In an email to Colombo Telegraph, received a few hours ago, Dialog Axiata PLC Board member, a Friday Forum’s key co-signatory, former UN under secretary general Jayantha Dhanapala has advised that, “it is the sole responsibility of the Executive Management to respond to any external communications on company affairs,” says further that, we should “raise any issues or clarifications… directly with the Executive Management of Dialog.”
Dhanapala
He does not, it would appear, to have any plans to resign from the Dialog board.
The issue at hand is blocking of internet access to the Colombo Telegraph website, which Dhanapala, has characterized as an “allegation.” It has been long established that CT’s website are being blocked by a number of Sri Lankan broadband providers, through uncontradicted tweets by Colombo editors and journalists like BBC’s Charles Havland, Groundviews’ Sanjana Hattotuwa, and Nalaka Gunawardene, as far back at March 30, 2013 and December 25, 2011. Further, the US State department human rights report for 2013, does clearly state that, “ The government periodically blocked access to the Colombo Telegraph’s website…”.
Surprisingly, Dhanapala, who is a “regular reader,” of Colombo Telegraph claims he only learned of what he calls an “alleged Dialog interference with the Colombo Telegraph.” after reading Colombo Telegraph.
In a much longer communication with Colombo Telegraph, Chandra Jayaratne, former CEO of a major Sri Lankan corporation, chairman of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, and Friday Forum member stated, “I remain confident that JD [Jayantha Dhanapala] will as always, including in relation to this issue, will stand by the best practices of good governance within accepted Codes of Conduct and in line with his unquestioned integrity, high principles and values and uphold his valued commitments as a benchmark civil society leader held with respect by many including myself.”
However, there seems to be little worth in these statements. Colombo Telegraph maintains that the blocking of its web servers through a variety of surreptitious means, is illegal and unethical. What is at stake is not, who “respond(s) to any external communications on company affairs,” but whether it is ethical member of the board of the company, who advocates freedom of expression and a free and independent media, as a key member of a vocal civil society group to remain in that position.
Civil Society activist group Friday Forum so far has not condemned or issued a statement explaining its stance on ongoing illegal blocking of web-based media.
Colombo Telegraph is being blocked by all internet service providers and mobile networks – private and state owned – in Sri Lanka.
Readers are strongly advised to change the DNS settings on their computer to Google Public DNS by following the instructions provided here: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-change-dns-settings-in-windows-7-vista
Readers can also utilise this one click link to access Colombo Telegraph: http://j.mp/ColoTele
Related stories;
Once Again Colombo Telegraph Blocked; Dialog And Etisalat Tamper DNS Responses
UNP Demands Mobile Networks Reveal Who Orders Internet Censorship
Gamini Karalliyadda / March 10, 2014
It is great, CT is now learning how hippocratic this so-called NGO/Civil Society buggers are. What is the difference between Dhammika Perera and Jayantha Dhanpala?
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Pena Kiyanna / March 10, 2014
No the government is acting just like CT.
Have you ever tried to get an anti-CT comment, let alone an article published on this website?
The media freedom they seem to practice is “don’t give the ‘bad guys’ a fair go”. We should have all freedoms, not them.
To hell with CT. Kuruk deserves worse.
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Colombo Telegraph / March 10, 2014
@Pena Kyanna;
Our internal audit shows that you are using following pseudonyms. Anyone can see what you have written in this forum using those pseudonyms. We advice you to use one name – CT and all those comments can categories as – anti-CT and attacks on writers who are critical on Rajapaksa regime. Any reader can find out them.
