at delivering lectures to other pacific/south East Asian countries about the importance of democracy , i remember one incident where he practiced what he preached ,Ex foreign minister was on an official trip to a foreign country and the Ambassador was not there to receive him , as a result he had to hire a taxi , he had displayed his preaching by setting an example , that was by firing the diplomat , food for thought !
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Palayang Yako / October 21, 2014
Dr. Romesh:
When did you wake up from your slumber or were you in a coma attacking your father (?) and defending the Bobbsey Twins (Rajapaksa and Abbott)all this while?
Or do you think there is something to be gained by leaving the now-sinking ship?
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / October 21, 2014
Palayang Yako (whoever you are),
I have never supported Abbott and have never voted for him. I support some of his actions and oppose others. I have never voted for Mahinda Rajapaksa and cannot, since I am not a citizen of Sri Lanka and have not been resident there for many years. Again, I support some of his actions and oppose others.
As for attacking my father, you do not know the nature and extent of my father’s attacks on me, and neither am I going to discuss them with anonymous Yakas on CT.
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Know All / October 19, 2014
I don’t see why anyone should call Tony Abbott all sorts of things because of the Travel Advisory issued by the Australian authorities for the benefit of Australian passport holders who may be contemplating a visit to SL. I gave much the same advice to an Australian friend who told me his son was planning a visit to the island and wished to know what things he should be aware of, and I can assure the readers that I have not cut any deals with the SL government.
Travel Advisories are issued by many governments for the benefit of their citizens, as a matter of course, and it is silly to get all het up about the latest advice from the Australian authorities. Just imagine the plight of an Australian passport holder arriving in SL with the hope of visiting the North and finding that he cannot do so because he had not complied with the requirements of the SL government of which he was not aware.
Dr RS-A is right about Tony Abbott’s concern to ‘stop the boats’. But who can blame him? He is only acting in what he perceives as the national interest and after years of being taken for a ride by economic refugees landing in Australia pretending to be fleeing political persecution, from countries like SL.
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srilal / October 20, 2014
Know All ,
this is not about issuing travel warning , ofcourse Australian foreign missions are duty bound to educate their citizens about any impending dangers / hazards , the issue is about Tony abbot’s lopsided strategy to overcome the illegal boats coming to Australia’s shores , he thought extending support for a brutal regime would stop the boats , TA will be surprised to know that those very same boats are being used to smuggle out people from SL.
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Pot shot / October 19, 2014
Mr Abott,
It was you who said that your are impressed with the progress Sri Lanka was making towards achieving peace. Doesn’t this advisory in many ways contradict your false stance stance of the country? You and the Rajapakes’s are playing “you scratch by back and I will scratch yours” at the expense of people’s lives. Let me also tell you that your policy to support my county’s corrupt government will only make more people desperate to migrate to Australia legally or illegally. So stop blaming the boat people and start blaming yourself. As a former Priest you lack compassion for my hapless countrymen who are being victimised by this horrendous regime.
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Lanka Liar / October 19, 2014
Team Australia – speaks. Operation SL Bluff
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Lanka Liar / October 19, 2014
Abot is the Goata of Australia. Morrison the Merwin. Bishop the Pillaiyan, the triupple gems of Aus and GOSL
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Know All / October 19, 2014
Pot shot,
So, what if Tony Abbott said he was impressed with the progress Sri Lanka was making towards achieving peace? How is that statement compromised by the Australian Government issuing a Travel Advisory based on recent developments? Things change, my friend. Nothing is set in stone.
And, by the way, it would be good to get your facts right. Tony Abbott was never a priest. He was only briefly training to be one.
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justice / October 19, 2014
The SL regime cannot fool all the people – including other nationals – all the time.
The bluff of the ‘bleatings’ of our diplomutts – half from the military – has backfired as ground realities seep into international minds and consciousness, as reported by their diplomats in sri lanka, and human rights organisations including INGOs.
The travel advisory is factual and correct.
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Park / October 19, 2014
At last Rajapakse “Boomerang” has come back to hit him.
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Piranha / October 19, 2014
Tony Abbott is a fool and a [Edited out]
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Sadith / October 19, 2014
Travel restriction to North is a good move, GOSL should have done it years ago. All those tamil terrorists live abroad started to come to Sri Lanka like nothing has happened and enjoy the freedom that brought about by SL armed forces. Those tamil terrorist are the ones who gave money to LTTE so that their barbarian counterparts in the island could kill sinhaleese. Also those foreign terrorists started to have secret meetings with mean diplomats from US, UK, EU and local terrorists from TNA in North, so it’s GOSL responsibility to stop those terrorist activities and it’s been long time coming.
