By AHRC –
According to reports received, the Government of Saudi Arabia has executed Ms. Rizana Nafeek (1988 – 9 January 2013) today. The embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh has confirmed this report.
demonstrator holds an image of Rizana Fathima Nafeek during a protest in front of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 8, 2011 Dinuka Liyanawatte / Reuters
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to categorically state, that the singular responsibility for this innocent young Sri Lankan woman’s death is upon the President of Sri Lanka, Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa. His office and the government led by him shamelessly neglected the life of this innocent Sri Lankan woman, who remained incarcerated aboard since May 2005. At the time when she was charged with the alleged crime, Rizana was only 17 years of age, and was soon sentenced to death by a Saudi court, in proceedings that the court held of which Rizana had no informed consent. The Government of Sri Lanka or the office of the President did nothing to save Rizana’s life, despite calls for assistance from Rizana’s family and from the global civil society. Passing off as concerns, the Government of Sri Lanka did nothing, except issuing valueless statements relating to this case. (photo: Rizana’s family in Sri Lanka)
All Sri Lankans should regard today as a day of shame.
Due to efforts by the AHRC, an appeal was filed and Rizana’s execution stayed this far. Despite calls for help President Rajapaksha’s government refused to pay at least the lawyers’ fee for filing the appeal.
The law relating to forced confession in Saudi Arabia is criminally wrong. The AHRC had alerted the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights about this matter repeatedly. However even the High Commissioner failed to make an effective intervention to save the life of this innocent woman.
There is no doubt that the charge of murder against Rizana is wrong. The laws in Saudi Arabia falls short of universally accepted norms concerning investigation of crimes, most importantly in this case the failure to conduct of an autopsy upon the body of the deceased person, alleged to have been murdered by Rizana. None of the fair trial guarantees were observed when Rizana was tried in the Saudi court.
All Sri Lankans and virtually thousands of people across the globe who intervened trying to save Rizana must have received the news of her execution with shock. An estimated 1.8 million Sri Lankans currently work aboard, of which 45 per cent are women.
The AHRC expresses its deepest condolences to Rizana’s family at this time of grief and shock. Despite the family doing their best to save Rizana’s life, they received no support from their government to save Rizana
So long as there is a government that does not show any care for the rights of its people, similar tragedies will be repeated in Sri Lanka.
A dossier on Rizana prepared by the AHRC could be viewed at here
Related stories;
GOSL Has Failed To Provide The Lawyer’s Fees For Rizana Nafeek Death Sentence Appeal
The Imminent Danger Of The Execution Of Rizana Nafeek
James Bond / January 9, 2013
Well. well. what does that shameless Ass Rauf Hakeem Minister of JUSTICE who must be dead since he has not uttered a beep on the Rizana case or on the impeachment of the CJ have to say?
What do the bloody Muslim politicians who are in bed with the Rajapassa regime have to say?!
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justice / January 9, 2013
The poorest of the poor women, venture to the middle east,including saudi arabia, for domestic jobs,knowing well the risks,as they are aware of what happened to others in the past – some did not get the wages promised,some did not get any wages,some were cruelly treated & tortured and could not escape,some were raped and made pregnant,some were tortured in many other ways,some came back in coffins and some did not return at all.
All these women venture out because the system of releif for poorest of the poor is inefficient and corrupt.
Most those who deserve Samurdhi benefits do not get them,and most of those who receive benefits,do not deserve them
Selection is done on political basis and not on merit.
There are thousands of Samurdhi Niyamakas who are politically indoctrinated and work for government politicians during every election.They do not care a hoot about the poor whom they should monitor.
Rizana is/was only one of many hundreds who have been victimised by the cruel,pitiless,ghouls of the middle east nations who employ ‘slaves’ from sri lanka & a few other countries for their domestic and sexual needs.
Our country is a major provider – over a million, by some estimates.
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Citizen / January 10, 2013
It is not a surprise that Rajapaksa regime does not object to sham trials that lack procedural guarantees. Rajapaksa regime is also heading for such a framework with mockery impeachment of the chief justice.
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Sama / January 9, 2013
Sending Housemaids from SL should fully be stopped to those countries.
