Former president Chandrika Kumaratunga now says that she did not accuse the Military of sexual exploitation of women in the North.
Issuing a statement today her office, the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation has said: “ONUR would like to categorically deny that the former president Kumaratunga did not make a statement as alleged by Brig. Roshan Seneviratne and at no point did she mention or accuse the Military, as a whole, of sexual exploitation of women in the North.”
We publish below the statement in full:
The Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) would like to state the following with regard to the statement dated 18th February 2017, released by Brig. Roshan Seneviratne, Director – Media of Sri Lanka Army.
The statement alleges that on 17th February 2017 English language papers carried an article where it quoted “the head of an ethnic reconciliation body” having stated “sexual exploitation and abuses of Tamil women by the Army in the post war scenario” and such statement would “jeopardize the reconciliation process”. The media release by Brig. Roshan Seneviratne also refers to a few incidents to demonstrate that “the Army fully cooperated with the civil court cases against the accused that were on trial”.
It appears that the news reports refer to a meeting Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Chairperson of ONUR, had with the Foreign Correspondents Association (FCA) in Sri Lanka.
ONUR would like to categorically deny that the former president Kumaratunga did not make a statement as alleged by Brig. Roshan Seneviratne and at no point did she mention or accuse the Military, as a whole, of sexual exploitation of women in the North.
We are surprised that a senior Army official has not thought it fit to peruse and understand the news reports of a statement allegedly made by a former Head of State and Commander in Chief.
ONUR is an institution that is coming under the purview of the Commander in Chief, His Excellency the President and is chaired by madam Kumaratunga. It would have been good practice and common courtesy for the Director – Media of Army Headquarters to seek clarifications from ONUR before rushing to issue a statement.
Answering a series of questions from reporters on accountability and justice, former president Kumaratunga mentioned various examples including the disciplinary actions taken during her time as President by enforcing a Zero Tolerance Policy with regard to violence against civilians, within the forces, to ensure action of some do not bring disrepute to the entire military. Elaborating what has happened in the last decade or so she shared her experience of working with the Tamil community, stated that the people are not singling out war crimes courts as the single-most important matter while some in the Tamil Diaspora do.
She further stated that ONUR has been made aware of the fact that there is sexual abuse still going on by officials, demanding favours even to sign a document, even some Tamil officials, some Grama Sevakas and some people in the forces, and this needs to be dealt with sternly.
It is ironic that the incidents of physical abuse referred in the statement by the Army are all incidents regarding which Her Excellency Chandrika Kumaratunga initiated action in her capacity as the Commander in Chief during the period up to 2005. It is also interesting to note that the Army Media Director’s statement does not speak of a single incident of violence regarding which any action was instituted by the authorities after Madam Chandrika Kumaratunga’s tenure of office.
Related posts:
Army Takes On CBK Over Sexual Abuse Allegations
MR Slams CBK For Revealing Army Sexual Abuse Against Tamil Women
Annesley Dias / February 23, 2017
The Sri Lankan television audiences who watch Sirasa TV is inundated with the nuisance of Ven. Seelaratane Thero, a monk who would not garner 5000 votes, Milinda Moragoda, a failed politician the foul mouthed Sri Ranga, Susil Kindelpitiya, Bandula and the latest hate monger, Dayan Jayatilleka to name a few. It’s appropriate to contemplate, how they have strategized to plant their men in every political party. Count the number of prime time minutes each of these political plants get to drive the blood pressures of the television audiences in Sri Lanka. Are there no laws to prevent this nuisance? Yes, they could claim that they are using their private money to promote their political nominees, but what needs to be stated is that the broadcast frequencies belong to the people of Sri Lanka.
It is time that the media is made free from the clutches of commercial and political interests. A government fund needs to be created to support all broadcasters so that there would be a level playing field, Media needs to be independent, and there should not be any government, religious, commercial or political patronage to any media institution. Laws need to be enacted to withdraw the license of any network that engages in political lobbying. Any misuse of the airwaves should be a punishable offence in law. A powerful commission or an independent regulatory body is needed to oversee the role and independence of the media in Sri Lanka.
