Most Sri Lankan mainstream media outlets buzzed with the news that Sri Lanka had been “ranked 9th” in the Global Response to Infectious Diseases, as the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Adminstration rushes to gear up for ‘operation normalcy’ in order to facilitate a parliamentary election during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nalaka Godahewa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Articles appeared in The Morning and Daily Mirror, claiming that “Sri Lanka Ranked 9th in Global Response to Infectious Diseases”.
The Morning newspaper owned by Derana CEO Dilith Jayaweera, and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s closest confidant claimed “Sri Lanka and its President Gotabaya Rajapaksa have been ranked 9th in the Global Response to Infectious Diseases (GRID) index.”
The Daily Mirror also cited the same “GRID” ranking on the front page of the newspaper. Neither of the publications made reference to the credibility of the index or what the data was based on.
Colombo Telegraph found that the source cited in those articles was the website www.cmawebline.org, which is the website of the Certified Management Accountants, Australia.
Former SEC Chairman who was indicted on financial misappropriation and money laundering charges and who is now a candidate on the SLPP nomination list Nalaka Godahewa is the President of the Sri Lanka Chapter of Certified Management Accountants, Australia.
Interestingly, Nalaka Godahewa is the President of its Sri Lanka chapter.
A simple Google search for GRID INDEX 2020 results in only two results in reference to COVID-19. One is a link to the website of the certified management accountants Australia. The second is to The Morning newspaper, owned by Jayaweera.
According to the CMA cites the website www.healthreviewglobal as the source of its information on Sri Lanka’s handling of the pandemic, a completely unknown organization. Colombo Telegraph conducted a brief investigation about the origins of the Health Review Global website cited by CMA to qualify Sri Lanka’s approach to tackling the crisis in the internet registry.
Image 1: Search of the internet registry reveals website www.healthreviewglobal.com on which CMA “GRID Index” is based was created on March 19, 2020Using this unsubstantiated and abstract information, for reasons it knows best, the Certified Management Accountants, Australia ranked Sri Lanka as 9th on its “global ranking” of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our investigation revealed that the website had been created on March 19, 2020. (See photo below).
Instead of doing the necessary background checks, the Sri Lankan media jumped on the so-called GRID ranking circulated by the Rajapaksa Government’s chief purveyors of fake news led by Godahewa and Jayaweera and told the Sri Lankan public that their country was ranked 9th in the world for handling the pandemic.
Image 2: Sri Lanka ranks #15 in the world of countries at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic (Source: Deep Knowledge Group)
In fact the London based think tank Deep Knowledge Group has ranked Sri Lanka #15 in the world in terms of COVID19 risk level.
The DKG also ranks Sri Lanka among the lowest in the list of safe countries in the Asia Pacific. (See image below)
Image 3: Sri Lanka ranks among the lowest of countries in the Asia Pacific region to be in during the COVID-19 pandemic (Source: Deep Knowledge Group)
Sri Lanka does not rank anywhere in the top 40 of the list of Top 40 COVID-19 SAFETY COUNTRIES RANKING published by Forbes.
Although highlighted in January and February this year by the opposition and civil society, the Government claimed that there was no risk posed to Sri Lanka, and went on to dissolve Parliament and call for early elections. The Government also commissioned its musical ambassador Iraj Weeraratne to create tourism promotion videos, thereby inviting the virus into an otherwise safe Sri Lanka.
Prominent ministers laughed at suggestions that elections be postponed, claiming that they wouldn’t postpone an election they are certain of winning.
The Government is keen to rush for early elections before its absolute mismanagement of the COVID-19 issue is highlighted in the media, most of which is presently well controlled by the Government.
Speaking on the basis of confidentiality to Colombo Telegraph, two senior government doctors said that, if mandatory quarantining has been efficiently carried out, and imposed earlier on, there would have been absolutely no spread of the virus within Sri Lanka. However it appears that the Government did not take these steps as it would then have prevented the Government from dissolving Parliament early, and proceedings with early elections.
Several doctors from several Government hospitals across the island, speaking on the basis of strict confidentiality fearing reprisals and victimization, also confirmed that many patients were dying of ‘COVID-like symptoms’, but were cremated without testing for COVID. They said that it was almost certain that these patients had contracted the virus, and should be considered as COVID-19 related deaths. If these were included, they said, the COVID-19 mortality rate would be many times higher than that reported by the Government.
Thus the creation of this FakeNews comes as the regime is determined to claim it is successfully handling the COVID-19 crisis, in the midst of obvious mismanagement of the crisis by the Government.
