By Eric Ellis –
Eric Ellis
Last weekend, as a courtesy, The Global Mail emailed Sri Lanka’s unelected Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa a link to our story on the nepotism among Sri Lanka’s powerful elite.
Gota, as Sri Lankans know him, is the country’s enforcer-in-chief. The former soldier is credited with having masterminded his presidential brother Mahinda’s 2009 victory over Tamil separatists and ending a 26-year civil war that killed more than 100,000 people – as many as 75,000 in its brutal last weeks.
He had chosen not to co-operate in our research, but we sent on this piece anyway, the third in a three-part series How Not To Win A War. The series examines how his tiny island is emerging from that war and why, four years on, so many Sri Lankans, particularly of its minority Tamil community, are risking their lives on leaky boats in the vain hope of starting new lives in Australia.
‘The Brothers’ Grip’, in particular, reported how Gota and his triumphant Sinhalese relatives and cronies are getting rich quick as they turn Sri Lanka into their family’s political and business fief, a ‘mafia state’ as some Sri Lankans even described it.
Read more in the The Globalmail
*Eric Ellis is an award-winning journalist who writes about the politics, economics and societies of South and South-East Asia. He has written for a range of international journals; Fortune Magazine, Forbes, the Financial Times, Time Magazine, The Times, The Bulletin/Newsweek, The Spectator,Institutional Investor, Euromoney, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review and the International Herald Tribune.
Other stories;
Sri Lanka: How Not To Win A War
Sri Lanka: The Smugglers’ Prey
Sri Lanka’s Army Of Buddhist Power
Prasanna / September 5, 2013
These articles should be translated and published in Sinhala so that Sinhalaya Modayas who vote for their god king Rajapass can see reality and the Rajapassa Military Dictatorship that is Sri Lanka today.
The opposition has failed miserably to point out the fact that the Rajapassa corruption and neoppotism and Hambantota white elephant projects (port, airport etc )is a significant cause of the crash of the economy and the collapse of the rupee..
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Dodo / September 5, 2013
Right on! the UNP and opposition is also a big part of the problem in Lanka.
These foreign journalists who are doing a great job should also write about UNP DICTATOR Ranil Wickramasingh and the fact that MOST politicians are the biggest law breakers in the country…
Harsha De silva is sleeping on the job rather than alerting the people to PROTEST the Rajapassa madness in Hambantota – that is indebting and crashing the economy because of so many white elephant projects in a under populated fishing village – needs to be stopped immediately,
Hambantota a sleepy village, has NO population base or skilled base of professionals and is little populated but now they are planning to build medical parks and universities there and throw good money after bad.. further indebting and crashing the economy. This madness MUST stop.
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nishan / September 6, 2013
You can say what you like about the UNP but Harsha and the party has been very good about exposing the economic corruption with some fiery speeches in Parliament.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlQNhHrpN3s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWn6sptO7eI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XXwx-mZcUQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg1N6LS6DhA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9ETqXcbofw
For example., They’ve been going on about the Krrrish deal for the longest while and have been proved to be correct. If our people value Mahinda’s smile above competent economics that’s their fault.
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Don Stanley / September 7, 2013
Nishan, Harsha is Colombo-CENTRIC. He only talks about what is going on in the capital and financial markets.
He has NO analysis of larger picture of DEVELOPMENT – that with a population of 300,000 people international ports and airports in Hambantota are unviable.
The Hambantota White ELEPHANTs should have been STOPPED before they were started and huge amounts of money spent on their maintenance. Today the Rajapassa regime continues to throw good money after bad in Hambantota.
The fact is that it is the Rajapassa Hambantota white elephants that are the cause of MOST of the DEBT, and the crashing rupee and economy..
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Peter Casie Chetty / September 6, 2013
If the opposition was strong enough then they could have changed the course of the country. Decidedly they have no leader and although no one sees how despotic the UNP was and how they failed first to stop the 1983 massacre and allowed the LTTE to grow over the years into a cowardly force of bullies who rained villages and killed innocent civilians but ran when the army were on their trail. The UNP and the previous CBK governments were responsible for the birth and the maturing of the LTTE. If they come to power again we can expect more trouble. Nepotism is good when the country is at peace and the Rajapakses have proved that. Security is tight, no bombs have gone off killing anyone so who cares what the white man things!
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lynx / September 5, 2013
What is an unelected Defence Secretary? The Secretary to the Ministry of Defence is never ELECTED. It is a position to which an individual is appointed by the Minister (who is elected).