This is the second request;
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/rajpal-abeynayake-controversially-escapes-contempt-of-sc-charges/
Your pseudonyms;
Tamil patriot, Pena Kiyanna, Pu Basher, David Basher, Lakbooru, Koti Meruwa, Used Condom, Physician, Lansi agonist, Rattaran, Disappointed?, Uththare, Fangdang, Pucka Master, Danna Kena, Wet puss, Pansi Lanka, On the Pillion, Pronto, Wisecrack, L master, Javis, L Maruwa, Your Nemesis, Rajathuma, Gum boot, Aththa Kiyanna, Sudath Paranagama, Ane appochchi, Ex-Islander, Retort, Proof reader, Truth teller, Niemöller continues, Sovereignty for ever, Durai, Diaspora agent, Godage, Vedi descender, Retorter, cameron hater, Equality for all, YYY, Raymond, Randy Willie, Quixote, Random Guess, Randy, Galagedara Modaya, Anticonversion, Hela claimant, Iseesee, Umpire, Rattaran, Jesu putha, Poo watcher, Uthure kolla, Pol Arakku, Rum and Coke, Point Blank, Jim Beam, Counter- retort, True Christian, Congolese, Taraki’s ghost, Darlene, Anthropos, Nikan beheth, Mandy, Arlene,Truth seeker, Irene, Gajamutu, Adamant, Bodu helaya, Meghdut, Dimuthu, Jaganath, Rana Viry, Preethi, Adaikkan, Curious, Adam, Kavatam, Pena Kiyanna, Jeremy, Henda, Summer Kakka, Bungaroo, Goni Billa, Therapist, Kavan Tissa, Swifty,
Little Lion, Lion cub, Ambalawanar, Konde bandapu Cheena, Little Peeved, Ketheeswaran, Lawyer, Gamiya, GIGO, Kurundu dealer, Chandiya, Winter Blues, Gupta prince, Chelliah, Rate Badu, Lankapuwath, Baron, Lex Regis, Island Gamma, Agonist, Agun, Kiri Menika, G. Weerakoon, Piyakaru, Kiri Banda, Reasonable, Cynic, Poo ten, Maradankadawala Yakaday, Halfbright, Bobgbong, Justinian, Ranjaya, Galagedara Appu, Soothsayer, Alberta Failure, Real Truth, Confused, Sandanam, Loku Putha, Reviewer, Watching Brief, Dandy Warhol, Michael Achilios, Always on your back, The coroner, Jayaweera, Bellylaughs,Lance the boil, JanakiRam,
Equanimous, Psych-healer, Menna aththa, Mahal, Old Friend, Wanagatha, Mithura, Yagnawalka,
Juliagone, Ranaviru, Lankan Mustafa, Udeshi, Listener, Cunniling, Bangawewa, Ruwan, Raman,
Ambalavanar, Dogwatcher, Pin bath, Real thing, Confused, Ajit Randeniya, Vidiya Bandara, Lanka Watcher, Quotesick, Scaptic, Berty, Karunaratna Wijesundara, Sudu Banda, Arun Wimalaratne, Jagatj Jayaweera, Andrew Cohen,Jagath Jayaweera, Pera rebel, Saman Fernando,Rizvi Mustafa, Really Transparent, Pol Tokka, Ratavesiya, Karunadasa Wijesinghe, Show and tell, Deshapremiya, Psycho, Nallatamby,Really Transparent, Realist, Transparent Lawyer, Hithawatha, Daya Master, Solhheim, Legal practitioner, Spectator, THe critic,Randeniya, Rizv Azad, Investigator, Sandgroper, Serving Colonel, L.Shanmugadasan,Gordon, Susantha Liyanage, Selva,Rata venuwen api, Anam Manam, Karalliadde, Rambanda, Lanka power, Anticommonwealth, Sanitiser, Rakshaka, Prawn on the barbie,Watcher, Konappu, Pub servant, G.Perera, Amirthalingam, Scrum-Half,Lakhanda, Traction, As it is, Reasonable,Mathew, Karalliadde and another commentator’s pseudonym “Off the Cuff”
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Amarasiri / March 11, 2014
CT,
Thank you keeping track of the Shills and exposing the Shills.
Would like to the know the various aliases of Jim Swifty, Leela and el-kolla as well, so one can respond intelligently.
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Amarasiri / March 10, 2014
“He does not, it would appear, to have any plans to resign from the Dialog board.”
Shills don’t resign.
Only-non-Shills resign.
What a cop-out.
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Dinuk / March 10, 2014
Friday Forum is a bunch of self-important prats with the exception of Prof. Savitrie Gunasekera who means and does what she says. Only she actually WALKS THE TALK – the others just concocted the forum to feel important by making useless statements! Funny, funny!
