Although we acknowledge it is illegal for our party Leader to engage in politics, he has no other choice as he was forced to resort to illegal methods to flee the country in order to save his life, Frontline Socialist Party Politburo member Pubudu Jagoda says.
Premakumar Gunaratnam| Photo courtesy Peter Boyle.
Officials from the Immigration Department had visited the FSP headquarters in Pannipitiya yesterday evening looking for Kumar Gunarathnam to record a statement regarding his political activities in response to a complaint they had received against him. Jagoda says they will be visiting the Immigration Department with Gunaratnam and their lawyers within the next two days to make a statement.
“Kumar is not hiding; he is at his residence in Kegalle. He is a Sri Lankan citizen and has engaged in local politics. The only issue is him using a fake name in his passport to flee the country. We admit certain legal issues prevail with concern to his involvement in politics but the reason that pushed him towards resorting to illegal method to flee the country should be considered before deeming his political activities illegal,” he said.
He said Kumar returned to Sri Lanka to participate in the recently concluded Presidential election campaign under tourist visa after paying the due fine of Rs. 39,130 since he was deported based on grounds of overstaying.
Jagoda says that it is the same legal issue that has discouraged several journalists who are in exile from returning to Sri Lanka despite the Media Minister’s invitation for them to return as they would risk prosecution upon their return.
“So we urge the new government to take action in order to resolve this issue. These people fled the country to save their lives not out of a willingness to engage in illegal activities,” he said.
vishvajith / January 27, 2015
Let Kumar aka Kumara Aiyya aka Kumaran; stay on and do his politics.
Kumar is a true son of the soil. Born to Tamil parents, a rebel at heart, he also lost his brother to the ” beeshana ( terror ) era ” in ’89. Kumar, nearly lost his, surviving the dreaded white vans.
Kumar and his group is also a thorn in the JVP’s side. We need a counterbalance to the JVP too. It’s good for democracy.
So stay on Kumar, if we can learn from the Australian Palitha Kohona, we will learn from you too.
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Burt / January 28, 2015
What a load of hogwash. The story has been worse with Tamils who left the country to stay alive. Now they are denied citizenship and they too cannot come on a visit visa and forget about politics they cannot even do business.
Take for instance Sinhala media personal who spoke out because of the love they had for the mother land. They too had to leave in fear of their life. With no certainty whether they could return most obtained citizenship in the adopted land. Do you think they can come on visit visa and do politics or practice the trade?
This is the law of the land you cannot have exceptions but the govt should seriously look at the issue and make it easy to have dual citizenship. Not just give it to their cronies only.
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shankar / January 28, 2015
I believe kumar’s mother was sinhalese. That’s how he was in the south.
Agree with you that just like anyone else he should be allowed to do his politics.It is ridiculous to take action over a false passport to flee the country when its governance resulted in people being killed.
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Palayang Yako / January 28, 2015
This fraud and his fraudulent party had their fines paid and his air tickets paid for by Mahinda Rajapaksa as a part of his criminal expenditure of public money in an attempt to defeat the CC in the last Presidential election.
These “holier than thou” utterances are just a pile of rubbish. Send this bugger back to Australia where he can sit at the feet of that other Rajapaksa ally, the Australian Prime Minister, who has been subjecting those of the same ethnicity – Tamil refugees – to all kinds of cruelty.
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BBS Rep / January 28, 2015
No court of law will find Pathmakumar Gunaratnam guilty of taking flight on forged papers as his life was at stake. Preservation of one’s life is a fundamental right. The same law applies to assaults and self defence.
One may not like his politics but one must protect his rights for self expression and his right to preserving his life.
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Burt / January 28, 2015
“No court of law will find Pathmakumar Gunaratnam guilty of taking flight on forged papers as his life was at stake.”
This is not at issue. The question is did he take citizenship in another country? If he did he gave up his SL citizenship.
So does he have the right to do politics on a visit visa?
[Preservation of one’s life is a fundamental right.]
Thousands of Tamils left SL some just with the clothes they were wearing. Why did you think they left? Will you support the same argument for them?
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Kasun / January 28, 2015
Let him allow to do politics. People do have different views but they are allowed to do politics.
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sisira / January 29, 2015
It is not permitted according to immigration law. Do you want to encourage people doing illegal work?
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W.Milton / January 28, 2015
Dr Kumar Gunaratham look at Sri Lankan political drams play by Ruling bourgeoisie and their hipcoracy of democracy; in political stages that inside and outside Parliamentary politics and politics of President of Republic, they become clowns of before millions of public in
Sri lanka and worldwide.
The most well known fact that corrupted politician like Rajitha Senarathana which is the member of ruling class that boasting, his act and role of political coup that led to overthrown MR ruling party in power 2015 January 9th. He that himself want to become hero’s political champions in power Games. But that public that understand, his role is nothing, that real power was behind by CIA, M15 and RAW of Indian.
This daily political of Sri lanka democracies prevail in days to comes.
DR Kumar, you are belongs to splinter politics derived from JVP, that roots of politics goes backs to PND Wijeweera days of anarchism.
That yours politics not that Marxism-Leninism.
You have go to long-march way to reached politics of socialism in Sri lanka. Guided by politics of masses our epistemological approach and understanding of political settlement as a multi-level, multi-sited and multi-anti-process in democracy totally understanding by your party.
Sri Lankan politics of ruling class parties are on the line CRANK OF POLITICS BY LEADERS OF MAIN PARTIES INCLUDING JVP AND TNA.
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karu / January 29, 2015
According to the news, he was a sri lankan citizen and later became a Australian national. Why he wanted to engaged sri lankan politics while on tourist visa. What was his motive?
It is clear that he himself invited problems. Illegal work is illegal whoever does it.
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silva / January 29, 2015
there are no basis of certain comments. It is very simple. Kumar may be a good politician while on sri lanka. but he gave up the sri lankan citizenship and became an Australian citizen. So, why did he do politics here. He doesn’t have right to do. Can we do politics in Australia? No we are not allowed. answer is simple as that and no one can’t protect him. He should pay the price of wrong doing.
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perera / January 30, 2015
THE GUY BROKE THE LAW
NOIFS NO BUTS NO NOTHING
HE SHOULD BE ARRESTED, TRIED AND IF CONVICTED FINED HEAVILY AND JAILED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
ON RELEASE SHOULD BE DEPORTED TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.
THAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL NORM.
SO WHY ARE THE BORDER FORCE AND POLICE IMPOTENT ON THIS.
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