After yesterday’s leakage of the Human Rights High Commissioner‘s report which was sent to Ambassador Ravinatha Ariyasinha – Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations in Geneva, for onward transmission – the ambassador says Sri Lankan community in Geneva came together to celebrate Sri Lanka’s independence day.
Issuing a statement today, after 10 days of the Sri Lanka’s 66th anniversary of independence, Ravinatha Aryasinha noted that when one watches the international news today, it is a great solace to see that Sri Lanka is nowhere near the headlines.
We publish below the statement in full;
The Sri Lankan community resident in Geneva and the environs came together to celebrate Sri Lanka’s 66th anniversary of independence at an event organised recently by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva at the ILO premises. With over 250 Sri Lankans under one roof, the event was testimony to the country’s rich and multi-faceted heritage.
Ravinatha Aryasinha
Addressing the gathering Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha noted that when one watches the international news today, it is a great solace to see that Sri Lanka is nowhere near the headlines. More importantly no more lives were being lost on account of terrorism. He said that one tends to forget this reality despite possibly all of those present having lost loved ones in the conflict which lasted almost 30 years. The end of the conflict had also heralded an era of unprecedented socio-economic development and had paved the way for reconciliation to heal the wounds of the past. Noting that however the negative projection of Sri Lanka by those with vested interests continue unabated, Ambassador Aryasinha said this was a challenge all Sri Lankans would have to continue to confront with resolve for a while longer.
Ambassador Aryasinha recalled his appeal made to the community one year ago, to reflect on what more the expatriate Sri Lankans could do to contribute towards the development of the country and to counter the negative narratives being propagated – by clarifying genuine concerns and debunking falsehoods. He said “one year later, having come to know some of you better, the work you do, and the commitment you have for your country, I feel strengthened in the resolve that these obstacles are not insurmountable and that these can be overcome by working together”. He said some had played a catalytic role in persuading friends and associates to visit Sri Lanka and to invest in Sri Lanka, while others had sought to contribute their expertise for the betterment of the motherland. There were also many within International organizations and other agencies based in Geneva who had leveraged the energies of these organizations towards the benefit of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans. Ambassador Aryasinha said “I am also greatly encouraged by what I have seen particularly over the past few months, where across Switzerland, some valiant Sri Lankans, found the time, resources and the energy to make their presence felt, by turning up and challenging the many one-sided events being organized in this country by pro LTTE elements”. He hoped that the actions of those who had made this difference will inspire all, because these are challenging times for Sri Lanka, and particularly challenging times need particularly committed and courageous men and women to step up to the plate.
Religious observances on this occasion were conducted by the representatives of the main religions being practiced in Sri Lanka. Ven. Thawalama Dhammika Thero, Ven. Halyale Wimalarathana Thero and Ven. Kaluarachchiyagama Sumanarathana Thero conducted the Buddhist religious observances. Uma Shankar Kurukkal and Karthik Ragavan Kurukkal performed the Hindu prayers. Imam A.M. Zawahir performed the Islamic prayers, while Rev. Vincent Schmid and Rev. Sister Philomina Jesudasan conducted the Christian prayers.
The 66th Independence Day message of the President was read by Ms. Manisha Gunasekera, Deputy Permanent Representative, while Mr. Hasan Ali, Management Assistant read the Message of the Prime Minister and Ms. Priyanga Wickramasinghe, Minister Counsellor read the Message of the Minister of External Affairs. Ambassador Nimal Karunatilake, Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization delivered the Vote of Thanks. The hosts of the evening were Mr. Chatura Perera, Second Secretary in Sinhala, Mr. Hasan Ali, Management Assistant in Tamil and Ms. Dilini Gunasekera, Second Secretary in English. The religious and ceremonial segment of the programme was followed by a dinner hosted by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka.
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
Geneva
14 February 2014
aratai / February 17, 2014
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Did everyone present were able sing national anthem?
:-)
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Thiru / February 17, 2014
Don’t gloat about your achievements, wait a few weeks for the fireworks.
It is the calm before the storm coming out of Geneva, and a bombshell coming from Channel 4:
Enjoy your Independence while it lasts!
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Punnakku / February 17, 2014
You’ll have all the headlines you want come first week March,
Ambassador Ravinath A. That coconut bashing drama opposite the
US Embassy at Galle Road, Kollupitiya 2 days ago – with many Elephants in the fray – is great stuff for a world audience. Sadly, the good name of the large number of unconnected Sri Lankans also will be dragged in the mire.