Poorest of the poor have been beaten by both sides. Inability to save the life of the poor girl is because of the current failure of the diplomacy between two countries. Under the MR regime, diplomatic relationships have been gone to dogs. This is just one single example only.
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Sama / January 9, 2013
This make further clearer that how our FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT BUERO work. She is said to be very younger than it was appeared to be at the time she left the island for middle east. How many of the others have been in the same case – they the agencies want to send poor women to those countries and collect their sums. That is it. In a country the uneducated people are on the top – what can we expect ?
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Ronny / January 9, 2013
I fully agree with your view. Sri Lanka should start training courses for nursing, baby sitting, house-keeping, cleaning and also language courses like English, French, Italian, Spanish, etc and issue certificates which are acceptable to the European countries as well as USA, Canada. The salaries are about 5 times more than in those Middle Eastern countries. That means, one worker is equivalent to 5 and also the living conditions and the liberty to move around freely is there. So, the Government should negotiate with those countries and send trained personnel and put a complete stop of sending Sri Lankan Females to countries in the Middle East where our females are treated as slaves with a very poor salary. This shouldn’t take long as a 6 month course is enough and the trainees could pay the fees from their emoluments once they are employed. The GOSL should support these trainees as Sri Lanka will definitely get foreign exchange. Save our innocent poor females and respect their dignity.
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Sama / January 9, 2013
Have we had a sign of having a MINISTER OF JUSTICE in the current regime ? I have not read anything even if the issues related to his portfolios demanded him to brief.. That is the current situation in the sinking state. Shameless leaders could clearly save the innocent life if they had adequate discussions between two parties.
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mike / January 9, 2013
You are right, this shameless fellow has no guts whatsoever as the Minister of Justice. He will just do anything Idi Mahin says. If Rauff does not obey, Idi Mahin will flip the “Kumari” file !!
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Aney Apochchi! / January 9, 2013
James Bond:
You have raised a very relevant point about Muslim politicians. A corollary to that is WHAT ARE MUSLIM VOTERS DOING ABOUT THE SO-CALLED LEADERS OF THEIR COMMUNITY?
Are they as brain-dead as the majority of the morons who inhabit the southern part of this country?
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Rohan / January 9, 2013
Rauf Hakeem is bloody cameleon! Further to Rizana and CJ, he changed his position on Divui Neguma a few times. This man does not wear his ‘cap’ noramally. But, when he goes to SLMC meeting he wears it to take the people for a ride. Cheat!!
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Shenali / January 9, 2013
This should put the Minister of Justice in a fix … does he sympathize with Rizana a fellow Muslim countrymen or does he put his mouth with the nation that executed her…???
Its not too difficult to guess where loyalties lie….
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Wuliangguobinjiu / January 9, 2013
RM says all are Sri Lankans are you all Modayas to blame one man of the community when all politicians are known frauds. Send Mervin or Dayan to do what they are supposed to have done at Paris.
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Native Vedda / January 9, 2013
Shenali
“This should put the Minister of Justice in a fix”
This is a disgrace to the entire nation when mighty MR clan and his cronies could not or would not stop these inhumane act of violence against this poor girl.
It is not Hakeem who is responsible for dealing with foreign state but GL the foreign minister who should have done something. Probably he was asked to perform masterly inaction regarding this case, after all she is only a Muslim.
Given the past history, Weerawansa should launch a farce onto death protest in front of all Middle Eastern diplomatic missions.
Will we see members of JHU Self immolate in front of Saudi diplomatic mission in Colombo?
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JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA / January 10, 2013
NATIVE;
I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE SHARIA LAW FOR MUSLIMS IN SRI LANKA.NOBODY LIKES IT. I KNOW.
BECAUSE WE CAN SEE HOW THEIR LAW TREATS TO LYING AND CHEATING MUSLIM POLTICCAS AND OTHER MUSLIMS AS WELL.
THEN, THEY WILL UNDERSTAND.
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Janaka Fernando / January 10, 2013
Shenali
What you are trying to say is, since this girl is a Muslim it is the duty of the Muslim politicians in Sri Lanka to protect/rescue her?
What a dirty RACIST you are. She is a Sri Lankan and it is the duty of Sri Lankan government and its president to protect/rescue her.