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Lola / February 23, 2017
Well, we have all seen the body / corpse of the pretty LTTE woman broadcaster striped naked, and being handled by military personnel during of just after Nandikadel.
What happened to her?
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janaka / February 23, 2017
The hundred Sri Lanka UN peace keepers and rapists of young girls sent home in disgrace from Haiti?
The advice from government departments during last regime telling our women going to work abroad to leave their daughters with their mothers in law because their fathers would probably rape them?
This is not a Buddhist country? American ambassador Colombo?
We are a nation of rapists, we nearly got into the medals coming fourth in world suicides? A similar survey on rapes we must be looking at least the silver?
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Native Vedda / February 23, 2017
Lola
“What happened to her?”
Please ask David Blacker or senior journalist Shiva Shankaran Sarma who works for a Tamil grocery somewhere in Croydon.
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Real Siva Sankaran Sarma / February 24, 2017
You mean the fake Siva Sankaran Sarma. I am the real Siva Sankaran Sarma and live in Melbourne Australia and do not work at a grocery store. There is a suburb called Croydon in Melbourne too but I presume you mean Croydon in England
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Native Vedda / February 24, 2017
Real Siva Sankaran
I meant Wee Thamiz Senior journalist who works for a Tamil shop in Croydon UK.
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Eusense / February 24, 2017
lola,
What did you expect? Put her on a bed of roses and hand over the body to escaping terrorists? She did enough damage to my country and to the Tamil race wiping out a whole generation of Tamil families by resorting to terrorism and broadcasting venom against the country. If these terrorists were wiped out earlier many innocent lives could have been saved.
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jansee / February 24, 2017
Eusense:
So, in fact at least you are man enough to admit that your “hero” soldiers are indeed rapists. And to know that they have stamped their trademark during overseas assignments is very heartening to hear. So, what are you going to accuse those foreign women of your heroes were sent to protect but instead their dicks started wagging.
By the way, how many became victim to your dick? Buddhist country it seems, my foot. Even the Muslims who have been so denigrated worldwide have not earned the “dick-flashing” trophy your monks have. What a race of shameful dicks.
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Eusense / February 24, 2017
jansee
You are another imbecile like the stupid Vedda! From where did you get the idea that I ” admit that your “hero” soldiers are indeed rapists.”?? This is the problem with terrorist Tamils. They are poor in reading and comprehension: the root cause for their down fall!
Don’t be a another idiot, have you heard of the “normal distribution” or the “bell Curve” in statistics ? I guess you have no idea. In any population there are two extremes of small percentages. One who may be rapists and one on the other end who are extremely against such actives. Majority (95%) has no interest in either. It is just like the Tamils; small % of terrorists and a small % who fiercely oppose terrorism, and a majority (95%) who don’t care. (sadly, you belong to the first group). So this your trumpeting of soldiers raping scenario takes you nowhere.
About your dick story, ask stupid Vedda who I guess has a flashing dik.
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old codger / February 23, 2017
Annesley,
Yes ,Sirasa is not the subject of this piece, but nevertheless deserves condemnation. The latest is its allegation of fraud re. the Google Loon project, enlisting the so-called “anti- corruption Front”. A bunch of technical illiterates who claim that spectrum space is to be sold off to foreigners. Do they not know that all the telecom companies are fully or partly foreign-owned, except Lanka Bell?
The real reason is that Sirasa/MTV are in danger of having to move their TV channels out of the 700Mhz band.
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Amarasiri / February 23, 2017
Dear Former president Chandrika Kumaratunga,
RE: CBK Now Says She Did Not Accuse Military Of Sexually Exploiting Women In The North
What you should say is that while the military as a whole did not sexually exploit women, still there were sufficient numbers who were exploiting the women, to be of concern, the “bad” apples.
Besides there are about 10 rapes a day among the general population, in the Land of Native Veddah Aethho occupied by the Paras.