While frontline doctors and medical staff are risking their lives to deal with COVID-19, it is a further national disaster that the Government is suppressing, distorting, and fabricating information / data for petty political gain, thereby putting the lives of citizens generally, and frontline medical workers in particular, at further risk. (by Chamika Madiwake)
Saman / April 18, 2020
Those who lick back of Rajapaksha family must work for them, if not they have no life.
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Sam Fernando / April 18, 2020
They have been planning to award a double DOCTORATE to this Baluhewa in next days, for being that servile and doing the FAKE news management with that Galle born BP – Dilith Jayaweera. Dilitha Jayweera was known to us then, he was just an idiot also in his schooling days, very sort of selfish guy, never thought about others but whatever he thought right – was his opinion.
This man became the owner of DERANA production, thanks to the BLACK money of Rajaakshe family business, since they knew nothing they could do with the funds earned through black means, Avantgarde business and various other means incl. looting statefunds. However, with a mountains of evidence being collected, previous govt and their inability let grow the wound beyond the healing levels I would say. Today, looking back, I dont think if SIRISENA is not stupid, would ever feel like to have done it his due, during his terms. The bugger, a village born uneducated man to have risen to that level, was the background in srilanken society, leaving any culprits, regardless of proven knowledge could easily rise up. A nation, that repeatedly gives the chance to idiots being the leaders, what more can NOT we expect.
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Vietnam is among the leading countries to have controlled the CORONA with ZERO death toll, though the population is 4 times more than that of island nation srilanka – And Nepal with all the poverty levels in south asia has been one another to have managed it going beyond srilanka – we the srilankens have not yet performed at least 5000 test, but to selfproclaim… my god where have we been marching ?
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Ajay / April 18, 2020
Rajapaksa Political Mafia
Consolidation of Power
Phase I – Over the corpses of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians at Mullivaikkal – May 2009
Phase II – Over the corpses of [how many?] Covid victims all over the island – May 2020
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Sam Fernando / April 18, 2020
Not even 30 mio of rps has been spent for the testing yet.
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But bps make self-glorifications about their achievements.
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Are these not similar to those WALGA THARUWA promotors thesedys ?
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Srilanka is one of the poorerst countries in the world
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over 40% of the pople are under poverty as seen in the TV screens today.
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Some questions, a govt who cant provide the nation with a packet of dry ration for few weeks, how would ever be able to bring this country to progress ?
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Gota s reality is similar to that of a DOWN SYNDROME patient, but all the pride and ground realities come out once he opens his mouth – or breaks the silence..
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Hik hik he should be able to see it beyond his LINMAEDI MENTALITY – a frog in a well mentality- then only he could get the attention of those who really want him to lead this country, with the support of them. Be Gota or anyone should see it right – but not continously sitting with criminals and listening to them only.
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Those who criticse the govt to be put in Jail – is in making… that is kind of sending a message, if ” you open your mouth against them, ” will be arrested…. no chances.. as is the case with Ranjan Ramanayake who was lately arrested for nothing, bu tto have stood against police.
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We saw as many are known, that ballige puthas stood always against the police during the last 4.5 years, but never ever, former govt asked them to arrest anyone.
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Sirisena may be anidiot of high grade, but MEDIA freedom was given under his rule.
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Today a govt run by RAJAKSHES goons has taken it to all appalling levels as nothing could heal them reversing.
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Nadeeka Abeyrathna / April 18, 2020
well done for the expose. It was a shame how Daily Mirror have gone to the depth of piece of s**t.
when I saw Nalalaka G., a criminal who is out in bail was one of the leading men of this so called institution., it ring a bell for things to come.
Rajapaksas are common criminals and what we expect from them?
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Pon Kulendiren / April 18, 2020
Do the Sri Lankans know that Gota after working in a gas station went to Medical college in the US and qualified as a doctor in infectious diseases. He knows much better tan Professional doctors when to restore the country to normalcy.
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Ashan / April 18, 2020
He must have attended the same school as Donald Trump, who has said that he knows more than all the experts. Now look at that mess they are in.
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OUR EPF MADE THEM / April 18, 2020
[Edited out] writing in capital letters are discouraged -CT
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justanotherfool / April 18, 2020
As the possibility of an election nears, there is going to be more and more of these mud slinging exercises. No doubt Covid19 will be used by both parties to their advantage, interestingly, over the control measures because no body wants to be seen as doing too little.
What are the chances to hear about militarisation, surveillance, or the impact of curfew instead?
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S. C. Pasqual / April 18, 2020
Real base of the the article is……
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Ane………
Please please please pretty please……….