Unlike Sri Lanka (a lawless country), in other countries, when a law is passed it cannot be changed. The only option left was the government to negociate with the concerned party (dead child’s parents) to get a pardon but it was not done. The president should be blamed for this execution.
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Truth / January 9, 2013
This calls for immediate action by the Government of Sri Lanka. Some suggested actions are given below.
1. Sri Lanka should charge a risk premium from Saudi recruiting agents, to obtain an Insurance Cover adequate to cover the immediate repatriation of any run away house maid and adequate compensation in case of death, permanent disability and the cost of any special treatment not available from government hospitals. This insurance policy should be named after Rizana Rafeek.
2. Ban any maid less than 30 years or without experience in working in an Arab country from accepting a job in Saudi Arabia.
3. Get the assistance of AHRC & ILO for all the countries allowing house maids to work in such Arab countries to jointly demand a Government to Government agreement covering the security and working conditions of domestic workers in these Arab Countries.
There is an acute scarcity of female workers in our factories. The export value added by a female worker in an export oriented factory is far more than the wages of a slave working in these Arab Countries. Hence, we must control this slave trade and reduce the number of female workers seeking work in Saudi Arabia by at least 25% each year and ban this slave trade within 5 years.
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Ben Hurling / January 9, 2013
“President Rajapaksha’s government refused to pay at least the lawyers’ fee for filing the appeal”.
This explains what is wrong with Sri Lanka.
When Rajapassa tours New York with a plane load of cronies, they stay at the exclusive Woldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC. All expenses paid by Sri Lanka. Nothing is spared.
Same Republic of Sri Lanka refuses to fund a legal effort to save this impoverished Sri Lankan girl’s life in a distant land. Things cannot be more disgraceful.
Reminds me of the book “Animal Farm”. “All animals are equal. But, some animals are more equal”.
Arab Spring is long overdue in both Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. We need to chase these corrupt, barbaric politicians/rulers out of power. Sooner the better.
We let Rizana down in life. May she rest in peace.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / January 9, 2013
What’s the point in only blaming the prick Hakeem? All politicians in the country are responsible for lending their backside to the Arabs even to the extent of supporting Palestine.
Dayan blows his trumpet that he enabled Palestine
to join the UNESCO :) Ha ha.
The politicians of Sri Lanka get the major portion of the foreign exchange to lead luxurious lives using the women tea pluckers, sewing girls and house maids to spread their legs to Arabs.
Shameless folk selling their mothers and talk of motherland :)
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Mahela / January 9, 2013
I am so sorry and sad to hear the Death of Rizana Nafeek all for the sake of to take care of her family and their wellbeing.
These poor children have no other way to survive honourably and that’s why they select to go to Middle East to work as servants.
Middle East money having been the biggest foreign exchange earner to the Govt……while not doing least to help them when they are in trouble.
The news say there are over four thousand Sri Lankans in Jails in Middle East……a nd no effort to rescue them by our Government.
Govt. while encourage exporting these women to Middle East….spend those valuable Foreign exchange they bring to import super luxury cars for the Politicians and their Goons, make expensive foreign trips taking their families along and Importing Lamborghinies into the Politicians Children.
I am very sorry to see what a beautiful country that British Governed and gave us free every thing they Built including Railway, busses,Tar Roads, schools, hospitals, Tea, rubber, coconut estates, Parliament, Universities, All forces,Police, factories,Industries,Etc…etc… and gave us all free when they left after independence.
What our Politicians did after Independence upto now is nothing but misery, while stealing the country upto the bone and borrowing heavily from Foreign countries.
NOW THESE POLITICAL CROOKS CANNOT LAY A TWO MILE ROAD WITHOUT BORROWING FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
Ever since the Hambantota Village Gon Harak started coming to Parliament….the whole country was robbed by those VILLAGE UNEDUCATED UNCULTURED CROOK THUGS.
IT’S TIME TO KICK THESE HORA GAME HORU THAKKIDIAS OUT. THEY MESSED THE WHOLE COUNTRY, IT’S ECONOMY,INFRASTRUCTURE, EDUCATION,HEALTH,AGRICULTURE, EMPLOYMENT, SOCIETY AND COMMUNITIES.
NOW THE GOVT. WHILE EXPORTING OUR WOMEN TO MIDDLE EAST……EXPORT MEN TO SOUTH KORREA….AND SEND BOAT PEOPLE TO AUSTRALIA.
