
By Tisaranee Gunasekara –
“Traitors should be given capital punishment.” – Gotabaya Rajapaksa (The Island – 6.5.2010)
A former LTTE colonel who pleaded guilty for the assassination of Major General Janaka Perera was given a 20-year prison sentence this week.
General Perera was murdered by a Tiger suicide bomber in 2008. A popular figure with Sinhala extremists because of his role in the long Eelam War and his hardline political views, he joined the UNP in 2008 and was made the party’s chief ministerial candidate for the North Central Province. The UNP lost but General Perera topped the overall preference vote count.
It was no secret that General Perera was on the LTTE’s hit list. He would have got all the protection he needed had he joined the UPFA. Basil Rajapaksa reportedly met Gen. Perera and asked him “whether he would support the government and play an important role. He could even be a defence advisor…. The soldier turned diplomat…..politely turned down the offer….. The meeting ended with Rajapaksa sounding a note of caution that he would then have to face the political consequences.”[i]
The harassment started soon after. His request for security was refused by the patriotic government, compelling him to seek judicial intervention. The Supreme Court ordered the Defence Ministry to provide protection and Gen Perera was given seven police guards. But these were removed a week after the election, probably because Gen. Perera turned down another request to join the regime. As he revealed in his final public speech (minutes before his assassination), “I was asked by the government to join forces with them after the results of the NCP polls…. They told me you must be with the government if you want to do something for the country. But I did not join hands with the UNP and chain of opposition forces only to abandon it now.”[ii]
When his security was withdrawn Gen. Perera lodged a complaint with the police. “Maj. Gen. Perera in his complaint to Anuradhapura SP’s office said that on a Supreme Court order prior to the provincial council elections he was provided seven police guards but all of them were withdrawn a week after the elections.”[iii] The police ignored the complaint; perhaps the police had to, since Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had reportedly decreed that his former colleague did not face a security threat[iv]. Gen. Perera, who was being very active as the leader of opposition of the NPC, was compelled to seek judicial intervention again. “Maj. Gen Perera had signed the proxy giving permission to the lawyers to go ahead with the petition….. The petition was to cite Defence Secretay Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Police chief Jayantha Wickramaratne and Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, among others.”[v] The petition reportedly stated, “The Government has failed to provide security to the petitioner despite the fact that the General Public regard him as a war hero and the LTTE regard him as an enemy….due to the fact that he holds the political views of the UNP”[vi].
Before the petition could be filed, the Tiger struck, killing Gen. Perera, his wife and several others.
Gen. Perera may have been killed by the LTTE even if he was given all the protection he asked for. But the absence of any security would have made the killer’s task immeasurably easier.
A Cautionary Tale
Janaka Perera’s fate is relevant today because of what it says about Rajapaksa politics and the manner in which the Siblings use the patriotic card.
From a Sinhala supremacist point of view, Gen. Perera was unquestionably a patriot. He fought against the LTTE; his attitude to issues such as human rights and the ethnic problem placed him in the company of Sarath Fonseka and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. But in Rajapaksa eyes none of these mattered once he joined the political opposition. He ceased being a patriot and became a traitor the moment he turned down Basil Rajapaksa’s offer. And the ‘consequences’ Mr. Rajapaksa hinted at included depriving Gen. Perera the security he was in need of. Vengeance thus became official policy, a standard occurrence under Rajapaksa rule.
Gen. Perera’s fate illustrates how the Rajapaksas draw the all important line of demarcation between patriots and traitors. Those who support the Rajapaksas are patriots and those who oppose the Rajapaksas are traitors. Just a year after Gen. Perera was murdered, one of the people sighted in his petition as respondents, Sarath Fonseka, was accorded similar treatment for the same reason by the Rajapaksas.
When Gen. Perera was assassinated, the government rushed to condemn the murder and heap encomiums on the former soldier. The President made a passionate appeal to all Lankans to unite to defeat the LTTE. Probably taking these public utterances at face value, the then Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake agreed to the UNP’s request for a helicopter to transport Gen. Perera’s body to his home in Anuradhapura. The coffin was taken to the Ratmalana air port by family members and colleagues for the promised transportation. After a wait of five hours they were informed that no helicopter was available.