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The Professional / March 10, 2014
Same as the difference between pumpkins and pussyfooting.
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Amarasiri / March 11, 2014
Gamini,
“What is the difference between Dhammika Perera and Jayantha Dhanpala? ”
The Delta, the Difference, between two shills is Zero.
Delta = Shill Perera – Shill Dhanapala = 0 = Zero, Bindu, Zepher, Null, Nothing.
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Ranwaka family / March 10, 2014
Looks Dhanapala doesn’t want to loose RS 7 million +for his 7 sittings at Dialog board meetings : ) LOL
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Friday Forum Talk Shop / March 10, 2014
Ayyayyo Dhanapala and Jayaratne!!! What a tragedy BIG BIG people!!
Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala
Independent, Non-Executive Director
Mr. Dhanapala was appointed to the Board of Dialog Axiata PLC on 3rd August, 2007.
He was a career diplomat in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service and the United Nations (UN). He was the Ambassador of Sri Lanka and the Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva (1984-87), the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the USA (1995-97) and UN Under-Secretary-General (1998-2003). He served as a member of the UN University Council for a period of seven years.
Mr. Dhanapala is the current President of the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize-winning Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs and sits on the Governing Board of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and advisory boards of other international institutes. He has published several books and written articles for international journals. Mr. Dhanapala was named ‘Sri Lankan of the Year 2006’ by Sri Lanka’s premier business magazine, the Lanka Monthly Digest (LMD). He has also received many international awards.
Mr. Dhanapala holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree majoring in English Literature with French from the University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka and a Master of Arts degree in International Studies from the American University in Washington DC, USA. He was awarded honorary doctorates by the Universities of Peradeniya and Sabaragamuwa, Sri Lanka, the Monterey Institute of International Studies in the USA, the University of Southampton UK and the Dubna International University in the Russian Federation.
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Keruma / March 10, 2014
This Dahanpala is [Edited out]
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
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Nimal / March 10, 2014
Ayyayyo Dhanapala, Ayyayyo Jayaratne
Your response to CT exposes the duplicity and hypocrisy of bourgeois so-called civil society.
Members of the Friday Forum will talk about rights, democracy etc. but they won’t take their politics to its logical conclusion if it affects their luxurious private lives. Learn my dear friends this is the character of the bourgeoisie!
There are many members of the Friday Forum who are acolytes of Chandrika hoping to bring her back to power somehow so that they can enjoy the benefits of being presidential legal advisers etc. There are other retired senior academics who present themselves as defenders of university academic freedom but were seen hanging out at the kitchen of Chandrika’s presidential residence while her adviser Tara was busy implementing World Bank reforms on education’ Then there are other senior academics who are eternally on the move globally preaching change to the world while they don’t give a damn about their own academic departments at home which pays their salaries for nothing.
The latest ally of the Friday Forum is a NGO which claims to stand for rights now and run with funding from European Union we are told. This NGO is run by a group of lawyers who are known to be supporting and channeling the NGO funds to a local extremist political cause which is destructive and of dubious character. The February issue of the Sinhala Magazine of this NGO has carried as a supplement the statement of the FF titled in Sinhala “An authoritarian tendency or Democratic Rule?”. It gives a list of members of the FF with its address etc. Are the members of the FF aware of the implication of FF linking up with this NGO? Are FF funds channeled to this NGO? We would like to know the response of the FF to these questions.
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Gaje / March 10, 2014
When you experience power and lose it at retirement, it is difficult to accept reality! After retirement he tried his hand at many posts to get ultimately rejected wholesale! Getting hold of govt. And other powerful postions including money (also is power) is not unusual for people experiencing “signhore” (with apologies to Sunil Perera), the toothless tigers of the UNP who jumped and people like Lucian Rajakarunanayake ( just one out of the bunch, who also had a good reputation) are in similar situations! Let us ignore them! However, I have a high regard for Chandra Jayaratne, who I hope will not taint his reputation!!!
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Justice Lanka / March 10, 2014
This is the problem with pseudo intellectuals with no moral backbone. List is too long.. Jayantha, Dayan, Rajiva, Vasu..