THIS IS THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY AFTER INDEPENDENCT…AND VILLAGE GON HARAK BOORU POLITICIANS RUINED AND STOLE THE COUNTRY UPTO THE BONE.
MARA DICTATOR DON’T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN TO HOLD ONTO POWER RULING COUNTRY LIKE A DICTATOR.
IT’S TIME TO HANG THEM IN GALLE FACE GREEN.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / January 9, 2013
Don’t forget SLFP kussi amma Sirima [Edited out] President Nasser of Egypt during the cold war days of 1968- nonaligned nations and drove the sterling companies away making the poor of Sri Lanka look for food in the bins. Successive politicians of all parties favour the Fking Arabs and the worst is yet to follow. While Gota still makes silent trips to Tel Aviv for his commissions.Isnt it time to slaughter a dozen terrorist Wahhabi arabs living in SL so that they open their eyes? Why not so many white van men run by Gota and scooter men by Mervin?
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Merrill Fernando, / January 9, 2013
Mahela well said, and I hope that there are many like you who can open the eyes of the blind Sri Lankans to see what is happening to their country. I am deeply sorry to have heard about the execution of Ms.Rizana Nafeek, who could have been saved by the President, but he must be kissing the Ass of the bloody Arabs and so does some of the Sri Lankan Politicians. The Arabs treat Asian people as slaves and no respect given therefore I cant bring myself to understand why they go there to work all hours just for minimum slave wages.
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Oh Danny boy / January 9, 2013
RAUFF HAKEEM, MOOCHILLAI, PECHCHILLAI, MOUTHTHAVI, VESA MAVAN.
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mike / January 9, 2013
POOR KUMARI AND HER UNBORN CHILD !!!
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Panda / January 9, 2013
What a sad ending to a sad story. The Government of Sri Lanka, and the primitive laws of Saudi Arabia, are responsible for an innocent life being lost. It was because of poverty that this young child had to leave the shores of Sri Lanka, to help her family. There has been no compassion shown towards this young girl, and the vicious laws of a backward country, did cause to have this young girl, with absolutely no knowledge of the language, uneducated, in a terrifying situation. What a cruel sentence to an innocent child.
We should prevent our children from going to such backward nations, where religious zealots show no mercy nor compassion for unproven crimes. This is a mockery of justice.
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MAHADANAMUTHA / January 9, 2013
THE EMPIRE (THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY) STRIKES BACK !!! WE CAN EXPECT MANY MORE OF SUCH OCCURENCES FOR WHAT IS BEING DONE BY THIS GOVT. GIRD UP YOUR LOINS , OUR PRESIDENT HAS BROUGHT ABOUT THIS ON ALL SRI LANKANS AND THERE WILL BE MANY MORE HITS ON US.WHO CARES THEY WILL GO ON COLLECTING THEIR 50% TILL WE BECOME A PARIAH STATE. JOIN THE CLUB, MYANMAR,ZIMBABWE, CAMBODIA ET ALL.
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Navin / January 9, 2013
What does AHRC expect the government to do? As if Saudi’s would care about any appeal by SL. Saudi is a country floating on crude. There are countless other countries ever ready to send house maids even if SL stops sending them. Besides, can we afford to do that?
If she was an American or UK citizen, things could have been different.
What the government should do is put in place strict regulations to prevent this type of things in future. It is the job agencies that profit from misery and desperation of poor that should be monitored and penalized for this type of negligence.
May she rest in peace.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / January 9, 2013
Navin”If she was an American or UK citizen, things could have been different”
You shamelessly talk about exporting housemaids so that you folk can live the life with the foreign exchange they bring in.
Spain was ruled for 800 years by the Arabs till the pricks were driven away.
When General Franco ruled Spain recently most Spanish women fled to Europe and the Americas working as housemaids as they did not know the language.They never worked for the arabs though most have arab features and there is still a large muslim population. On retirement most of these Spanish women have gone back to Spain and live a very decent life on the pension they receive.
While in SL even your Cylinco collapses and kallathoni choksy’s from Iran get compound interest along with investment while the natives who invested stay doomed.
As Dayan said the embassy is mainly for the yellow robe, and political stooges.