What ever you do……
No elections please…..
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What is more difficult…..?
Taking a virgin to a bed……..
Or
Taking civil society, UNP and JVP to a election……..
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Sonia Weinman / April 18, 2020
Gotabaya Rajapakse has saved Sri Lanka once from the LTTE menace. He is about to save Sri Lanka twice.
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Native Vedda / April 19, 2020
Sonia Weinman
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“Gotabaya Rajapakse has saved Sri Lanka once from the LTTE menace. “
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Do you think so?
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“He is about to save Sri Lanka twice.”
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Do you think so?
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Has his military men invented new vaccine for corona?
Congratulations.
Could get self proclaimed strongman Gota to save the world by sending his vaccines to other countries including USA, which might consider granting visa to single handed General Shavendra Silva, WWV, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc,….
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Thinker / April 18, 2020
Such fools!
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Ajay / April 18, 2020
I like the guys in the picture. Their goofy smiles show they’re self-aware of the irony of their white clothes covering their dark interiors.
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Frustrated Demalaya / April 18, 2020
Here is some food for thought.
After Coronavirus will Gota turn quarantine centres into concentration camps of political opponents? There is a strong possibility.
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Native Vedda / April 19, 2020
Frustrated Demalaya
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“After Coronavirus will Gota turn quarantine centres into concentration camps of political opponents?”
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Like Christopher Columbus Single Handed General Shavendra Silva, WWV, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc ……….. has discovered a new island near Kilinochi, where he intents to detain illegal immigrants from India. Alternatively he reserves the right to quarantine/detain all Corona viruses, his and Gota’s perceived enemies, use as a Harem, ……
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JD / April 18, 2020
In fact the London based think tank Deep Knowledge Group has ranked Sri Lanka #15 in the world in terms of COVID19 risk level.
London is in deep sxxxt. they know that. their simulations software lied and UK was supposed to be among the best prepared countries. Now, they say all those went wrong and they are big trouble. worse than some European countries.
UK could not predict anything right. Even their PM was just saved.
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Ashan / April 18, 2020
Winning by hook or by crook…..and wasn’t those Easter day bombings very convenient timing for some?
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Mallaiyuran / April 18, 2020
Lankawe and China are bloody liars, not telling the truth about their Corona numbers.
President Trump should hold the money without remitting to WHO. After President Reagan held back UN payments, I supported Clinton to remit the due to UN. But the situation is now different. WHO is certainly paying its games joining it hands with the reascal countries. These countries are not telling the truth even after the world has suffered this much.
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K.A. Sumanasekera / April 18, 2020
Why would he wants to do that when Runs are on the Board???….
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Amarasiri / April 18, 2020
Colombo Telegraph,
“While frontline doctors and medical staff are risking their lives to deal with COVID-19, it is a further national disaster that the Government is suppressing, distorting, and fabricating information / data for petty political gain, thereby putting the lives of citizens generally, and frontline medical workers in particular, at further risk. “
It is about the tribe. They want to show a successful face to the imbeciles who voted for them, and get additional imbeciles to vote for them .Now, the imbeciles , mean Measured IQ 79, are without work and without food, thanks to Gotabaya claiming that there was no Wuhan China -19 virus problem on March 17th,
Yes, the China virus deaths are probably twice what was reported. China reclassified 4,000 additional deaths as COVID-19. So China had at least 8,000 deaths.
Why is that everybody against ti call this the Chins virus ? If the Ebola virus , came from the Ebola river is called the Ebola virus, the Wuhan China virus should be called Wuhan-virus-19 or the Wuhan China -19, in addition to COVIF-19, SARS-CoV2 .
Are the Para-Sinhala Para- “Buddhists “ racists claiming that they controlled the China virus by cremating a few innocent Muslims as well. The imbeciles, mean Measured UQ 79, will believe anything the racists say, especially the saffron clad child monk molesters.
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Eagle Eye / April 18, 2020
Amanasiri,
Do not blame everybody for the inability of one imbecile to comprehend why it should not be called ‘China Virus’ or ‘Wuhan Virus’.
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“Why is that everybody against ti call this the Chins virus ?”
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Lanka / April 18, 2020
The ranking of the country is immaterial . Even the powerful country U.S.A could not flatten the curve as Covid-19 positive cases have exceeded to 675,000 and death 36,000. Comparatively , with limited resources and capacity Sri Lankan medical personnel have done their best and their services should be appreciated and commendable.
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Ashan / April 18, 2020
Being honest with the people, especially at times of crisis, is essential.