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / October 20, 2014
Indeed, now we also have definitive proof that the LTTE terrorists are alive and well internationally (exposing the bare buttocks of the LTTE shills here who have been bleating about how they’re dead and buried – a few in this very comments section in fact). The new security measures might make these “ex” terrorists think twice before booking that budget holiday and coming to stir up trouble :D
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Native Vedda / October 20, 2014
Wee Thamizh D: Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon
“(exposing the bare buttocks of the LTTE shills here who have been bleating about how they’re dead and buried – a few in this very comments section in fact).”
Brilliant, could you now name them and shame them?
“The new security measures might make these “ex” terrorists think twice before booking that budget holiday and coming to stir up trouble :D”
Jolly good idea.
In addition to the above measures you need to strengthen the armed forces, recruit all twenty million including Grandmas & Grandpas arm them with drones, cruise missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear and biological weapons or Saddamed weapons of mass destruction, bunker busters, brahmastra, war elephants (Indian Tanks), cavalry, sling, spear men, swords, chay yang dau, sudarshana chakra, kaumodaki gada or gathayutha,trident, sting bomb, nunchaku, knight armour, bows and arrows, light saber, catapult,…… etc. You are destined to make loads of money if you appoint yourself as the middleman, agent, consultant, defence analyst, ….. in the politics of fear or by scaremongering.
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lal / October 20, 2014
Seems not many foreigners are taking much notice of their travel advisories judging by the lack of availability of rooms at star class hotels in Sri Lanka. Rooms in Kandy Hotels are going for excess of $140 per night for Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb. Last year this time they were $75-$80. This travel advisory was a copy cat version of UK travel advisory, aimed to hurt Sri Lankan economy, possibly influenced by anti Lankan Tamil elements living in UK and Australia. The anti Lankan lobby cannot stomach the humiliating defeat delivered to their terrorist outfit, the surging tourism industry and the growing economy of Sri Lanka. Sri lanka is rated as a top notch destination in the Western world by ordinary travellers and travel writers. It is possible that the ugly heads of Tamil Terrorism can appear but there is a mechanism in place to crush that. This advisory will be ineffective since Foreign travellers are better informed than their officials!
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / October 20, 2014
These kinds of advisories are actually in place for most non western countries.
If it really was the damning indictment these LTTE monkeys seem to think it is then they must also shit themselves in fear at the thought of visiting places like Thailand and India :D It’s enough to get them rattling their cages though :D
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ASHAN MENDIS / October 20, 2014
You all forget this is the Austratian Government not the SL government where every thing is directed from th top
this advice was probably given based on anaylsis done by low level government bureaucrats given to their bosses in the foreign mininstry who took the decision based on the anaylsis in the best intrest of their citizens
Tony abbot may be an A** H*** but i don’t think he had anything to do with it.
HE probably got to known when he was briefed in a cabinet meeting or worse read it in the morning paper
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Senthil / October 20, 2014
Looks like eventually “Anniyan” or “Indian thatha” came to srilanks under the name of “Red union”. Hope “United srilanka for people with different languages to live happyly together as brothers and sisters will return soon and we all can come back to our old paradise without fear. Remember Devali the day God distroyed all evils and lunies.
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punchinilame / October 20, 2014
The restriction of Foreigners to the North is a step in the correct direction of MoD
thinking – similar to the war-without-witnesses (forgetting to ban Tphones with cameras).
When the “Palace coup” takes place, no Foreigners will be present in such “stations” as
this will be controlled ahead of such a date by this “brainy” US Citizen, so that local
Ambassadors will not call upon him on behalf of their Citizens stranded in Jaffna!
DD and Chandrasiri have been stationed to manage Election Results, if one is conducted.
Wiggie should not have bothered about promises, as these two persons are a MUST for
preparations ahead. Doomsday thinking?
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Spring Koha / October 20, 2014
Now that the honeymoon has ended, the knickers have started to fly.
Truth to tell, Tony Abbot just wanted his voters to see that he could stop the dreaded boat people (though the numbers involved were minuscule in the bigger picture, but, brown and black show up against the clean white Aussie landscape). Now that he has listened to his advisers, Our Tony has reverted to his obligation to Australian travellers. There would have been hell to pay if there was a ‘mishap’ involving a dinky dai Aussie.
One thing’s for sure, Tony can forget jogging with Namal again!
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