Questioned in parliament, a desperate PM blamed miscommunication for the non-appearance of the promised helicopter. But the Rajapaksas were not really interested in covering up. A key purpose of revenging on enemies, even in death, is to send a message of deterrence to all other opponents, potential and actual. So the Media Centre for National Security stated that a helicopter was never promised, and could not have been promised because of the war.
The Rajapaksas’ revenge went further. Efforts were made to sabotage the funeral procession as it wended its way from Colombo to Anuradhapura. Roads were closed arbitrarily and police escort withdrawn. A protest by a group of traders in Anuradhapura against the assassination of Gen, Perera was stopped by the police[vii].
Barely four months later, addressing the 2009 Independence Day celebration, President Rajapaksa proclaimed the policy his government would follow, post-war: “We are today a nation that has defeated a powerful enemy that stood before us. Similarly we should have the ability to defeat all internal enemies that are found in our midst.” The manner in which Gen. Janaka Perera was treated, both in life and in death, demonstrate who the ‘internal enemies’ really are and how the war against them will be conducted.
The ‘divide’ between patriots and traitors will be showcased again, once the presidential election season begins. The traitor label will be used to attack opposition candidate/s, especially those who are likely to win minority support. The task of physically attacking opposition gatherings might even be outsourced to various ‘patriotic organisations’ such as the BBS and Ravana Balaya. The Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara types will be used to invade opposition gatherings, sabotage opposition campaign/s and confuse opposition voters. Such attacks will be passed off as ‘public interventions’, manifestations of patriotic outrage against the opposition’s ‘treachery’. This way the Rajapaksas will be able to beat back their opponents without dirtying their own hands.
Given this possible future, it is instructive to remember how the patriotic Rajapaksas treated the Sinhala hardline war-hero Janaka Perera. Rajapaksa-patriotism must be exposed for what it is – a weapon to attack Rajapaksa-foes and a shield to defend Rajapaksa-crimes.
Ben Hurling / September 7, 2014
Rajapassa family members love to “make offers to patriots that they cannot refuse”. Basil must have been watching a translated version of Godfather films in California.
Cheers!
PS: Political analysis is not a Sri Lankan Forte. Millions of lunatics will line up to vote for the corrupt family clan again. Come election day. Required margin to claim a resounding victory will be rigged. According to regime’s shameful, yet very sucessful Gil Mart Doctrine.
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anonymous / September 7, 2014
Spot-On Ben.
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Javi puss-able / September 7, 2014
︻╦╤─
When `fools` get into a position of Power they tend to Corrupt Power.
ღツ☻
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Paul / September 8, 2014
A clever and interesting observation!
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DesperateB / September 8, 2014
But the folks even today to bend their heads on to those guys- is the question even no psychologists would have clear explanations.
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Vibushna / September 8, 2014
Javi puss-ass,
Correction, when power gets to people in power it corrupts them. You cant corrupt something whic has no life.
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Native Vedda / September 7, 2014
Ben Hurling
“Millions of lunatics will line up to vote for the corrupt family clan again. Come election day.”
Don’t blame the Sinhala/Tamil youth who took arms to change the corrupt structure. Ultimately they themselves had become petty tyrants.
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Finder / September 7, 2014
It is surprising that the courts have found an LTTE operative guilty of killing janak Perea.
At the time of his death, none other than our resident HOLY MAN bishop Rohan de Chickera was spreading a conspiracy theory that the government killed him. He also demanded an independent judicial inquiry.
Hope Chikera has the decency to confess and apologise to the president. Probably not!
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Javi puss-able / September 7, 2014
Where politics, terror and the underworld mix,
there are bound to be many a stupefaction.
kenneth
_____________
ღツ
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Ram / September 8, 2014
Javi puss-able,
When politics, terror and the underworld mix anarchy reigns and democracy becomes extinct.
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Ram / September 9, 2014
Another attempt to steal my moniker. CT needs to act.
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Piranha / September 8, 2014
My friend, the LTTE was blamed by the government for all the killings it did before 2009. His was a contract killing by the Rajapaksas and the Bishop may have been correct.
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BBS Rep / September 8, 2014
The Courts in Sri Lanka have been giving bogus convictions ever since Mohan Pieris the stooge became the CJ.