Even among the Para-Sinhala “Buddhist” Monks, there are rapes of boys. Do you know of any children abused by Monks, Priests, Mullahs and Imams?
The truth prevails, despite the different ways you try to massage it.
The Monks and Rapes…
Child Abuse by a Monk in Habaraduwa
Uploaded on May 29, 2010
She sent her grandson to school with the idea of providing him with proper education to make him a good person. The Buddhist monk in charge of the temple asked her to send the child to the temple and she sent him there because they were poor. There was no possibility for them to pay the money for tuition fees. That was the reason why they sent the boy to the temple school.When the child began to refuse going to the temple school so adamantly, grandmother had to look for the reason. It was then only that she discovered that the child who was sent to learn good behavior, ethics and Buddha’s Dharma from the monk had in fact been abused by the monk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNSC93mPs4I
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Analyst / February 23, 2017
Yes ! she did or did she not? How can we take her seriously??
Is she in Denial along with her mate MR?
Now another Liar has joined the Liars group.
My god how do we survive among these BORN LIARS AND THIEVES IN OUR PARLIAMENT??
Get Lost woman , how can you now agree with that mad man ,?
This again calls for investigation for Rape Denial by the UN.
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Wera / February 24, 2017
Taking a statement out of context and applying it to all the army, Issuing statements when not required to do so, using such blown out nonsense to then slander the person trying to do some good are all characteristic trademarks of Sri Lankans. ACE kapatiyas if ever there were such a breed. One branch of the government seem to take all the abuse in silence uttering not a word in its own defence while the other branch looks on with glee at the eunuch like behaviour of their counter parts. How Long can this freedom of the wild ass AKA Sirasa and their ilk be allowed. How long can this go on before something backfires. Fake News, Deceitful protests aided and abetted by those who should know better the list goes on.
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J. Nallasany - Talawakella / February 25, 2017
THE UN HAVE ALL THE EVIDENCE OF SEXUAL ABUSE BY THE SRI LANKAN ARMY IN THEIR TORTURE CAMPS AND IT WILL BE RELEASED IN THE MARCH 2017 UN SESSION.
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Subra / February 27, 2017
How about the IPKF?
They also abused Tamil women in tens of thousands.
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J. Nallasany - Talawakella / February 28, 2017
The Sri Lankan Army was trained by the IPKF to rape and kill Tamil women.
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Raj / February 23, 2017
If I can remember correctly, CBK made a heartfelt public statement how her children tearfully told her that they were ashamed to be Sr Lankan after watching the sequel to the Channel 4 documentary, ‘killing Fields’ which highlighted the gang raping & indiscriminate murder of some of the surrendered LTTE cadre or possibly even civilians. So does she now think that such things did not happen?
I am a bit confused. Was she referring to the post war period with no reported rape & pillage in her speech to the FCA? So what exactly did CBK say which has been apparently misinterpreted by the media? Will CBK clarify her stand with the allegations of war crimes & abuse by the Armed Forces during & the post war period?
The ONUR is, in my opinion, is just a waste of public funds to keep a former failed President in the limelight.
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jim softy / February 23, 2017
Raj
The ONUR is, in my opinion, is just a waste of public funds to keep a former failed President in the limelight.
I think, UN is keep her employed.
So lie to everybody when get caught this.
Why those women widows don’t talk about their right to sleep with anyone they like as they are widows ? Why it is labelled as sexual exploitation ? when gays get big holes in their as it is a right.
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AJ / February 24, 2017
I find your conspiracy theory entertaining.
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Ajith / February 24, 2017
Jim Softy,
Ask your sister or mother or your wife or your daughter to do the same as you advise to the widows.
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AJ / February 24, 2017
Jim’s mother, sister and wife work in Mumbai in a special area. readers know where
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Levi / February 27, 2017
Ajith
Poor Jim Softy. Please don,t tease him too much.
His people have and are already doing what you want them to Practice. This Has been going on for some time. Jim has gone off the rocker and is witeing what he writing now due io this.