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Fair N Square / September 5, 2013
so u mean he is ” SELECTED”like how GW (P)ush was NOT elected but selected by the Supreme court depriving AL Gore…
oh and are we NOT the ONLY country whose Defense Secretary is a FOREIGN CITIZEN… NAMELY US CITIZEN ?
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bandi / September 6, 2013
True, but ,are secretaries to the ministries allowed to dabble in Politics? Are these positions filled by, civil servants? Gota is a soldier. Has he passes at least his GCE?
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / September 7, 2013
this foreign passport holder, psychopath moron supporting a bunch of thug ministers,
not only acting as a elected minister,
but as a executioner with a gang of goons and kudu dealers running with white vans,
hunting and eliminating of opponents, critics and some wealthy people, and prime land owners, innocents.
running madly as he owns the land .
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Sphinx / September 7, 2013
That’s what said of ‘unelected’, do you need any more elaboration.
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iwon / September 5, 2013
gota did not win the war,gen.fonseka did.after that gota claimed this so called victory as his,threw gen.fonseka in jail of course this was a joint family deceision.
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Fair N Square / September 5, 2013
cant agree more…. they say in Sinhala.. [edited out]
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Safa / September 5, 2013
Good take. The war was won due the field commanders and soldiers, not by him. He removed most of them and is now taking over the govt and country.
Every thing is either Bullshit or Pigshit for this man. He is now an expert in defence, foreign affairs, urban development just to mention a few and is accountable for USD 2.2 Bn of the national budget.
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NAK / September 5, 2013
“Ellis is an award-winning journalist”
So is Obama,he won the Nobel peace prize!!!
By the way Got is is right,it is shit!
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Bruno Umbato / September 5, 2013
Hi! Eric …
What else be called for a bull shit!
You are writing award winning bull shit … Nothing else regarding Sri Lanka …
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Palayang yako! / September 6, 2013
Wambotta:
You are back! Yay! That means more rogues to share the Rajapassa payment pot, no?
Also, unfortunately, more idiotic contributions to CT, unfortunately.
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / September 7, 2013
another gilmart gam botta from lee potter.
like K A SUMANAWATHY, LEELA JIN [ GON] SOTHTHY,????????????????????.
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abhaya / September 5, 2013
he writes about one comment called bull shit .. as if it is a threat to murder him. who gave this clown an award .
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Palayang yako! / September 6, 2013
Abhava:
Given how stupid you are, you should call yourself “Kabhaya” and hide under one.
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / September 5, 2013
Australian journalists are notorious for their one-sided commentary usually supporting the under-dog regardless of facts as they stand.
This fellow is no different, and seems to have simply penned a few words to rouse some rabble. I think a more credible article would detail evidence, anecdotes and statistics rather than arbitrary conjecture..
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Percy Jilmart / September 5, 2013
Dear Lasantha PethiyaGota,
You say that Australian journalists are notorious for their one sided supporting of the under dog…so what are the bought and paid for journalists Rajpal and Malinda notorious for?
Arn’t they notorious for white washing every single misdeed perpetrated by the top dogs in the government?
Do you agree that the only way the world will belive whether 70,000 or a 1000 was killed is only if an impartial investigation is held into what happened during the last days of the war?
Why are people like you notorious for wanting the truth hidden? If that Goat keeps shooting his mouth, more and more foreign media will start covering his every utterance.
Don’t forget, when a dog bites a man it might not be news…but when a Goat tries to bite a foreign journalist it is definitely big news. :-)
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Palayang yako! / September 6, 2013
Lasantha Pethiyagoda:
Will your stupidities never cease. Ellis is certainly not some “wanna-be intellectual” like you.
Why don’t you go to sleep, dream up more nonsense and give us all a break for a little while at least?
In our village they have a term for people like you. It is called “Gon-baas.”
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Trinity Oldboy / September 6, 2013
So what is Pethiyagoda doing in Australia?
If Australia is so why doesn’t he come back and clean MaRa’s asses like Keliyala and DullAss does.
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / September 6, 2013
You should be ashamed of yourself to keep insulting people and calling them names while you hide inside a pseudonym in a dark room with a computer in front of you!!
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len / September 6, 2013
If only rest of the world forth-estate is unbiased and neutral as the Lake House Daily News?
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La Petite / September 7, 2013
It is in-arbitrarily proposed.
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Jim softy / September 5, 2013
I think the major point in this article is ERIC ELLIS wants to make his web site well known among Sri Lankan people. So, He chose Anti-Rajapakse Articles to achieve this.
There is nothing constructive there. Just roll over other people in order to achieve my dream.
That is cheap and bankrupt Journalism.