Do you know how many British men and women are lying in Indian jails.
Recently a 16year old British girl was raped and murdered in Goa and neither the British government nor BBC have been able to get a conviction even though the murderer is known ? Why? Thats called the strength of multilateral diplomacy than lending ass.There is Oil every where. The price of Oil at the pump is cheaper in China than US and UK. hows that? Its the failure of the ruling bigots of SL that these things happen.
To put it simply both countries are terrorist nations killing the natives.
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Native Vedda / January 9, 2013
Navin
I thought a sovereign country has the rights and responsibilities to intervene on behalf of its citizen wherever they are.
It seems the state only intervene to kill its own people irrespective of their race, religion, region.
When there was an invasion by IPKF your leaders and armed forces hid behind their women folks and LTTE. Again the president could not save the teenager from execution. Why do you call this a country when your state is unable to protect its own citizen inside or outside the country.
Rather than hanging on to your bogus sovereignty claim you better consider/concede India annexing the island within the greater Bharat. Saudis also looking for farm land, sell the whole island to them instead of Weerawansa, JHU and people like you harping on nonexistent sovereignty.
How do the Sinhala/Buddhist state justify its existence when its own citizen is executed in a foreign country. Sri Lanka has not only not abolished capital punishment bu actively looking to recruit two Alugosuwa (hangman).
Your hypocrisy knows no bound.
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Park / January 9, 2013
We are selling our young girls to get foreign exchange for the benefit of Sri Lankan Government. This procedure should be stopped. Sri Lankan’s are demeaning themselves due to the action of the Government of Sri Lanka. Sending housemaids to middle eastern countries should be banned. They should be given the civilian work that the military in Sri Lanka are doing. Alternatively, educate them to be nurses or professional health care workers so that they can get jobs in countries where they are treated well. It is shame for Sri Lankan Government to make foreign exchange on the backs of the deprived and poor.
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Native Vedda / January 9, 2013
Park
Your people are born stupid therefore they are condemned to clean other people’s dirt and very often forced to sleep with ugly men or raped by them.
On the other hand, job is a job whether it is cleaning the toilets or washing the dirty linen as long as the employer treat the employee with dignity and they are get honest day’s pay.
The question you should be asking yourself “do I support capital punishment in Sri Lanka?” While holding on to outdated form of retribution in your own country you should not be pointing your finger at foreigners.
If you oppose it then are you doing enough to abolish it?
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Ve3 / January 9, 2013
1.Only showing up during elections to talk about the atrocities of the government. Some how finding a respectable ministry & Voting for DIVI NEGUMA. – apart from that what have you done in a grand scale dear Muslim ministers and parliamentarians?(don’t say renewed schools and roads)
2. Do we have any influence in the international stage? Even on a country which shares one of our major religion(Islam), has a very long interrelationship religiously and commercially and expects our assistant to clean their houses.
3.Cant Hon.MR prevent these money hunting agencies exploiting our human resources and provide an alternate way to empower these people?
may be busy with the fall of judiciary.
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Ronny / January 9, 2013
Because, because there was NO COMMISSION in this case. This too proves that they would do anything if there is a good kick-back. Our heartfelt sympathies to the family of this innocent girl. The President’s fund is only to help those whom could be taken to their side and those who have helped them to be in power and NOT for the innocent civilians. How many Saudi nationals have raped our house-maids and also how many have committed suicide due to ill-treatment by the Saudi bosses. What actions have been taken against them. Has the President or the GOSL done anything to help these poor victims! The millions that could have been charged as taxes for the Lamborghinis, atleast 10% could have been used for innocent Rizana’s case. The taxes were waived off for his son’s pleasure – the budget was after the vehicles were selected and purchased! Whole of Sri Lanka including the inhabitants, foreign remittances, flora, fauna, minerals, water, mountains and also the sea around the country have become the private property of just one family.
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Senguttuvan / January 9, 2013
Extremely sad. Here she is forced to leave the Wonder of Asia at such a young age (17) to provide the very basic essentials for her impoverished family. She is accused of a crime she probably did not commit. Any decent Court would have acquitted her because she was no more than a child irresponsibly asked to take care of a 4-month old infant – a specialised job anywhere. She was condemned to death by a medieval set of often suspect laws which BBC just described a few minutes ago as “barbaric” The very set of Sharia laws her own people want to impose on her people and the world takes a young life denying her the right of transparent and verifiable defence. It will be good to know the views of some of our leading Muslim President’s Counsel
in this crime of snuffing the life of a child vis-à-vis Sharia and the Roman-Dutch Laws.