Punnakku
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Spring Koha / February 18, 2014
The world and his wife couldn’t give a ratsarse for Sri Lanka and her ‘news’; until the shit hits the fan at the Palais des Nations in Geneva next month. The stench will envelope Medamulana and beyond.
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Kris / February 19, 2014
Mate the bombshell landed on you LTTE parasites few years back.. Only a few like you are remaining. Have faith on IC.. mate keep worshiping and funding them with your money…
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Dodo / February 17, 2014
Dear Ravinatha, this is a sad and silly thing to say:- that you are happy that Sri Lanka (aka. Wonder of Asia) is not in the international headlines. It would be very nice if Lanka were in the international headlines for the RIGHT REASONS – like best governed, least poor and MOST EQUITABLE country in the Asia..
That would truly make Lanka a wonder don’t you think! Instead Mahinda Jarapassa’s ‘Wonder of Asia’ is cowering due to CORRUPTION and war crimes!
But I understand your anxiety, Ravi, we Sri Lankans are so used to BAD NEWS because of the putrid stink of evil that comes from the Rajapaksa regime and before that the RACIST LTTE and RACIST State that was killing each other, that we cannot even think that Lanka may be headline news for ALL THE NICE AND RIGHT REASONS! Sad indeed! Its gonna be a long dry, drought filled year – one ripe for REGIME CHANGE so that Lanka will be in the news for the RIGHT REASONS!
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Point Man / February 17, 2014
A timely war fabrimentary coming soon.
I understand that the latest Channel 4 movie on believable, but untrue, cruel and ghastly Sri Lankan genocide scenes of Tamils (taken by fake Sri Lankans) after the war is coming soon. Let it tear the masks of the embedded writers and analysts propping up the genocidal charges and their henchmen. These are the barbarians and the LTTE rump the writers want Tamils to believe in! Better to perish than living under the jack boots of these barbarians. This movie is made to be shown in Geneva in March 2014.
The will to be free is still burning bright with the Tamils of Sri Lanka.
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Thiru / February 17, 2014
You are not a Point Man , you are a con man.
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Paul / February 17, 2014
On the contrary he is just correcting your multiple posts. I did not know that your LTTE had an advertizing & PR department, Bell Pottu.
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Maveeran / February 18, 2014
Paul what do you know about the war, since you were hiding under your mom’s skirt? [Edited out]
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Dev / February 17, 2014
Good one Point Man LOL
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Robert.R / February 18, 2014
Ah today your name is Dev? Not Steve Grafton ? :-D
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Maveeran / February 18, 2014
Its devdiya payal, not dev or steve.
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Spring Koha / February 17, 2014
I like very much the attention to detail; the fragrant flowers around the podium to mask the shitty smell of the message that he is duty bound to give to the ping-addi attendees.
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JR / February 17, 2014
warfront in Geneva is heating up against sri lanka
It is very interesting to see how sri Lankas diplomatic solders actions at the Geneva battle field and how they going defeat the western diplomatic war against sri lanka in march. our front line solder Ravinatha (who already stationed in Geneva camp ) and those who go to Geneva from Colombo for the battle have to face a do or die battle against west.
Because diplomatic war is far harder than metal war!
GL PEIRIS might work as logistical work for the ground battle against west.
SAJIN VASS short bold head little boy might use as suuuside boy by the president of sri lanka at genva in case if he feels battle is too tough.
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JR / February 17, 2014
it is very important to include a “matara kattadiyek” to sri Lankan delegation team to Geneva. Because during the battle against west at the Geneva council “kattadiya” could use some kind of “mantara” to win the battle or at least send a kind of waseeeeboooooolayak!
matara is very famous place for tovil natawana and natana kattiyata.
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Spring Koha / February 17, 2014
Trying cutting lime!
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Dawn Dale / February 17, 2014
good idea :)
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Michael Perera / February 17, 2014
What cock and bull is this one time Rupavahini reporter
and now ambassador talking?
International headlines are not commodities that are
fed to media every hour and day. Its a pity they say
these things when they have nothing else to speak on.
Should there be international headlines all the time
for Sri Lankan diplomats to do their job? How funny?
The diplomatic service is packed with relatives and
friends of those in Government. There are a few exception
like Ariyasinha. It hurts to see even people like him
talking through his hat. What cheap gimmicks!!!
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gamini / February 17, 2014
What is the Qualification of Ravinath Ariyasinghe to hold this office? I remember him as a News Reader at Rupavahini promoting R.Premadasa. Funnily all those who supported Premadasa, another Murderer and an Embezzler are today supporting another Murderer and an Embezzler.
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Lanka Muslim, UK / February 17, 2014
The vicious cycle continues; when will it be broken.