Lying to the country to cover up your mistakes (like Trump) to win elections, is dishonest, devious, and being unpatriotic.
People need to know where they stand during a health crisis.
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Dionysus / April 18, 2020
Chamika Madiwaka forgot to consider that according to our Tourist Board, Sri Lanka is a refuge should global tourists want to escape Covid-19. Not only will they have nice scenery, they will also have wholesome medical care. There is also enough black tea and Ayurveda should tourists happen to contact the virus. Fiction is stranger than truth.
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Don / April 18, 2020
Don’t they feel of shameful after giving fake news to fool general public. They imported COVID in the name of shabby election fever.
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JD / April 18, 2020
Compare Indonesia with other countries. Sri Lanka has more than Myanmar, Nepal, probably Maldive island, Bhutan and Cambodia but certainly not with Indonesia which is worse
Indonesia Now Has The Most Confirmed COVID-19 Cases In Southeast Asia (NPR news)
Article is about JEALOUSY FOR PRESIDENT AND ARMY ACHIEVING A LOT. – WRITTEN on behalf of Academics, NGOs, parliamentarians (we know who), Trade Union reps and some Journalists.
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BPutha / April 18, 2020
JD The idiot.
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babalath appu / April 18, 2020
JD,
you should be an idiot not being able to see it right.
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What have they achieving ? Not even being able to provide the people in need with a ration for few weeks ? But the loads of being gaind as aids being heaped… may well be their second thoughts are focusing on to treat it with the TSUNAMI fund embezzlement. We know these BPs…. once bitten twice shy… but our punnaku drinkers would not get it easily. That is our curse.
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If you have got two brains cells left, please check it out how VIETNAMESE have done it – not a single death being reported for a 100-mio population – but our ballige puthas failed to SALOON DOOR to the island as early as March… why was that ?
Had they been that intelligent, who on earth, let this anxities becoming mountaneous day by day ?
We are told that just 248 or as the infected, but what about being not done even 5000 test as of today ? to talk high to a GALLERY would be much easier, so long most you guys eat PUNNAKU all along, but you cant fool all alike. Get it or leave it..
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Eagle Eye / April 18, 2020
babalath appu,
The PUNNAKKU eating ‘Gonnu’ who pretended as Tigers lost in the fight with Lions and licking their wounds.
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“so long most you guys eat PUNNAKU all along,”
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Nimali Ratnayake / April 18, 2020
The key to bring back public confidence is testing and testing and nothing but testing.
Germany is 85 million population and 50,000 tests per day
UK is 65 million population and 20,000 tests per day
Australia is 25 million and 15,000 tests per day
SL is 20 million and 500 tests per day.
The real success stories are Taiwan and NZ with vey high test rates and very low deaths. Also both are island nations. Also heads of state are females !!
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Man of Lamancha / April 18, 2020
The Ostrich strategy
Ignorance is no excuse
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What concerns me is not politics nor politrics nor politicians from any race .
Today in kelaniya in a certain area where the under privileged lives , out of many thousands who are forgotten , in this location alone I was told there are about 500 people , with no access to essentials and medicines and there are plenty more .
My family and I have been engaged in social services to all races in Sri Lanka in our humble way, we can , noone can ever point a finger at us and say we have ever seemed or gain any political favours.
I have since last week been engaged with a Cousin of mine who is a prominent and active member of the Rotary .
Cont…
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Renu / April 18, 2020
3rd grade stuff to mislead the general public . If true it shows the pedigree of the guy instrumental for such garbage to boost
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Nosey Parker / April 18, 2020
Irrespective of rankings this administration has done a good job to control the spread of the virus to date . CT appears to be stirring the pot here for petty political mileage .
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Man of Lamancha / April 18, 2020
Ostrich Stratergy
===/=======/=/////
Cont..2
We tried frantically to reach out to many starving , under privileged and totally and usually always forgotten lot.
We tried to use the home delivery services , almost all of them only accept hard cash on delivery and not online payments , online payments are affordable only to those who are extremely privileged and those middle class with no choice But use it to keep afloat .
I tried calling The Presidentlial Secretariat more than 6 times but no response , called the The MOD , was asked to call the Police HQ. The Police HQ asked me to contact the local area OIC , from Pillar to post and ended up to a blind wall.
We the willing lead by the unknowing is doing the impossible with so little to those who do not care about our services which we do not publishise and now we are qualified to do anything with nothing to those in desperate need, but we do not even have the access to go and assess the the ground situation to prepare and work to support the government to share their burden as responsible citizens to reach out to those who are in so much need .