The stonyb and reticent Saudis, after keeping Rizana’s family in hope for 7 years that included two visits by the Parents to Saudi Arabia, demonstrate they care tuppence for the appeal of millions of their “Moslem brothers” Worse the appeal of their so-called leaders such as Hakeem, Fowzie, Moulana and who else have all been ignored wholesale. After all, she comes from an insignificant land that is only a provider of cheap slave labour is probably their line of thinking. Rizana’s fate may have been different if she was born Caucasian and if she came from a powerful Western country. The Sharia has been set aside in many cases involving “offenders” from the West.
The regime, fast to identify itself with the Arabs, in that which is known as “solidariy with our Arab brothers” finds itself insulted as the Saudi King simply scoffs at the Rajapakse appeal.
The latest ILO Report on domestics working in the Arab lands reports cruelty, denial of human rights, physical abuse including burnings by Saudi women employers to workers from the Phillipines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other places is very high. Pity, that much heralded “the most righteous, merciful etc etc” that is mumbled many times a day did not work to the advantage of this little girl. Had she been subject to the more civilised laws of her country, in all probability, this poor
slave-worker would have been with us today.
Senguttuvan
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whywhy / January 9, 2013
Hats off
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Native Vedda / January 10, 2013
Senguttuvan:
“Pity, that much heralded “the most righteous, merciful etc etc” that is mumbled many times a day did not work to the advantage of this little girl.”
I see not much difference between Saudi and Sri lanka, both deal in slave trade, treat people with condemn, brutality, have capital punishment………..etc. The only different is that they have the wealth to own slaves and Sri Lanka has unlimited supply of slaves due to poverty.
What is the difference between white masters enslaving the whole island of ours and Arabs owning South Asian slaves?
Would you rather live under white master or live as a slave in a desert kingdom?
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Wuliangguobinjiu / January 10, 2013
Christians can read their religion in any language like the Hindus or Buddhist.
However Islam is in Arabic and only Arabic now that is the problem.
When any Asian even Pakistani enters the Arab world they are treated as 3rd class folk because Allah and Mohamed are Arabs they the Arabs are the God.
Yesterday a UK judge sentenced a Muslim woman to prison for life because she killed her 7 year old son with a fatal blow because he was unable to memorize just one particular page of the Arabic Quran. Just imagine that which mother would do that. When convicted she started shedding tears. All brain dead brain washed Muslims of Asia.
Now when the west bombs the Arab world we must learn to understand that it is for the good of the rest of the world. Because Arabs by nature are agressive and they only understand the bullet and we in the west are obliged to send them to heaven faster.
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / January 9, 2013
So this is the fate of the so-called “sovereign” citizens of Sri Lanka? Are not the people sovereign, not the courts or parliament etc? No ordinary Sri Lankan probably ever feels sovereign, when they are treated like slaves in the Middle East, sacrificed for their sweat and blood which transforms into hard currencies that bring in the goodies for the elite…
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Wuliangguobinjiu / January 10, 2013
Here is the paradox in UK. WikiLeaks J. Assange case was very quickly wrapped up by the Judges. However, in the case of Abu Qatada, a Palestinian born in Jordan cannot be deported from Britain to Jordan to face terrorism charges from 2001 because he could be Tortured as per unelected EU. Millions of tax payers’ money spent and he and his family gets high premium benefits. Politicians and Judges can be a mess listening to the unelected EU.
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capucine / January 10, 2013
Mr. lasantha, do not blame Saudi Arabia.Blame our politicians from 1948 to date, both from the Govt and the opposition.They used race,language and religion as the cry. they will speak of democracy when in the opposition but forget all that when they are in power. They failed the country.. that is why this poor girls had to go to saudi.If our politicians did their job properly we will not be in this economic crisis and that girl would not have to go to saudi.
