Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith fired a series of salvos against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa about his floundering over delivering justice for victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks and the brazen way in which his Government was ignoring the pleas of Sri Lanka’s Catholic clergy, as he continued to insist that there was more to the terror attacks than meets the eye.
Cardinal Malcom Ranjith
Addressing a special webinar organized by the Australia-Sri Lanka Forum for Justice for Easter Sunday Victims, the head of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka all but accused the Government of using the bombings to attain political power, and related how President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had informed him that to act on all the recommendations of the Easter Sunday Commission would cost him popularity.
“The President before his election campaign went all over the place assuring our public that he will attend to this matter as soon as he comes to power. At a meeting held soon after his victory with the Bishops conference and with me. He assured us and promised us that he will carry on with the commission and implement all the decisions of the commission,” the Cardinal complained in a keynote address at the beginning of the webinar.
When President Gotabaya Rajapaksa received the Easter Sunday Commission report, he immediately picked a group of ministers from his own Government, the Cardinal recalled. “This was a political decision and a political committee to pick and choose what (sections of the report) were to be implemented in order to protect his (Gotabaya’s) interests, and whatever should not be implemented, also to protect his (Gotabaya’s) interests,” the Cardinal charged.
“So it is very clear. Because two days after the report was handed over, he called me and asked me: ‘I cannot do all this. Because there are some provisions in the report, that if I implement I will become unpopular.'”
Slamming the President for cherry-picking recommendations by the Easter Sunday commission purely on the basis of political considerations, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said it had become obvious that the Attorney General too had become hostage to the Government’s agenda. Last week, when a fraud case involving Finance Minister and presidential sibling Basil Rajapaksa was taken up in court, Solicitor General Azad Navavi had appeared on behalf of the Attorney General’s Department, the Cardinal said, expressing disgust that the Attorney General was continuing to use the services of a prosecutor against whom the Presidential Commission investigating the Easter attacks had recommended criminal proceedings.
The Commission had also recommended that the Attorney General should order an investigation by the intelligence services to inquire into a “whole series of suspicious grey areas” with regard to the Easter bombings, the Cardinal charged. “But nothing has been done. No investigations are happening. We know from inside that it is only words they mention, and only a camouflage that’s happening,” he complained bitterly.
The Cardinal expressed deep disgruntlement over the conduct of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Government with regard to agitation and appeals from the Catholic community about an fair investigation into the bombings.
“I would say that the people who were expecting justice and to know the truth behind these attacks have been let down very badly by the present Government and the present leadership. We are absolutely shocked and horrified about this attitude and the rather brazenly harsh attitude of not at all considering repeated appeals sent by us,” Cardinal Ranjith told participants at a well-attended webinar.
The head of Sri Lanka’s Catholic church also resorted to a now familiar refrain that there was something bigger behind the Easter bombings. “This attack could not have been done by seven or eight extremist Muslims. There was something big behind. We want to know what was this big thing that was behind this attack. Until we know that, we will not be satisfied,” the Cardinal insisted.
He urged the international community to back the Catholic community in Sri Lanka to find out what truly transpired on Easter Sunday 2019. “Who really did it? Not just a few rabid Muslim extremists, but who made use of those characters in order to achieve political aims? We want to know,” the Cardinal charged.
“For over 70 years, Sri Lanka has suffered from all kinds of strategies used by political leaders to divide this country. To create trouble in this country and make use of that trouble to have their own way,” he accused.
The Cardinal said that the only part of the Commission on the Easter attacks released to the public was a kind of summary of its findings and recommendations. “We want to know on what they have based those findings. It is important for us to have knowledge of these 21 other books. They also have a huge volume of recorded statements, CDs and books sent to the AG. It is important that political leaders allow the truth to come out independently, If the present Government is not keen or is trying to hide it, it shows that this Government had some part in this Easter attack,” Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith charged.
The webinar included a detailed presentation about incidents preceding the Easter bombings and their aftermath. The presentation referred to Zaharan Hashim and the NTJ in the years before the bombings, and how the NTJ was allegedly collaborating with the Directorate of Military Intelligence, directly under the supervision of then Brigadier Suresh Sallay.
Army Chief Shavendra Silva with newly minted Major General Suresh Sallay in May 2020 [Image Source: www.army.lk]
Gotabaya Rajapaksa privately announced his presidential candidacy four days after the Easter terror attacks killed 260 people in April 2019.