So please be patient with Jim. Give him the pleasure to to wend his frustration.
Levi
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Joseph De Vazz - Kotte / February 26, 2017
CBK should foeward all the evidences she got to the UN during the March session regarding the Torture – Sexual abuse and killings of Tamil Women in their torture camps from 2009 to 2016 December.
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N. Nadarajah - Mahanuwara / February 27, 2017
Also the Joseph Army Torture camp in Vavuniya
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Mallaiyuran / February 23, 2017
She had a habit of saying like that when she see foreign Signatories in their soil and when she return to Lankawe, she arrest Corporal Rajapakse as tritor for releasing the locations army’ of mass murders.
After she lost her highly promising Nanny job for Hillary Clinton, she is so confused what she is saying and where.
These are the Cartwheel Gymnastic and Somersault Queens who enjoy their life at the cost of tax payers for 10-15-20 years after going out of office, have been promising solution to Tamils, who are dying at Keppalapilavu for their land released from the world’s’ notorious rapist army at UNHRC, This woman’s games are worse than SWRD’s Pact.
Whether CBK said it or no, Hillary Clinton said and even after many diplomatic pressure, Hillary never took back completely. That’s all we want. Thanks Hillary!
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old codger / February 23, 2017
“ONUR would like to categorically deny that the former president Kumaratunga did not make a statement as alleged by Brig. Roshan Seneviratne.”
What the above means, in simple English, is that she DID make the statement. What low levels has our English literacy reached?
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Erik Fernando / February 23, 2017
She is no ordinary Mamma Mia. She puts her
foot in the mouth and then has problems
pulling it out.This was the case when she
was President and this is the case now
that she has retired.
This happened when she was President. It is
now worst after her retirement. She
believes she is saying the right thing. But
what she says is laughable. She must retire
to Horogolla and the government should pay her
for remaining quiet.
How can she achieve what she failed when she
was President for 11 years. She is going all this
only for perks, perks and perks.
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Sunil Sahabandu / February 23, 2017
The only things she has not denied is that
her name is Chandrika Bandaranaike and she
is head of ONUR – now the symbol of prestige
for her.
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srinath.gunaratne / February 23, 2017
Anti can not remember what she speak with the bottle?
When did she say the first, Near a liquor store?
People be careful when you listen to her, Looks like she drunk most of the time. She will deny she did not torture Rukantha family too?
Is army running brothels?
Sexual exploitation is everywhere, It is here because of poverty.
What has army got to do with it?
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Native Vedda / February 23, 2017
srinath.gunaratnam
“Sexual exploitation is everywhere,”
What are you doing about it? Are you using their poverty to feed Army men’s carnal desires, cheap isn’t it?
There could be mutiny if the men are denied access to affordable services. Poverty helps the state to quell mutiny without a shot being fired.
Read:
Excerpt
Trafficking in Persons Report 2011
SRI LANKA (Tier 2)
“Within the country, women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in brothels, especially in the Anuradhapura
area, which was a major transit point for members of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces heading north. Boys are more
likely than girls to be forced into prostitution – this is generally in coastal areas for domestic child sex tourism. In
2009, the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) estimated that approximately 1,000 children were subjected to
commercial sexual exploitation within Sri Lanka although some NGOs believed the actual number was between
10,000 and 15,000. “
http://photos.state.gov/
libraries/sri-lanka/5/
pdfs/trafficking_
in_persons_report_2011_sl.pdf
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indrapathy / February 23, 2017
What is this stupid denial?
It says “categorically deny that the former president Kumaratunga did not make a statement as alleged”
Two negatives make a positive. So, is the ONUR discreetly admitting the faux pas made by Kumaranatunga?
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Mahathun / February 23, 2017
Old codger you are real genius
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Channel 4 / February 23, 2017
PTSD and possibly inebriated state
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jim softy / February 23, 2017
She further stated that ONUR has been made aware of the fact that there is sexual abuse still going on by officials, demanding favours even to sign a document,
CBK knows veery well above was common among politicians and in their offices. Politicians knew their office people asked sex in return for any help from the politician. There are well klnown names.