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manel / January 9, 2013
Now that this crime of judicial murder has finally been committed, will SOMEONE take the trouble to publish a REAL image of Rizana! Again and again this head of a veiled woman has been touted as being Rizana. Long ago I was informed that it is NOT Rizana and several times I communicated this to the press, incl Times group and Island group I have 3 or 4 images which were taken of her during her incarceration. However, why doesnt someone ask the family for a genuine image of her.
This terrible tragedy is something that will haunt many of us for the rest of our lives. Yes, we can blame the Saudi government for its, to us – barbaric ways – and Mrs Al Otaibi for being so unyielding after all these years and not accepting the responsibility she too bears for her baby’s death, and there are even some who blame Rizana’s desperately poor parents for allowing her to go into the unknown (though I for one cannot as such poor people do not have many choices in life unlike some of us who condemn the parents); yes, we can divert the blame onto so many other actors, but I for one feel the main blame lies surely and squarely on the shoulders of THIS government and successive governments who have adopted this so-easy-for-them policy of solving economic problems by sending women from a very vulnerable section of our people into these situations. (And now we are even about to send people to work in Afghanistan! Afghanistan!). Successive governments which should be striving to create work – meaningful (not just to give jobs) employment here — so that our skilled and unskilled people are building THIS country and still able to be with their families, successive governments have time and again taken easy options, exporting labour to situations in which they are utterly unprotected. And once a worker falls into difficulty in such places, our govt, which finds energy and time and finances to spend on utterly unecessary and outrageous fun and games at home,cannot divert a fraction of all that to save the life of an innocent child. I blame out government for Rizana’s death. Another country would have fought for her life from the start. It was only because the Asian Human Rights Commission (which so many here attack so easily) was moved by Rizana’s plight and worked to raised funds and find a lawyer that somewthign was available for an appeal. Shame on our govt that that effort came from outside. But the money raised was nto enough and the lawyer hired didnt speak English or Tamil and one wonders what level of communication he had with Rizana. So many things went wrong at the appeal which should have shown the judges that the confession on which Rizana was crucified should have been dismissed. Everything about this case should be brought to light and we should change our laws and regulations and employment policies and vision to prevent such a horrendous crime from every happening again.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / January 9, 2013
Senguttuwan and Manel,
Together you have said what had to be said on this very sad episode. It is the disdain with which these poor workers are treated and this poor and mismanaged country ( and similar countries ) is held, that led to this death. We cannot blame Saudi Arabia and the sharia laws for her death, because we well know that country operates differently from ours. We also as a nation do not value life any longer. Our governments care tuppence for the people, despite their loud proclamations. We have lost our conscience and become thick skinned. We are governed by hypocrits and charlatans and this is reflects on us as a people and country. Ultimately, poverty is the culprit. The poor family, had to send an ill equiped adolescent to a country where she could not communicate with the people she worked for a pittance. This pittance ( about US dollars. 150-200) meant so much to her parents for them to have overcome all natural instincts to keep her in their protective embrace. This country has unfortunately failed this poor, vulnerable girl! The poverty that holds a large number of people in its vicious grip has claimed one more victim. Let us also remember it is the hard earned money of thousands like this poor girl earn and remit that keeps this country afloat, despite the Central Bank proclamations of how this country has reduced poverty. Poverty is yet a scourge in this country. We should be demonstrating, as some want to, not against Saudi Arabia and the sharia, but against the endemic poverty in money and decent values in our country.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran.
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Native Vedda / January 10, 2013
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
I understand your analysis of poverty and migration of poor choosing to serve their masters under appalling working conditions.
On the other hand aren’t we all hypocrites for allowing the state to retain capital punishment in its statue books while opposing it in other countries?
Simple question is that are we for capital punishment or against it?
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Wuliangguobinjiu / January 10, 2013
4 years ago a young uneducated Iraq refugee in England who was disqualified from driving decided to drive his car onto a 7 year old English girl playing in her own garden and killing her instantly. He went to jail for 3 months and when his case for refuge was taken up a couple of years later he had built a family of 2 children and yet was living on high benefits (housing, child etc etc)The immigration judge awarded the family full status saying he had intergrated with society Now he is still not working but producing kids. I think the law should be like in Malaysia and if they change their ways or religion they can have the common law.