Questions and comments about NTJ being on the Ministry of Defence payroll as intelligence operatives while current President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was serving as Secretary of Defence. The presentation also made reference to the timing of Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s private announcement that he would run for president, just days after the bombings, and made note of the fact that the former Defence Secretary was facing an internal fight over the candidacy within the SLPP, with several senior politicians wary of his untested political mettle, experience with party politics, deadly track record and strongman instincts.
leelagemalli / October 17, 2021
But very same Gota promised that the law and order will be kept above in his govt..That was the first he pledged to grab power, aiyyooooooooo😉😉😉😉😉
Now it has turned out to be with courts and authorities clearly stand against the injustice.
Dr Merkel in Germany who voluntarily resigned from politics after serving 16 yrs, has never interfered herself in any court verdicts regardless of its size.🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 International community over to u, this is another evidence that country s polit leadership directly involve in court investigations in my country run by a bunch of thieves. This was repeated by our brother Ranjan Ramabayaka and he is jailed for express the truth/ground reality☹🐃🐕☹🐃🐕☹🐃🐕☹🐃🐕☹🐃🐕
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leelagemalli / October 17, 2021
The very same was the case with Sorrysena regarding forensic audit related recommendations were kept under him if implemented Mahinda Mahinda Raja would not have chance to involve in politics but to enjoy his life long imprisonment. This is the reason so called powerful Nandasena failed yet to bring former governor Arjun Mahendran as pledged to the 6.9 mio Pingonas, that were tamed to vote for criminals. .
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Rev Malcom being close to MR family kept this for him such a long time, If I were one of 270 victimized families, no body would stop me from an amok run. My heart melt for those innocent families who lost their lovely ones on 21 April 2019. We ll support those children soon😉😉😉😉😉☹☹☹☹
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leelagemalli / October 17, 2021
******It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important.
You have to do the right thing.
It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit.
But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing.
You may never know what results come from your action.
But if you do nothing, there will be no result******
–
Mahathma Gandhi
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SJ / October 17, 2021
“So it is very clear. Because two days after the report was handed over, he called me and asked me: ‘I cannot do all this. Because there are some provisions in the report, that if I implement I will become unpopular.’”
It is pretty rotten what the President had said.
That was soon after the report was handed over.
(i) What was the Cardinal’s response?
(ii) Why did the Cardinal not reveal sooner what the President told him if he was displeased?
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leelagemalli / October 17, 2021
To sensitive readers over to you !
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GOTA proved it again his political immatuarity. Our elders repeated, the conseuqneces if a dog would take over the role of a donkey…. unfortunately, the outcome before our eyes today is – the same.
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That high chapter monk complemented GOTA then – is now in hibernation mode……. ? with BBS mad man is given limited access to open his mouth.
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Not few days ago, he happened to make it publicly that he lacks ” experience in politics” and he would have to rely on his bandit brother MR.
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MyView / October 17, 2021
SJ.
Yes
…..Not only is : It is pretty rotten what the President had said, but what the cardinal did by concealing this till now, is abhorrent.
May be he is feeling the pressure from his flock (and the value of his frock) to come out now. Had he revealed this conversation immediately, things would have been different.
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MyView / October 17, 2021
Oh Poor Cardinal, Father forgive me.
He was running with the hares (his flock) and hunting with the hounds (Rajapakses).
He is feeling the heat now that the chickens have come home to roost.
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Nathan / October 17, 2021
1) It is obvious that a bigger fish was involved.
2) That the fish would have stood to benefit politically.
3) That the Cardinal was close to MR then, would draw us closer to the truth.
4) The then President would have had a hand in concealing the threat makes sense.
5) The Cardinal must be speaking out today under pressure from somewhere.
Do we need a Sherlock to decipher these.
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punchinilame / October 18, 2021
The Cardinal had been promised a revelation by Gota once the Reports of the Com.
were ready – that was Gota`s plan. Things took an opposite direction. The Cardinal
MUST keep pushing and pushing. My guess is Nandasena will go mad shortly.
The Three RRR with the connivance of sorrysena set up the attack for political
needs. There will be an accidental death soon – a sign what USA citizen knows must
be implemented for the future of their Politics. This is a low-level task and no hurry
to shut the Cardinal’s mouth. The Courts are under control to start with.
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Ajith / October 17, 2021
SJ,
What was your purpose of these questions to Cardinal? Are you trying to say that Cardinal Malcom Ranjith was involved in the Easter Bombing?
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SJ / October 17, 2021
A
I will give you one more guess– an intelligent one this time please.