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Palmsquirrell / February 17, 2014
All slick opportunists and mercenaries.
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Backlash / February 17, 2014
Gamini,
It is the work of the Ananda College OBA and the Buddhist Sinhala mafia that is responsible for Ravinath becoming what he is – well
outside that necessary training by the old and respected Foreign Service. Has it ever occurred to you it is unlikely we will ever again
produce giants of international diplomatic calibre of RSS Gunawardena, Shirley Amerasinghe, Raju Coomaraswamy, Neville Canekaratne, Jayantha Dhanapala and the like. Hereafter, it will be men like that chimpanzee who grinned non-stop resulting in many calling him “Mr. this and that” after a debacle of a TV interview. The man could not even speak English properly.
Backlash
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salmaj / February 18, 2014
Ravinath is not a political appointee. He got in by passing an SLOS exam i think in 1986.
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Native Vedda / February 19, 2014
Backlash
Could we have BBS saffron clad thugs as our diplomats outside this island for colourful fireworks.
Mervyn can be put in charge of all our diplomatic corpse.
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Pottu / February 17, 2014
USA / UK doing a big Asian experiment with Sri Lanka. As they run out of Arabian countries to mess up. If they succeed few other countries in Asia would be in line. This is wrong way to gain Business advantage in Asia. Asian people are different. Did you forget Vietnam.
USA last stages of WWII used nuclear weapons and they ask how Sri Lanka’s last stage was ?
Its laughable how AI, HRW and CH 4 is setting up the stage for USA. Keen to see new Channel 4 clips and Human Rights Watch and AI attempts. We should have a contest to foretell the material.
Winners should get dinner dance with Navi Pillai .
Need of a new supper power to see a better world going forward. The Old international community comprising of UK, USA, EU on track to be replaced with China, Brazil, India, Russia, Japan.
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Palmsquirrell / February 18, 2014
Arabian countries that are messed up because of their own tribal and sectarian fault lines. The US is not innocent as it picked sides but then so too have the Saudis who have always their petro dollars to push their Wahabhi ideology everywhere.
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dhavakumar / February 17, 2014
U can fool some of the people some of the time… not all the people all the time. Time will come when justice emerges from the darkness. I pity the Chinese who want only business but no Humanity.
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george jilmart / February 17, 2014
Joker. the usual crap from the Rajapakse puppet ambassadors. Your credibility has been completely lost and reading your comments is laughable. You can deceive some people some of the time but you cannot deceive the majority all the time like your president thinks the international community has no brains. The low depths of moral bankruptcy to which the country has sunk due to jokers like you will only strengthen the resolve of the IC to monitor the lies and deception taking place.
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Rufus de Silva / February 17, 2014
Like his one time predecessor, Ravinatha Ariyasinha also
follows on the footsteps of Dayan Jayatilleke and his
Lord and Master, Professor G.L. Peiris, the Lord of all
what he surveys in the foreign field.
There is a onetime Lake House journalist in the Geneva
office. Volumes of Ariyasinha’s work are churned into
press releases and sent to Colombo for publication. Ironically,
if most of what is said in these releases were echoed in the
halls of the Human Rights Council, there would have been
lesser problems for Sri Lanka.
Once they are sent, it is a case of telephoning every one
to get them published. Other than that, Ariyasinha makes
sanctimonious statements like Sri Lanka not being near
international headlines. Surely he should know better. After
all, Navi Pllay’s report was given to him says The Sunday
Times.
There are no more diplomats representing Sri Lanka. There are
tea merchants in London and Washington. In Geneva, there is a
disc jockey playing music.
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Spring Koha / February 17, 2014
Spot on! Like their masters in Colombo, those who lie for us abroad have a simple cause that stays top of their list of things to do: serve yours truly first! Most importantly, our diplo-mats and their media mercenary colleagues should also try to cultivate the ability to read between the lines and see the real picture that those in the wider world do.
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Native Vedda / February 19, 2014
Spring Koha
The quality and caliber of our politicians, diplomats, professionals …… has been on the slippery slope for 60 years or so since the Aryanisation of Sinhala/Buddhists took hold on all aspects of Lankan life.
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Rajash / February 17, 2014
it took him 10days since independence day to make a bullshit statement.
he must have just recovered from the hangover drinking all those free booze at the fancy dress party.
However It seems he cant get rid of the LTTE hangover after 5 years of war.
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Palitha Ranasuriya / February 17, 2014
SRI LANKA IS NOWHERE NEAR
NEWS HEADLINES —
His Excellency Ravinatha Ariyasinha
Permanent Representative
Sri Lanka Embassy
Geneva
What a profound statement. Does that mean that everything
so rosy, so hunky dory that Sri Lankans have nothing to
worry about in Geneva?