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Palayang yako! / September 6, 2013
JimPissa:
Seems like the whole battalion has been sent off on Ellis’ trail! But then that’s what you buggers get paid for, no?
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len / September 6, 2013
Yes Jim he should get a refresher course at Sri Lanka’s premier publisher Daily News you recon?
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Rod Atkinds / September 6, 2013
Jim , The Housemaid Arabs Ass cleaner…. There will be a Soon Sinhala Killing Sinhala…. wait and see… Sinhalaya Modaya will be killed each other soon. GOTA is doing some works for Pakistan Inteligence Service work with Lakshar E taiba which India knows well. You people talk only Sinhala, other Minoritoes talk more than 4 languages… so whom are superiors? You are Just A Frogs…. anyway, we will wait ready for Clapping and Laughing each other when Army and Sinhala people start clashing….. ahahhaah Modayo
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Jim softy / September 7, 2013
ROD ATAKINDS:
Why did the ALMIGHTY Create SATAN. How can a that intelligent can do a that stupid thing OR is it the STUPID human beings who created this story ABOUT SATAN.
There is No creator. YOU ARE THE CREATOR.
you live in the universe that you created.
UNDERSTAND IT IF YOU CAN.
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Native Vedda / September 7, 2013
Jim softy
“Why did the ALMIGHTY Create SATAN.”
Please ask the Almighty he might have a rational explanation.
Whether one believes in Satan or not one thing is sure we all see Satan in you. That is more than enough for the proof you yourself is seeking.
Please look at the mirror before and after you type your comments. If you see two horns in the mirror that confirms what we feared all along. If you don’t see them please change the mirror.
” There is No creator. YOU ARE THE CREATOR.”
I can see that, stupid people regenerate into more stupid people, 20 millions of them.
“you live in the universe that you created.”
I hate to agree with you, hell is the other name for Sri Lanka, though it is an irrelevant tiny part of universe.
“UNDERSTAND IT IF YOU CAN.”
No I can’t, come again.
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Chandra / September 7, 2013
Jimbo
You said “I think the major point in this article is ERIC ELLIS wants to make his web site well known among Sri Lankan people. So, He chose Anti-Rajapakse Articles to achieve this.”
Are you saying you have to write Anti Rajapakse articles to get popular hits on websites?
Are you saying vast Majority of Sri Lankans are anti rajapakse?
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Max Silva / September 5, 2013
A bloody waste of time.Heard of two blokes,Jullian Asange and Snowden?Na!How about “The accidental” death of one “princess Diana”?Na!
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aratai / September 6, 2013
Gota is losing the battle.
-At first it was 0 casualties, now 8,000 unaccounted deaths.
-Before it was No war crimes so no investigation. Then they did a LLRC report, Now they have started an internal investigation, Trinco 5 murder suspects are arrested.
-Once India supported Lanka in UNHCR – not anymore
-Try to remove 13A – did not happen
-Try to remove police, land powers – did not happen
-Now trying to stop muslims – will not work either due to Arab’s pressure
If he plays carefully he can become next president or may lose to Namal.
:-)
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Mike2 / September 6, 2013
Does anyone know if Eric Ellis works freelance, employed or working for charity? Can a journalist get paid by biasing a article on to one side and as well as publishing on a journal? I don’t know. Does anyone know?
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Megaphone / September 11, 2013
Mike, do you need a loudspeaker to bray on?
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Bedrock Barney / September 6, 2013
When Eric says unelected Defence Secretary? Are Department Secretary’s usually elected in Canada?
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Fonseka / September 6, 2013
Rajaponna brothers will be soon killed like Gadafi. These Shitliese buggers will soon realise they have dug their own graves.
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Kautilya / September 6, 2013
The rajapaksas are getting their grip on power and consolidating twith in the family or their “group”. But their efforts are peanuts compared to what has happened in India, or the West where, since the Thatcher-Regan-neocon capture of power. Now in the West a very few people own all the newspapers, and news media, cell-phone communication etc. A few big families and oil men control the financial markets and even the IMF and world bank, with people like Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld working as Directors of almost all these powerful corporations from halibeton to Carlyle Inc or Pfziser. When one of the crooks made some mistakes and got caught he rushed off to Switzerland. Koffee Annan’s people, the King of Spain, George Blair Bill Clinton, the Bush family and a few other people were paid about a million each and this led George W Bush to give a presidential pardon to the guy. All this was aired in a CBC-TV-Ontario investigative journalism show recently.
So far the rajapaksas have not come up to the level of corruption that we have inthe West, or even Sonia Gandhi and her cronies. But our fellows will catch up, given enough time.