Even CBK faught with one who asked sex from a athlete.
She was silent about that.
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AJ / February 24, 2017
So what if she knew sexual abuse is going on in the office? You claimed earlier that sexual abuse is a psychotherapy for the victim. WHY ARE YOU BEING A HYPOCRITE NOW.
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K.Pillai / February 23, 2017
The Lankan Armed services were never under the control of GoSL. This incident is a hint as to the person still in charge.
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sach / February 23, 2017
LOL at the fellows who praised CBK earlier …seriously you dont know this Pachamalla
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K A Sumanasekera / February 24, 2017
Who put the rocket up Her ………..?…
It can’t be Dr Batalanda Ranil ,the Cousin..
Definitely not the Army Director…How can he ,when the whole Army Intelligence Unit is frightened of Dr Batalanda’s CID guy SSSP Shani..
Most probably the ex Gramasewaka, who can’t win even a Cooperative Election for his Faction…
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Native Vedda / February 24, 2017
KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera
“Definitely not the Army Director…How can he ,when the whole Army Intelligence Unit is frightened of Dr Batalanda’s CID guy SSSP Shani..”
There was some truth in Army Intelligence Unit was frightened and frightened of Pottu Amman’s boys because they were reporting directly to Gota. Do you know why they were scared of Gota?
As nation’s Alugosuwa (Hangman) in chief Gota has several advantages, the noose, fleet of white vans, snipers, fix accidents, …… shark at home, ……
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justice / February 24, 2017
“She further stated that ONUR has been made aware of the fact that there is sexual abuse still going on by officials demanding sexual favours ……………………………….even some Tamil officials, some Grama Sevakas and some people in the forces, and this needs to be dealt with sternly.”
ONUR is aware of “some people in the forces” wanting sex in exchange for favours.
Some men of the Army are also on the prowl at night, seeking vulnerable females in the north.
This is well known.
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Samuel / February 24, 2017
As Indrapathy above points out, she denies she did not make the statement.
So she did make the statement. What then is the news story about? It merely confirms she made the statement.
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Good Sense / February 24, 2017
I, for one, will not take what the “retired big lady” says seriously. She is quite capable of changing colours. The basics: While she tries to woo the interests of the minorities now (She did not do that while as President) she would not act against in the interests of the MY3. MY3, though he was boasting previously that he is likely to be a matyr like Mahatna Gandhi of India or SWRD Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, now fears for his life as he has too many irons in the fire (Son in his escapades in his Kim Jong IL style, the daughter in her agency winning state sponsored contracts a galore). MY3’s problem: Will he be done away by his closest guards like what happened to Indira Gandhi?
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ranjith(sprrw) / February 24, 2017
Very clear difference between alcoholism and non-alcoholism. Alcoholism can not run a country. can not create policies of a country. but sometime it may do wonders.
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gamini / February 24, 2017
Why deny now? Cold feet? or has been threatened with rape? Proves the point of the bestial army.
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Prof of history / February 24, 2017
CBK is a loose cannon! In the near future she would say “I didn’t marry Vijaya Kumaratunga; but i did marry prince Vijaya” who landed in Thambapanni in the 6th century BC”.
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Gerard / February 25, 2017
CBK is worse than terrorist Prabhakaran. At least previous LTTE leader had a strong motive to help his people and did not betray his followers. But CBK is betraying all war heroes and Sri Lankans just because she is part of the “team” that conspired together with Westerners to destabilise Sri Lankan economy.
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Native Vedda / February 25, 2017
Gerard
“At least previous LTTE leader had a strong motive to help his people and did not betray his followers.”
Did he really help his people and didn’t he betray his followers? This is a news to me.
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K.Anaga / February 25, 2017
Yes ! Truth is stranger than fiction. So she withdraws. After all she is also a Sinhala politician.
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danusia / February 27, 2017
CBK says
Now I see, Now I do not
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