Was it not the same Ariyasinha who said after the last
Human Rights Council meeting (2013) that things could have
been “much worse” if not for the lobbying by he and Mahinda
Samarasinghe?
Why do we have to learn of Aristotle and Socrates when we
have genii like Ariyasinha in Geneva. You may have to take
your trouser and shirt out to cover the headline, when something
hits the ceiling in March. You will also have to eat your words,
Mr Spin Doctor.
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Peacelover / February 17, 2014
I’m awaiting Rajiva W response to this article starting with ‘DAYAN,TAMARA and I’ hehehheehheheeheeheheheehe
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Jagath Fernando / February 17, 2014
Our foreign service has gone to the dogs.
Get real and get ready to face the music in March.
Ravinatha is good news reader and hopefully after the March debacle in Geneva he will back at Rupavahini.
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jansee / February 18, 2014
What a joke, or a joker. Almost everyone is awake except this one. Is he really oblivious? With the regime scrambling clueless and desperately to convince many countries not to slap it with the impending resolution, and unlike his wish for the headlines, and they are abundant and cursory, Ravinatha has a stretched imagination of consoling himself of the disaster that awaits. Possibly reminds of the NERO the mad story.
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Aruna / February 18, 2014
Jagath Fernando
It is not that the foreign service has gone
to the dogs.
Dogs have got into the foreign service. The
kennel is made up of all the henchmen, conmen,
psycophants,bootlickers, asylum seekers and
children of the powers that be.
Even a few like Ariyasinha has now joined because
he cannot defeat them. Decency demands that he
should not sell his soul. Damn shame!!!
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Janaka Pannipityia / February 18, 2014
It will sure be a solace for Government leaders that
they can successfully keep away from Sri Lankans the
headlines. This is by the threats of white van
abductions and intimidation. So people will be kept
in the dark by these actions.
But internationally, if Ravinatha Ariyasinha,the
Emperror of Kaivaru in Geneva, will still not be
able to keep even a small headline out come next
March. When the US resolution is moved, this time
calling for a probe into war crimes, there will
be no solace for Ariyasinha. He will NOT be able to
stop the headlines.
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vishvajith / February 18, 2014
In fairness to Ravinath, he is qualified to hold this post, from a Journalist, he joined the foreign service and worked up the ranks to what he is today.
I recall an incident which happened during JRJ’s visit to Japan. As a young journo at Rupavahini, the big cheese there wanted to drop Ravinath, for his youngness or inexperience to accompany the SL delegation. JRJ intervened and wanted Ravinath included for the chap was made of better stuff.
Ravinath has done a good job as the Ambassador for the Holy Land, defending the undefendable. Considering ” chandiyas ” are running the show in the Holy Land, Ravinath has been able to calm the rhetoric of the ” chandiyas “, as we face the IC in Geneva. For this the poor chap had to pay through his health and we would have a lost a damn fine Diplomat for Srilanka.
Btw, as a true son of the soil, he is married to a Tamil. Now how many of us have married the ” enemy “. Come on stand up and be counted, I am one.
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Rajash / February 19, 2014
extract fromspeech by Sri Lanka’s German Ambassdor
The Ambassador further noted that he has observed a significant feature in this year independence celebration at the Embassy. Every year there had been a demonstration in front of the Embassy. This year there was no demonstration at all, which revealed the mind change of the Tamil population living in Germany.
“I am indeed very happy that the Tamil population has understood the reality and is no longer prepared to listen to pro-LTTE elements. People are busy in establishing their life, educating their children and visiting the motherland, which is exemplary for the other Tamils living in foreign countries” the Ambassador added.
The Embassy is also cordially attending on time to their needs, such as processing passport applications, registrations of birth, death and marriages, and providing Tamil Language learning books, the Ambassador further said.
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ha ha this year no demo….we have achieved reconciliation
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Visakha Tillekeratne / February 19, 2014
I really feel sorry and at the same time contempt for people like Ravinatha. I don’t really know but I think is a career officer with intelligence. But such nonsense being spouted about not being in the headlines, and how wonderfully governed a country we have and so on displays the bankruptcy,beholdenness and how browbeaten these officers are into submission. They have no soul or truly believe these lies for the lack of information, not seeing the ground realities or livng in a Utopian world. One has to go to the villages all over to see that the dividends of NOT having a war have not gone to the people, but a select few. I agree the likes of shirley Amarasinghe etc etc would not have gone to these lows.
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vishvajith / February 19, 2014
True.
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