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Ellakollage Appachchi / September 7, 2014
Do not loose heart. Natural justice will be served to all without discrimination.
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Sama / September 7, 2014
This we can hardly hope.. for what MR regime has made so far – what has Natural Justice taken to this day ? Having heard to a videos in which AKD clearly pointed out – with all prima facie evidences to any judge to go for it easily – but nothign seems to have taken sofar against Marawara Rajajapske.
Dawal migel ra daniel is his nature – so my dear, I have lost all my hope about Karma too, though Premadasa fated it without delay – why the same is not the case for MR ?????
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Javi. / September 7, 2014
“why the same is not the case for MR ?????”
By wearing `Boo`ts Que Son Goo`.
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Dingsbums / September 8, 2014
You should have been born in a toilet pit. Your phrases prove that. I am against this brutal family, but I really dont like your expressions.
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Javi. / September 9, 2014
Ha ha Ho ho,
Dim son, Big shit pig shit,
No bum no dung.❥ ツ
you so dumb.|`
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kali / September 8, 2014
Ja_vi you Candian JIHADIST:
You have become mental and go and see psychiatrist before it is too late ( I cant guarantee). You have an identity crisis and have a blurred vision and when you try to “Thoppi Piraddy” you are going to drop it as you will see too many Thoppis.
Man THREE million Muslims have been killed by Muslims and the figure is rising by the minute. SAD
(^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕)(^‿◕)(^‿◕)(^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕)
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kali / September 8, 2014
So Ja_vi you JIHADIST:
What have you done man. You have flipped and revealed that you have a habit of flipping your name and it has come as no surprise.
Sivananthan – Shankar – Afzal- Ja_vi & Javi puss- able ( more appropriately piss-able).
Identity CRISIS.
(^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕)(^‿◕)(^‿◕)(^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕) (^‿◕)
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Native Vedda / September 8, 2014
kali Modi istani
Janaka Perera was accused of war crimes by your people.
Can you list them all here so that rest of us can learn what he was upto.
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kali / September 8, 2014
Grandad:
In our books all 20 million of you are guilty of War Crimes and that includes Aiding and Abetting. Are you the UNHCR for me to list wasting my time. Wait for the report from UNHCR.
You are all Guilty as Charged. That is how Mahintha the THUG operates.
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Ellakollage Appachchi / September 8, 2014
Natural Justice will BE DONE. We have to be patient.
During early 1990″s with the Impeachment in full swing I believed throwing out RP was a done deal. But then the speaker was alleged to have taken bribes and scuttled the whole process.. How depressed I felt for the next couple of years and thought we could never get rid of RP. Then he took his revenge on Athulathmdali and felt like we have dark clouds hovering above and will never see the blue skies again.
But natural justice eventually caught up with RP. Does anyone remember what a relief the whole country felt?
SAMA,
About karma you mentioned, I did have a chat with a Buddhist priest about the injustices carried out by the Passa family and how they seem to enjoy life while the masses suffer. His response was collectively the Passa family would have accumulated some “pin” meritorious deeds” . Due to that they cannot be touched, but the pin will be spent and the the results of the bad deeds “paw paladei” will come into play.
Hope their pin is running out fast!
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Sama / September 8, 2014
Yes Premadasa atleast made cage kind of small houses to the poor but the man in power- has made houses for him and his kith and kin not to the poor of the nation.
Express way and the other show offs are just redherrings to abuse the nation further. Our people – majority folks are born stupid ones. they are easily to decieve.. looking at the gifts that they get distributed these days by Eletion gundas can easily turn these people up side …
This is the not the case in countries like Ethiopia. Those people even if they are under the poverty line, they respect only dignity and respect. I spoke and questioned myself few Ethiopians in London lately, there i understood how proud they are folks are… they only focus on high moral values.
As Harshada De Silva lately pointed out, MR and his administration only paved the way high corrupted men to loot the country while they do the same while being in power. These are facts and people of this island deserve to know the facts.
MR should be removed and put in jail for the rest of life. Not because of war crimes, but because of the high corurptions he has been making further to this nation. Every right thinking one would agree with me here.