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old codger / October 17, 2021
S.J,
The Cardinal was well and truly taken for a ride by Gota and his cabal, playing to his inbuilt prejudices. It’s only now Ranjith has realized the depths to which Fascists will go to attain power.
Organizing the bombings would be peanuts to those who even now let off murderers and kidnappers in service uniforms.
Quite possibly for fear of “losing popularity”!
This should be a lesson to those all-wise Mahanayakas too, but that lot don’t have the Cardinal’s thinking powers, and operate solely on instinct.
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Native Vedda / October 18, 2021
leelagemalli
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The cross dresser shared a bed with Gota before 21 April 2019 and now he finds himself scratching his b***s under his saffron robe.
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leelagemalli / October 18, 2021
“The cross dresser shared a bed with Gota before 21 April 2019 and now he finds himself scratching his b***s under his saffron robe.”
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And for sure, these men are not in retrograde – puberty ?
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Brother, NV, I always thought that MR the duplicate (Malcom Ranjith) would join “gold biscuit queen aka Mahinda ‘s wife singing that song “nethmal pibidewa”. No doubt the lady was singing that song at the time, young player Thadjudeen was also burnt down by their family event… remember ?. …… what a “whited sepulchre ” ? No doubt that bastard Rathwatthe broke the prison to sing such songs with the prisoners….
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Native Vedda / October 19, 2021
leelagemalli
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This is the sane cross dresser who condemned Tamils and Western countries meddling in Sri Lanka’s sovereignty (whatever that is).
Please read:
“A statement by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, who heads the church in Sri Lanka, accused Western countries of meddling in Sri Lanka’s sovereignty by planning to table a resolution on Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council, which is currently convening in Geneva.
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It said this was “an insult to the intelligence” of Sri Lankans.”
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Sri Lanka row over Catholic letter on human rights
6 March 2012
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17268307
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Now it seems he is inviting every Tom, Dick and Harry from outside this island to help him deal with a form of justice.
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When we have hypocrites such as Asgiria, Malcom,…………… we do not need enemies.
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caqof / October 18, 2021
There are lot of questions directed at His Eminence.
I cannot claim to find answers but only ask more questions.
1. Has every one read the article by the learned lawyer, Kishali Pinto that appeared in the Sunday Times:
” The Cardinal may be advised to wear sackcloth and ashes to atone for the reprehensible part he played in ushering in a two-thirds majority for this Govt which appears to have lost all sense and reason.
2. Also the article by the learned writer Viswamittra:
Is Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith Worthy Of His Cassock? Unhinging Of A Religious Leader
3. A Response to Cardinal Malcolm’s homily on Human Rights.
by Sanjeewa Fernando and a letter submitted by a group of 85 Catholic, Priests, Nuns and laypeople?
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Thiru / October 17, 2021
Sri Lanka and the rule of law parted ways long ago. You come to admit only when Southern Catholics are at the receiving end. Tamils realized it long ago. Sooner or later Sinhalese Buddhist’s turn will definitely come.
Long live Appe aandwva!
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Samitha / October 18, 2021
I doubt that Shit Lanka ever had rule of law to begin with. Tribalism? Yes!
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SarathP / October 17, 2021
The Rajapakse bootlicking Cardinal should just shut up. Like the failed Pope Benedict, Malcolm Ranjith should retire and vanish out of sight.
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leelagemalli / October 18, 2021
Sarath P;
:
One fearless sinhalayek, adds my thoughts .
How can CRIMINALs make wonders ?
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What have not they have today ?
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2/3 mandate
20A
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Brother company
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Thirisannu have fooled the BAYYAS across the country.
:
MARU SAUBAGYA DHAEKMA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Jayel17 / October 18, 2021
Please address with humility and not by anger. you may be the booklicker of the current regime
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N. Perera / October 18, 2021
Scape Goat, Cardinal, acting like Desmond Tutu, is trying for Nobel Prize. When LTTE killed Buddhist worshippers in the holy city of Anuradhapura, this cardinal never ever say anything and he said he will go to Human Rights Commission in Geneva. He is crying for the maximum punishment for those who did this massacre. What is maximum punishment? Hang those who did for that crime? Cardinal please raise your hand for capital punishment
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old codger / October 18, 2021
N Perera the genius,
Haven’t you noticed that Karuna and Pillayan, who killed more policemen than Prabhakaran, are not even in jail? Why don’t you ask Nandasena Deviyo?