Dissapointed to the core .
What now I fear is , what will we do when the worse which is yet to come , the ression
Guess we will all use the Ostrich Stratergy.
God bless you all .
Ayubowan
Fahim
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Randoli / April 18, 2020
I am surprised such unfounded statements such as “ covid -19” deaths are many times higher than reported “ could be made by you at such a time. It is sad that journalists such as you exist. How much does it take to get you to write rubbish. A bottle? May be half ? Shame on you.
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Jagath Fernando / April 18, 2020
What can data on testing tell us about the pandemic?
Testing data provides us with two indicators of the quality of data on COVID-19
No country knows the true number of people infected with COVID-19. All we know is the infection status of those who have been tested.
The total number of people that have tested positive – the number of confirmed cases – is not the total number of people who have been infected. The true number of people infected with COVID-19 is much higher.
Whilst there is no way to infer the true number of infections from testing data, it can help give us a strong indication of the quality of a country’s data on the pandemic and an idea of how informative the number of confirmed cases in a country may be.
The requirement is to disclose the number of tests done on a daily basis together with the number testing positive and the number of deaths.
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Amarasiri / April 18, 2020
AUTHOR: COLOMBO TELEGRAPH,
RE: Exposé: Godahewa Cooks Fake News To Boost Gota’s Image As Efficient Administrator During Pandemic
China lied, people died: media platforms rage against COVID-19 cover-up
Gotabaya is trying the same trick. After all it was the Wuhan China-19 virus, renamed COVID-19.
Are the Para-Sinhala Para-“Buddhist” racists still accusing the innocent Muslims for the China-19 virus?
With the COVID-19 pandemic plunging the world into chaos, sections of the international media have criticized the Chinese government for allegedly covering-up the ‘truth’ about the dangers of the deadly virus that has already killed over 148,000people and afflicted over 2.2 million worldwide.
Amidthe global battle to save lives, a war of words has ensued on traditional as well as social media platforms like Twitter, Whatsapp and Facebook,with users trading charges both for and against China.
The Twitter battle got so heated that on April 13,Twitter suspended the Chinese Embassy’sofficial account in Sri Lanka.However the Chinese Embassy claimed there was no reason to suspend their Twitter account, and said it showed a “double standards of freedom of speech”. The suspension was later lifted.
Amid this backdrop, the Associate Press (AP)published a report on April 15 titled “China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days”. The AP investigative piece reported Chinese authorities were aware of the global pandemic, but played it down.
The article, among otherthings,chargedthe Chinese government’s six-day delay from January 14 to 20in revealing the dangers of the virus in Wuhan – the initial epicentre – led to it infecting over 3000 people in China, and then spreading the world over.
China cannot be forgiven for not informing the world. Can the Para- Sinhala “Buddhist” racists be forgiven for lying to the country, distorting Buddhism and insulting the Buddha?
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chiv / April 18, 2020
Whats NEW in Lanka?????. There are many here in CT too who claim Lankan news are virus free.
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Jagath Fernando / April 18, 2020
India has tested 203 people per million of its population, lower than Brazil (296) and well behind the United States at 9,866 and Italy 18,481, all of which are themselves considered laggards in the race to screen as many people as possible. What is the testing rate in SL?
Here are official Government figures on the spread of the coronavirus in South Asia:
India has 13,387 confirmed cases, including 437 deaths
Pakistan has 5,988 cases, including 107 deaths
Bangladesh has 1838 cases, including 75 deaths
Afghanistan has 906 cases, including 30 deaths
Sri Lanka has 238 cases, including seven deaths
Maldives has 28 cases and no deaths
Nepal has 16 cases and no deaths
Bhutan has five cases and no deaths
(Daily FT)
Are the South Asian citizens been taken for a ride?
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Simon De Silva / April 18, 2020
Dear Fernando,
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the WORLDometer says, it is 232/1mio for srilanka.
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But if a test would cost just 6k rupess, why not increase it upto 500 or more… so that the anxities of the peoples could die down.. at least in the days to come.
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There will be lot more harm in health of srilankens next, considering their untrained spread of DISINFECTANTs into the environment these days. .. this was the case after DDT – today a cancer agent, was then spread across the agra cutlure in asia.. that caused lot to get cancers of unknown etiologies.
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I think if they dont reduce oil prices even if WORLD market s prices are lower today in 50%- with the money being saved, why cant they give enough concessions to the nation ?
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My gosh, these BPs would never learn it, I bleieve this time people will learn it at least to react properly.
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