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Spring Koha / September 7, 2014
Janaka was a class above the Rajapaksa clan and would have posed a serious threat to them in the political arena. If not for his downfall, he may well have achieved the same result – defeating the LTTE – but with less repercussions. As Tisaranee has written, Janaka’s fate was sealed; caught between a rock and a hard place, targeted by his enemies, abandoned by those who are supposed to care for us all. History repeated itself immediately after the victory in 2009, when our ‘national heroes’ were promptly moved to shuffle paper in one ministry or another. So much for Rajapakse gratitude. Sycophants of the regime everywhere, watch your backs!
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Piranha / September 7, 2014
Rajapaksa type patriotism was exposed when Gota called Sarath Fonseka a traitor, jailed him and took away his civic rights despite the fact that Fonseka was the man who led the defeat of the LTTE. Sarath Fonseka must have known how Janaka Perera was treated after his death and still thought he could challenge Rajapaksa and learned a costly leasson.
Patriotism has been given a different meaning under the Rajapaksas’ rule and as Ms Tissaranee quite correctly says if you are not with the Rajapaksas then you all are traitors.Since independence the tamils who fought for their rights were deemed terrorists and now millions of Sinhalese, muslims, Christians who are opposing the the government politically and not with the Rajapaksas have become traitors. When are the Sinhala people going to wake up and throw out this criminal Rajapaksa gang from power?
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Matilda Ellepola / September 7, 2014
It is interesting that SF and JP both having the full backing of the subordinated and Sinhala massses had to hate each other even though both of them were not looked for promotions by CBK regime and ignored in the military higher up.
A gallant soldier and a man who lead from the front, had to perish because of the Rajapaksas fault.
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Javi / September 7, 2014
When we are born we cry that we are come to this great
stage of fools.–William Shakespeare.
He’s freed some fire from ice in pity for Heaven.
He’s left open– for God– the doors of Hell tonight….
the beauty of love in spite of that pain
chitra -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lia5ukVWPN4
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Vibushna / September 8, 2014
Javi puss-ass,
When we are born we cry for mothers milk. When we are grown we cry pussy and that is when all hell break loose. Beauty of love is another name for jigy jigy.
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Javi. / September 9, 2014
`porriki passa` with ‘Singhaphobia’
Mass Tam`ill` graves are victory symbols.|`
Where ignorance is bliss, it’s folly to be wise.
Love me ,love my dog.❥ ツ
`S2`⍟☻
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Abhaya / September 7, 2014
Blaming the Rajapaksa’s for the LTTEs doing , doesnt take much to read between these lines does it ?
Cheers
Abhaya
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lal / September 8, 2014
Excellent observation from Abhaya. LTTE does the murdering of Janaka Perera but the writer places the blame on Rajapakses! The writer appears to have scant regard for others who were murdered along with Janaka Perera. One would expect the writer would have known that the LTTE terrorists would not have cared if there 100 police protecting Janaka Perera, but would have gone ahead with the bombing and killing as they did with Premadasa, Kumaranatunga or Rajive Ghandi along with hundreds of civilians. I can understand the fury of egoistic Tamils, the writer, for the humiliating defeat the Rajapakses bestowed upon the Terrorists. That said, there is no justification for blaming the unavoidable killing of Janaka Perera by Terrorists on the Rajapakses. I am deeply grateful to Perera and Rajapakses for eliminating the low born scum Terrorists. Are we going to read another piece from the same writer blaming Only the LTTE for failing to protect so called innocent Tamils (499,999 of them) during the last stages of the war?Perhaps we will!
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Ram / September 9, 2014
” LTTE does the murdering of Janaka Perera but the writer places the blame on Rajapakses “
Does this mean that the author and Bishop de Chikera is one and the same ?
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aratai / September 7, 2014
.
I am waiting to see who will be the first traitor from Rajapakse family:
If MaRa agrees to implement 13+, I am sure GoRa will call him a traitor.
If GoRa doesn’t allow NaRa become next King, MaRa will call him a traitor.
………..
:-)
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Native Vedda / September 8, 2014
aratai
It is too complicated for me. Could you make it simple for us to understand the complex problem.
Is it similar to the puzzle where Tiger, Goat, Grass and the Boatman crossing the river in the same boat?