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leelagemalli / October 18, 2021
NP,
another backlicker of Rajaakshes is adding usual vomits.
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Those who went to worship the churches on very and got caught by bombs are the innocient people.
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Why should it be mixed up with LTTE bombings ?
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Who created ZAHARAN and the like men.. if not B****putha MR et al ?
Today, you the kin d of stupid men are caught by the tricks being played on you for their come back. Not a single man or woman in Rajapakshe clan should be forgiven. They deserve their last breath in a prison cell.
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How stupid the bugger family should be to further fool this nation… ONLY NPereras are their target. Let s sing together… NETH MAL PIBIDEWA:::::
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How mlechcha these people are ?
.
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Tamil from the north / October 22, 2021
leelagemalli, excellent question about Karuna and Pillayan. This is something I have been asking Eagle ‘mutt’ Eye and Champa the Chimpi for the past year or so and they don’t have answer. 600 cops murdered in cold blood by these LTTE rascals and they get a government job. Low ranking forcibly recruited kids, were all executed by the hillbillies in army uniform.
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Tamil from the north / October 22, 2021
N. Perera, another jackass of our times, what does the Easter bombing got to do with the creation of the racist governments of SL…………….LTTE? Idiot stick to the topic!!!!
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GATAM / October 17, 2021
Christians will never vote for Buddhist racist Rajapaksas again.
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leelagemalli / October 17, 2021
Getam,
never?.
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Dont forget lanza s men and women would prefer Rajapakshe excrement s as organic manure.kudu lanza is strong Christian and his drug consumers would never stand against Rajapakshe bps. .
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Those labourers in Italy were all pro Rajapakshe, even Nandasena let them die in volumes, are they all not Christians? 🐕🐃🐕🐃🐕🐃🐕🐃🐕
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Simon / October 17, 2021
GATAM: That word “Again” at the end of your comment is a “HOPE”. I too hope that the word “Again” would linger in their minds when standing in the line up at the next election including the “Provincial Election” expected to be held soon.
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Ajith / October 17, 2021
It is no matter whether the Cardinal Malcom Ranjith’s accusation of President regarding the true culprits of the Easter Bombing, it is the wish of the every citizen should know who are the true culprits and what was their motive.
We all know that Lasantha was murdered in a day light in a public place and so far we don’t know who murdered him. But we all know, that the Sri lankan military and police intelligence service is capable of finding the truth but there was political will to find the truth not only from the regime that was in power during the murder or the regime that was followed the previous regime or the regime headed by a military man. So, if there is no political will to find the truth most probably the murderer/s are closely associated with them.
So, Truth will never come out on the Easter Bombing or any other similar atrocities. This is not the first massacre and not the last as well.
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / October 17, 2021
Justice delayed is justice denied. Time will dilute evidence and critical aspects of evidence will disappear. Without evidence, no international court will make a judgment against anyone. So this is a futile chase by the cardinal.
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Simon / October 18, 2021
To “ERR” is Human, it is said. I don’t know whether it applies to “GOD”. However, I believe even GOD made the mistake of telling “Adam” not to “Eat” the “Apple” without knowing the “Tendencies” and “Urge” of Humans to do things when they are told especially “Don’t Do”.
“Gota” said and promised he will find the “Culprits” of the Easter Sunday Massacre. Cardinal Ranjith Malcolm and all Christians should not have “Believed” this “Rajapakse Clan” because there was ample evidence that they had a “Different Agenda”. However, all of the “Catholics” including the Rev. Cardinal said: “Here is our support. Do it”. As I said, “GOD” said “Don’t Do It”, but “Adam” “Did It”. Here, the “GOD’s” Flock said “Do It” but “Gota” “Did Not Do It”. That is my view, but not in any way to hurt the feelings of the Rev. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and his “Flock”.
To hear “that will affect my Popularity” is the greatest “Betrayal” anyone could hear from a President. One thing I appreciate in this President is he tells what he means and does, so it is very easy for us to know whether he is a “Beauty” or a “Beast”. So with this “Revalation” by Cardinal Ranjith Malcolm, it is for the PEOPLE to decide whether this “President” is a “Beauty” or “Beast”. To me, he is a “Beast” since his return from USA.
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Jayel17 / October 18, 2021
This attack on Easter Sunday was a continued effort of then President to install MR as PM. Majority of Sri Lankans are politically illiterate and has been proved over the years. The leaders know by giving something just before any election they can get the support. This game we have seen over many decades and least concerned about the country and the future. Successive governments came to power merely from those votes, keeping people dependent on politicians is their only theme.
