Canada’s threat of pulling funding from the Commonwealth were just statements politicians make for the benefit of others, the Commonwealth Business Forum Chief said in Colombo today.
“I can assure these things don’t happen,” Mohan Kaul told reporters during a joint press briefing with External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris at the Ministry of External Affairs today.
Mohan Kaul
He said the process of funding and budgeting for the Commonwealth summit in Colombo next month was already complete.
“All Governments have already approved budgets for the next five years and this was agreed by all countries including Canada at a meeting in London a few months ago,” Kaul said.
Of course if there was a threat that would affect the working of the Commonwealth he said.
“But I do not see a threat of that happening,” Kaul said.
In a statement announcing Canada’s boycott of CHOGM 2013 in Colombo over Sri Lanka’s rights record, Canadian Premier Stephen Harper said his Government would review its 12 Million Sterling Pounds a year financial backing to the Commonwealth and the Secretariat run by Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma.
Canada is the Commonwealth’s second biggest funder after the UK.
Piranha / October 9, 2013
Another Indian colluding with Rajapaksa to protect him from criticism. The dirty Indians have their point men in every nook and cranny and that enables them to protect the Sri Lankan dictator.
This man appears to doubt Mr Harper’s statement and that is undiplomatic behaviour. There is nothing that can stop Canada from withdrawing funds to the Commonwealth secretariat whether agreed previously or not. Canada is going to be represented and we can expect fireworks at the conference.
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Javi / October 10, 2013
“The dirty Indians have their point men in every nook and cranny and that enables them to protect the Sri Lankan dictator.”
They are not just Indian simply Alu Porotas of Kashmir and Punjab who were backed by Pakistan to these post. Sadly JT’s of SL and TN of India don’t want to see beyond their nose. TN Ganesh was purchased isn’t it? When is a man loved? When he is without vanity. Wiggi’ s moves so far are pure wisdom. It counters Basil’s moves of koheda gehay- kaha gaya. Let’s keep fingers crossed that sanity will prevail.
Deepak is an eccentric punjabi too but born in Tanzania. Play it right don’t accuse them all.
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Dodo / October 10, 2013
Protests have been banned in Colombo for the month of the Commonwealth of Clowns circus (CHOGM), while ironically the British PM says attending the Commonwealth summit is the right thing to do to raise rights issues!
CHOGM is the pretext to abolish citizen’s right – including freedom or movement and expression and yet Camaron is talking about defending rights by attending! What a bloody British colonial hypocrite!
Lankan citizens’s whose funds are being wasted on the CHOGM circus to boost Rajapassa’s military dictatorship, should defy the ban on protests and have a massive protest in November at the CHOGM circus!
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Spring Koha / October 11, 2013
Absolutely spot on! We should have got out of the commonwealth about 65 years ago – stuff the old colonial master, stuff the old colonial language, stuff the traditional obsequious. Trouble is that we had and still have brown sahibs who clamour for the chance to rub shoulders with Brit for the sake of impressing the natives back home ‘look at us standing shoulder to shoulder with the white master’. To perpetuate this nonsense we still send scores of our young to study in their fading universities. Ai’yoo! Ai’yoo!
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Dinuk / October 10, 2013
The British PM should ask the Rajapassa dictatorship NOT TO BAN PROTESTS in November if he is concerned about people’s RIGHTS and refuse to attend CHOGM circus if the ban on protests in not lifted.
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Ben Hurling / October 10, 2013
Watch out Mohan Kaul!
LTTE Die-Ass-Pora is encouraged by Harper’s actions.
You are an easy target for them. They may come after you right after Sharma.
Cheers!
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Ajith / October 9, 2013
Why do you need fund? Is it to help corruption, hide the truths about malpractice by Sharma. There is a strong believe that Rajapakse regime has donated billions of tax payers money to Sharma for his contribution to protect Rajapakse for his war crimes. It is right that Canada to stop funding such a corrupted institution.
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K.A Sumanasekera / October 9, 2013
UN Chief must be seriously thinking of an extension for Ms Pillai.,,,
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Park / October 10, 2013
The sad part is these Indian Politicians turned officials think that the threat of the Canadian Prime Minister is similar to the threat of their politicians in India. They are wrong. They do not know how stubborn Steven Harper can become.
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manisekaran / October 10, 2013
Shameless sharma , Quit CW, please. Save your face at least with minimum grace.
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Rama / October 10, 2013
corrupt indian beggar kaul is another stooge of war criminal rajapaksa.
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RajasH / October 10, 2013
Mohan Kaul – another corruptible Indian?
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Jay Pathbey / October 10, 2013
Canadian interpretation seems to be that the whole world is wrong while only Canada is right. This is what happens when a coward and a moron for a Prime Minister has to depend on refugees and criminals to vote him into office.
Canada you got a long way to go and you can shove your five million dollars of aid you give annually to Sri Lanka up your you know where.
JP / USA
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Javi / October 10, 2013
““All Governments have already approved budgets for the next five years and this was agreed by all countries including Canada at a meeting in London a few months ago,” Kaul said.”
The big question is would Britain arm twist the Canadians to continue paying. The British public is fed up of EU rules and regulations and want to the government to pull out. However, the politicians are reluctant to have a referendum because they would lose and at present 50% of UK trade is with EU and major portion of rest is with US. While Canada has its own resources which are in demand worldwide.
India needs the commonwealth too as the General Tito formed non-aligned movement is almost dead. Iran tried to revive it all in vain. Why does India need commonwealth to behave like big brother in south Asia as much as China is bullying the smaller SEAsian nations surrounding.
All good things come in small packets so let’s not fall prey to the vultures.
No matter what politicians say all wars are economic.
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Jim softy / October 10, 2013
Harper wants to cut finances in every possible way in order to make his budget in the black and not in the red.
Anyway, once they give up on Commonwealth who wants to care about anb obsolete organization that is there to remind the colonial past of those countries.
So, Harper is doing something good to that world.
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gamini / October 10, 2013
Now not only Indian Politicians are Corrupt but Indian Officials as well. This was not so when Rajiv Ghandhi was holding the reigns although it is happening under a Puppet as Manmohan Singh. For that matter India would not have allowed so much of Chinese involvement in Sri Lanka considering their geopolitical threat posed to India. Yet, today both India and China sit side by side for the common goal of these characters to survive which would never have happened had Rajiv Gandhi been at the helm. At least now I wonder whether people will understand as to who really is behind Rajiv’s murder although LTTE cadre was used craftily to commit same.
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Bensen Burner / October 10, 2013
From his good name and the image of his good self one has to gather that that he is from mighty India. May God bless him. Bensen
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ram / October 10, 2013
Canada – a paragon of virtue.
http://www.asiantribune.com/node/64859
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gamini / October 10, 2013
Asian Tribune is a Rag Sheet of lies like the Daily Noise. It’s Publishing Editor K.T. Rajaratnam a Tamil in cahoots with KP, DBSJ ilk supporting MR.
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