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Leon / September 7, 2014
In view of what Tisaranee has said it is possible that Janaka Perera was assassinated by the golayas of the regime and found an innocent Tamil, guilty of the murder by making him to ” confess” for the murder. After all the Regime harassed
Janaka Perera not only when he was alive but even after his death. It was very convenient for this execrable regime to put the blame on the Tigers as they too were gunning for him too. There is no doubt that the Govt had a motive for his elimination.
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punchinilame / September 8, 2014
The jail sentence indicates the accused will be paroled at some given time
as it may have been the arrangement for him to confess as his masters had
arranged. Those involved in the drama had their revenge to satisfy themselves whilst warning their growing enemies.
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Billa / September 8, 2014
Don’t go any further, just watch Karuna’s haughty face..he’s smiling with his usual killer style ! This was already a public secret then.
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Avi / September 8, 2014
There are two incidents that really defined
Rajapaksha patriotism(bogus) and total
opportunistic and ungrateful nature of this hideous
Rajapaksh family.
One being assignation of Janaka and other
being broad day light murder of Bharatha.
In both cases Rajapakshas knew both
of them were going to get killed and viciously
facilitaed them. It is too bad that there is no
hell this family to go to.
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K.A Sumanasekera / September 8, 2014
How come, Janaka Perera, Lalith Atulathmudali, Ranjan Wijeratna and Gamini Dissanayake all got blasted to smithereens.
But Mr Prabakaran’e LTTE Suicide bombers never got even near the UNP Christian Faction Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and his inner circle of Ravi Karunanayaka, Lakshman Kiriella and Tissa Attanayaka?.
Is it because these Christian Faction leaders didn’t know Alimankada from Pamankada and Mullthive from Mulleriyawa?../.
,
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kali / September 8, 2014
Sumanasekera you idiot:
How do you think Kathirgamar with round the clock security by highly trained soldiers was blown up.
Who do you think killed Lasantha.
It is the work of MR the Hambanthotta THUG and who else. But his end is near as he will not be alowed to stand again as Sarath Silva will see to it. Gotha is banned from standing and there is no one left to carry the victory mantle. MR will face the fate of all the other fallen heros.
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Native Vedda / September 8, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
“Is it because these Christian Faction leaders didn’t know Alimankada from Pamankada and Mullthive from Mulleriyawa?../.”
Good point, why didn’t you remind VP about this and recommend targets that you now feel should have been bumped off long ago.
VP would have immensely appreciated your contribution to his madness and bestowed a Nattu Patralan (National Patriot) title on you.
It is not too late now. You can pick the your own targets and pass it to Gota who is also equally mad.
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K.A Sumanasekera / September 9, 2014
Dear Native,
Your CM and his Verty Vellalas lived in Kurunduwatta all along and still do now.
Nobody, even our Bad BBS Boys ever put them on their Radar..
The latest news is that the Vella CM wants Jaffna Youth to record every movement of the Army boys and Girls including the newly enlisted ex Combatants of Mr Prabakaran.
But no such instructions to the Colombo Tamil Youth.
Shouldn’t he at least extend an invitation to them for volunteer service in Jaffna ?.
Like the ISIL invitation to their Diasporians for help in Iraq and Syria..
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Tamil from the north / September 11, 2014
I am not sure why we all waste our time replying to this wild beast sumanasekera. This bugger must be horapaksesè toilet cleaner.
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Native Vedda / September 11, 2014
Tamil from the north
“I am not sure why we all waste our time replying to this wild beast sumanasekera.”
Don’t you think its more fun than having a conversation with your partner?
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kali / September 8, 2014
TG:
The Tamils have no sypmthy for Janaka Perera as he was against what LTTE fought for. But in Mahinthas Kingdom morality is non existent and it boils down to either you are with us or you are aginst us. If you are against us you dont deserve to live doesnt matter what you have done for the country.
If you want proof just look at Karuna who single handedly killed thousands of Sinkala Soldiers is now a minister ptotected by the State Authorities.
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Pakshe / September 9, 2014
The monstrous obsession the Rajapakshes have to take petty revenge even after death of a war hero is a story that needs to told not once not twice but as many time as possible at every rally, at every opposition gathering. This story needs to be driven into the brains of the feeble brained buffoons who take a temporary bribe from these monsters and vote for their stooges.
/