I am happy that Cardinal now speaks out of the injustices to his flock. Although it was too late, the momentum created recently by SL catholic clergy and individuals is now reverberating the four ends the world. God Bless Sri Lanka.
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nimal fernando / October 18, 2021
Was the Cardinal so naive from day one ………. not to know who really carried it out?
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Is the good ol’ Cardinal’s heart in this? Does he really want the truth to come out? …….. or has his flock pushed/forced him to this? ……… Talk about, a rock and a hard place …………….
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Tamil from the north / October 18, 2021
We all know Gota is the mastermind behind the Easter attack. So let us not kid ourselves. This maniac needs to face the gallows.
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Pandi Kutti / October 18, 2021
However, their sidekick foreign minister states Thamizh diaspora and their organisations are terrorists and the Gota/Mahinda Rajajpakse, governments and the Chingkalla armed forces who are all now being investigated by the UN are saints. As for this Cardinal, I have no respect for this man. Kept quiet when thousands of Thamizh were killed, by the Chingkalla armed forces in May 2009. Many of them were Catholic. Just because the armed forces were Chingkallam. Even misinformed the Vatican and the UN, stating nothing happened. Now jumping up and down as southern Chingkalla Catholics also have become victims.
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shankar / October 18, 2021
this is the best time to implement it because he does not need to worry about his popularity.
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Good Sense / October 18, 2021
There is a lot to talk about this. However, I am interested to know (hear) the recording of the Cardinal Presentation. Generally, CT provides us the readers, a link to such recordings or videos and I hope CT can do the same this time. Assuming that what is stated here is the Gospel Truth, my question to the Cardinal is that why did he take so long to publish the fact about the Telephone call on the inability to act on all the recommendations on grounds of loss of popularity? This is a vital information. What are the recommendations, if implemented, will cost his popularity? There is something seriously wrong.
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MyView / October 18, 2021
Dear GS
There was a recommendation to further investigate and identify the “masterminds” behind the scenes. This was the bugbear that prevented GR to implement the full report. If he did, where will the finger be pointing……
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Buddhist1 / October 18, 2021
Cardinal is now tasting his own medicine! No one can deny that he did not support the Rajapakses. At least now he has realized his mistake, thank God.
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Indi / October 18, 2021
Simon, All Christians did not vote for the current President.
I do not know if any of the readers saw the circular that was released on the social media platforms almost within an hour of the Easter attack.
The circular which was on a government letter head was copied, if I remember well, to the Secretaries of the former Prime Minister and the former President and the then President. It wasn’t copied to the then Prime Minister or to the Deputy Minister of Defense. Most Catholics, whom we associate with, and who saw the letter, guessed that the attack was politically motivated and who might be behind it. And we were also certain, that the Catholics will not retaliate on Easter Sunday or even after that holy period.
As a Catholic, my anger then and the still recurring pain was heightened by the FACT that these government authorities and other responsible individuals had prior information about the attack and did not prevent it. There is no doubt about this. We spoke about this among our associates but 6.9 people voted in spite of it.
I have no special liking for the Cardinal but it is very unlikely that he had no insight into this and had encouraged the Catholics in those areas to vote in a particular way.
I just cannot imagine him, a spiritual leader, doing such an incorrect thing. Our vote must be a free vote.
Unless and until the citizenry are educated about “respect for life” being a basic foundational precept for human development and prosperity, we will never move forward as a nation.
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Cyclops / October 19, 2021
In my opinion, the Easter bombings throws up a few puzzling questions to which only time might give us the answers providing we have a future government that values integrity and truth telling.
Why were the Catholics and churches the target?
What was the rationale behind the leader of the group blowing himself up?
Was this an exercise to create a Catholic Muslim divide?
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Tamil from the north / October 22, 2021
Cyclops, we should ask an additional question………..when extremist Buddhist thugs in orange/red garbs were attacking mosques, why would the Muslims attack the Catholics? The Catholics and Christians are the closest alies the Muslims have in Lanka. Try and look from this angle and you will see who the mastermind is behind all this carnage. These uneducated, vacuum headed village gamarala buggers from Hambantota are a damn curse on this country.
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Tamil from the north / October 22, 2021
Why would this mutt who is the president allow this report to be published. If it was truthfully written, it will expose this killer who is the president as the mastermind behind the killing. This murderous bastard should be tried in the Hague for all the innocent blood and thrown in prison for the remaining few years of his misserable life.
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