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Gujiri Halak / March 10, 2014
So the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde personality, the great UN
diplomat and career foreign service officer is now
revealed. He is caught with his sarong, oh sorry, his
well cut trousers down!!!
Whilst he places his signature on everything that is
rotten in Sri Lanka through Friday Fourm essays (not
statements), Dr. Dhanapala feels an important instrument
to voice public views – The Colombo Telegraph – is a hot
potato for him. Why? All because the buckshees will stop
coming if he says anything against such things.
So he has to keep his comments to issues where there is no
buchshees or santhosams. What is the difference between
him and Dayan Jayatilleke? both are intellectual hypocrites!!!
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Fedrick / March 10, 2014
If you work to UNO forget you are just nothing but a slack person. UNO is a mafia. Not only him most if Friday Forum just jokers President did not give them position that is why they are there. While all these guys in office very very bad corruptive people.
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Deshapriya / March 10, 2014
Dear Dr Dhanapala,
As fellow international civil servants from Sri Lanka, we hold you in high regard. We supported and promoted your bids for higher office and wished you the best. Now it is a shame to see you mortgage your integrity for a few dollars. Sir your UN Pension Fund must be sufficient to allow you to stand up for what is right. Do you need their money so badly?
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srilal / March 13, 2014
this is known as ” Money talks”
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NAK / March 15, 2014
It is not just greed for money, it is greed for power as well.
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Katmai / March 10, 2014
I look at the description of Jayantha Dhanapala by Chandra Jayaratne I think to myself “who are they really kidding here?” People in higher echelons of society are so good at scratching each others back, aren’t they? But here’s the secret. The “common man” is catching on to it. And the surprise to me is, instead of denouncing the practice or rebelling against it, the “common man” is adopting it and going crazy with it. It is interesting to see where this will all end up.
Every time I read about some “great” personality in Sri Lanka either from the past or in the present, one thing that goes through my mind is “if Sri Lanka had such GREAT people throughout its history why is the country still in such a sheit-hole?” Obviously, only one thing can be true. Either those “great” people are not so great or the country is not in a sheit-hole. Take your pick!
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Jinadasa Waduge / March 10, 2014
Dear Mr. Jayanatha Dhanapala
Do you care for press freedom?
If the answer is yes, it is wrong for you to advise the CT to “raise any issues or clarifications… directly with the Executive Management of Dialog.” Being a Board Member of this company in the first place you should ask your Executive Management to explain the reasons for this anti social act.
Mr. Jayarathne
Isn’t it the corporate responsibility of the Board of this company to provide a credible explanation to this anti social act of the executive management of their company.
We await to see your responses without pre-judging both of you.
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Priya Haputantri / March 11, 2014
Why don’t they re-name Friday Forum as
FRIDAY FROLICS by a band of good for
nothing crusaders.
In the least, I feel, Dhanapala should
have told the CT “I have studied your
complaint. Let me see what I can do.”
Instead he has taken the moral high
ground and direct CT to the Dialog
Brahamins who are on their all fours
worshipping the Government.
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Crazyoldmansl / March 11, 2014
The Friday forum must ask Dhanapala to resign if it is to maintain any last shred of credibility. Dhanapalas attempts within the Friday forum at playing down the current upsurge of fascism as being nothing more than “populism” has kept many anti fascists away from that forum. Friday forum will be well advised to ensure that diplomats are not permitted to become members because they are far too accustomed to the art of hiding with the hares while hunting with the hounds. In the final analysis there is little difference between the DJ and this man.
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Bruz / March 13, 2014
OMG..is Jayantha Dhanapala also a Dayan Jayatilleke-De Silva ?..
Can’t take any more of these genuine facts. Don’t we have any genuine Lankans
What happened to all our honest and great Sinhala, Tamils and Muslims of our nation ? We thought Dhanapala would have become the UN Secretary General if not for India. But sad to realize that Dhanapala is worse than Ban-Ki-Buffoon man. Shame on you Mr Dhanapala the great. Even these educated scums are putting down Sri Lanka and poor Lankans of all kinds. Never expected this from Dhanapala. Shame on you Sir, just quit, go and hide behind MR and GOta. What kind of education you or even GL Peiris had. You guys are the real disgrace and not MR or Goon Gota.
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