The strange thing is, why didn’t this Western reporter compare what is going on in Sri lanka with what is going on in US and Canada, with the Canadian Premier even proroguing parliament to avoid facing questions about financial scandals!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Native Vedda / September 7, 2013
Kautilya
Whatever the fault in western societies, oh there are billions of them, it is not a justification for whatever is happening in this island.
Two wrongs do not make it right.
Why can’t you put this island right and be an example to other nations?
Western illness is not a very good cover for you to neglect your own responsibilities.
I won’t ask you to educate yourself, though it might be also difficult as you will only have Tamil/Sinhalese teachers to chose from.
The aim should not be education, most of it is Western garbage anyway helps to build me societies, but acquiring wisdom, a very rare commodity in this island.
Education never progressed one to be wise yet you stupid Tamil/Sinhalese pride yourselves to be highly educated.
I never understood you people and will never.
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Amarasiri / September 6, 2013
Vladimir Putin Calls John Kerry A Liar Over Comments On Syrian Opposition
Well, Well, there is so much Bull Shit and Lying Shit Flying around.
Citizen’s be prepared to duck to avoid this shit.
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a liar, claiming he had denied that al-Qaida was fighting with the Syrian opposition in that country’s civil war.
Speaking to his human rights council, Putin recalled watching a congressional debate where Kerry was asked about al-Qaida. Putin said he had denied that it was operating in Syria, even though he was aware of the al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra group.
Putin said: “This was very unpleasant and surprising for me. We talk to them (the Americans) and we assume they are decent people, but he is lying and he knows that he is lying. This is sad.”
It was unclear exactly what Putin was referencing, but Kerry was asked Tuesday while testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee if the Syrian opposition had become more infiltrated by al-Qaida.
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K.A Sumanasekera / September 6, 2013
75,000 Killed in the last week.
This sounds unadulterated Bull Shit of Eric Ellis.
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Lanka Liar / September 7, 2013
I agree. According to MRP nobody died in the war. Please believe him. He is a Sri Lankan. Sri Lankans don’t lie. How can people die when SL soldiers were not carrying any gun but books.
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hela / September 6, 2013
This is Bull Shit indeed.
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M.Sivananthan / September 6, 2013
In USA all the secretaries are “UN ELECTED”. UNP introduced the US style President system long ago. I think the author still live in the colonial days.
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J.muthu / September 7, 2013
U bloody pottu amman ahambadi nutter shut up, go on live in Canada. if u want lick malay rajapakse dumps..go on don’t start tamil bashing u coward…
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Native Vedda / September 7, 2013
J.muthu
“if u want lick malay rajapakse dumps.”
Are you sure MR clan is Malayali descendants? My sources tell me his ancestors came from Telungu Desam about 400 years ago.
Senguttuvan knows inside out of about all these politicians.
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Vicco / September 7, 2013
Senguttoven is a buddy of the apologetic Vaaiko too.
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shankar / September 8, 2013
veddha,malay and malayalee are two different peoples.Malays are in indonesia and malayalees are in kerala.
mahinda’s ancestors are malays brought by the dutch from indonesia to work in the tobacco plantations in hambantota,according to dushy ranetunge.Indonesia was a dutch colony and we were also ruled by the dutch before the british.
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M.Sivananthan / September 8, 2013
You are a smuggler and now your business is over. Better do something else instead of barking!
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Lanka Liar / September 7, 2013
Mokan these things re beyond you. Don’t break your head over these things. The educated ones will handle this. Not every body can do everything you know. Just concentrate on your cleaning job.
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K.A Sumanasekera / September 6, 2013
Amarasiri,
Isn’t it cool that Putin is back so that even Uncle Sam can’t come peddle their Bull Shit?
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iwon / September 6, 2013
Lasantha Pethigoda,Softy
Pls ask your cousin to bring a few Australian newspapers ,read them very well and best decide if Australian journos or any other are one sided.For them there is no fear of life or wife,need or threat either other than tell the story as it is.
Even in India,Bangla,Pakistan and Maldives journos are proud to bring out the truth to the people.
Softy,
We have all seen an increasing attention on Sri Lanka by world media,journalists since 2009 due unverified killings in North and now South as bogus commissions/inquiries start, as impunity increases (Chandra pushpa or dig not sentenced yet,kudu duminda is free etc)democracy erodes daily (18 A,CJ and so many others) gota and family stay on more ,the searchlight becomes more focused.
Finally,look at history and see where Rwanda is-Welcome back to International Relations and trade due its helping UN with war crimes,look at Uganda,Belarus,Sudan,Iran-a few pariah nations left,Myanmmar realized all this and bailed out whilst Sri Lanka seeks Myanmmar route of 30 years ago.
So,yes more journalists world wide will want to tell the story of what happened to us.
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iwon / September 6, 2013
Lasantha Pethigoda,The only one sided rajapakse love article by Australian journo Greg Shepard of the Australian I did read recently…and he and wife had to be flown down in first class,paid to write !!,gifts given,the works.
Rajapakse Lanka is in such a bad way now that’s the only way an article will be written pro-rajapakse govt
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hannah.rajaratnam / September 6, 2013
Hi there- at the hospial this morning,registering for my apointment the woman’s final question was-
And from where are you?
I said – From Sr Lanka.
She said- And where is THAT ?
My head was full of CT comments,was planning to get home to read the latest ‘come back’ from writers and see what I can say.!
I said -its a country below India,she looked surprised, and I walked out thinking ‘who am I ?
Does it matter ?
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Native Vedda / September 7, 2013
hannah.rajaratnam
“I walked out thinking ‘who am I ?”
You are another stupid Tamil.
Does it matter ?
The appropriate question you should have asked yourself is do I think? If the correct answer is no you don’t, then you don’t exist. Since you don’t exist it does not matter.
Short answer is no it does not matter.
I think therefore I am (Cogito ergo sum).
René Descartes
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Lanka Liar / September 7, 2013
You are confused and trying to confuse everybody now. Just keep to simple things for the time being
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Native Vedda / September 7, 2013
Lanka Liar
For me that was simple thing, is it difficult for you?
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Navel Bijja / September 7, 2013
Else, “Incongnito, iringo summa”.
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Native Vedda / September 7, 2013
Navel Bijja
State of Summa Irrungo (Mauna Swamigal 16th Century, Thayumanavar, Yogar Swamigal) is a very difficult one to achieve. Tell me how to go about attaining such a blissful state of living.
Who is going to feed me and my family?
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / September 7, 2013
What the heck is this “Global Mail” anyway? Seems to be another one of those 2 bit ‘news’ sites with grandiose names that have been springing up like mushrooms.
It has a stunningly awful Alexa ranking of 175,498 (compared to say CT’s 79,305), and most of their hits seem to come from people making typos in Google or searching for mail tracking. LOL :-)
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Lanka Liar / September 7, 2013
“Global Mail” is a news paper from Canada published in English. Hope you know it now. Cant go more simpler than this
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / September 7, 2013
LMAO! That’s “The Globe and Mail”, genius :-)
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M.Sivananthan / September 8, 2013
Idiot!
Canadian paper is “GLOBE AND MAIL” and not Global mail. In that paper Sarath Fonseka said Tamils are second class but your Tamil TNA asked the Tamils to vote for the same Fonseka!
Go to any night school to enrich your brain!
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / September 7, 2013
why did not you ask from your other lee potter guys????.
or better ask from Kudu Mervin, Kudu Dumiya, Narawal the synthetic lowyer,
oh I forgot, ask from malinda S, Raja pal, OR that Kangaroo guy Bandula.
ALL OF them are SHADBHASHA PARMESHWARS, DOCTERATE holders.
They Know every thing, because they are like you Shameless guys ,
Washing Dirty Linens and Undies of Rajapassa and Clan.
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hannah.rajaratnam / September 7, 2013
Native Veddah-
Mind ur language and cut the crap out.By your stupid words you have shown what a modaya you are.
Ho Ho! so you do understand some english and what were the last 2 lines.? Another ‘kathava’ in native Veddah’s vulgar language.
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Native Vedda / September 7, 2013
hannah.rajaratnam
Please google “I think therefore I am (Cogito ergo sum)” to find whether this is Native Vedda’s vulger language or something else which you never heard before in your entire life.
What a waste.
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hannah.rajaratnam / September 7, 2013
So that got you and you came back,pretty quick.
Good.You have made yourself a bigger fool by trying to teach others to ‘google search’.!
From whose neck of the woods are you sending your poisoned arrows?
Pompous —-?
Dictionary- which one?.
Sri Lanka has printed a new version.
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Bana / September 11, 2013
What do you mean in your pompous question, are you sleep walking?
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shankar / September 9, 2013
This is bullshit allright because the troops were carrying human rights charter in one hand and uzi submachine gun in the other.
In fact they read out the human rights charter fully to Issaipriya before they raped and killed her.Balachandran of course was too small to understand what was being read out before he was shot.However he did nod his head whenever he was asked whether he understood the charter.
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