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capucine / January 10, 2013
Native Veddha, correct your self. capital punishment through courts of Law does not happen in this country.It happens in various ways, taken to show the arms,trying to run away, So dropping the law of capital punishment is not critical
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Native Vedda / January 10, 2013
capucine
Practicality is something to do with law enforcement. Changing the law is about principles.
I am not wrong you are.
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Bedrock Barney / January 10, 2013
A visiting Canadian official spoke of push/pull factors. Having seen photographs of Rizanna’s Village in the Daily Mirror, the push factor must have been exceptionally strong.
However I think it’s unfair to blame MR for her death. It is like blaming Manmohan Singh for Nirbhaya’s rape. To quote that constitutional expert Upeksha Swarnamali alias ‘paba’. ‘Even though there are many stories of harassment, 95% of theses maids are able to improve their lives via employment in the middle east’
Screening, skills enhancement and whole host of issues need tweaking but blaming our favorite villain is a cheap way out.
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capucine / January 10, 2013
Manel, you are one in a million. let these baboons rot in hell. Add the Priests also to it
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Safa / January 9, 2013
This an utter shame for the govt of Saudi that they cannot ensure that justice is done. These monarchs are licking the backsides of the US and exporting terror all over the world while they live it up in style in the nightclubs of the west. Meantime they execute people for adultery while they do the same in other countries. The oil wealth has really corrupted these people. Hope the arab spring will spread to these corrupt regimes soon.
Sri Lanka should immeadiatly put a stop to housemaids being sent abroad. There are enough jobs here in the garment industry and FTZ’s to provide employment for these poor people.
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Safi / January 11, 2013
I agree with you in all that you have mentioned what is actually happening to poor house maids in middle east. What has happened to Rizana was not the justice by Islam but it is by Barbarian unislamic rule , which they say that it is Islamic. Srilankan government should stop the slave trade to middle east countries just for the money they receive in the name foriegn employment insurance and later foreign exchange. Bangladesh was economically very bad compare to Srilanka, but they never allow women to go abroad and work as maid
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bo / January 9, 2013
I too believe that the government led by MR must bear the responsibility for this lost life of one of the weakest people who were forced to bear the full weight of the wicked Saudi regime. First SLK govt is only interested in collecting foreign currency that feeble kids and women like Rizana remit to SLK. And what does this ass of a govt do with that money. Import Lambroghini’s for the pleaure of the mongol sons of the ruling family.
The infrastructure set for vetting and monitoring and eliminating abuse relating to foreign workers is grossly inadequate. The govt bears the responsibility for it. In this case the greedy leeches who manage the system concocted the dccuments and sent off a juvenile for an adults work.
Seven years were wasted by this government pussy footing and grovelling under the feet of Saudi nasties, knowing that the kid would be executed at any time. The authorities in SL and in Saudi have been misleading the public, lying through their teeth all the time as to what great work they have been doing to save the life. In fact all the time they were grovelling under the shoes of Saudis eyeing the investments and foreign money Saudis might be bringing to SLK.
The Muslim community in SLK and their leaders too must bear the blame, because they did SWEET NOTHING to save the life of one of their little daughters.
Disgraceful conduct, and Sri Lanka must hang its head in shame. Disgusting.
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Piranha / January 9, 2013
Poverty forced this young girl to go to Saudi Arabia and lose her life there by the barbaric justice of the mullahs. The Rajapaksa regime has let down this young girl and her family completely forgetting that poor people like her bring to Sri Lanka the biggest source of foreign income. Refusing to pay her legal fees and not fighting hard enough to save her from the mad mullahs is a crime the Rajapaksa regime will have to answer for.I don’t think the man gives too hoots for the life of this young woman. After all he was responsible for the slaughter of 70,000 tamils at the end of the war. Hope he dies a violent death too.
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Senguttuvan / January 9, 2013
I also believe the Saudi Arabian Govt could be held responsible
for this judicial murder that may well offend many clauses of the
Rights of the Child recognised by the UN. It will be interesting
to see if BASL or any other body will take this matter and secure
adequate compensation for Nafeeka’s poor family from the Saudis.
Senguttuvan
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Safa / January 10, 2013
Saudi Govt should be brought to justice. Case should be filed brfore the International Court of Justice by the Govt.
The Court may entertain two types of cases: legal disputes between States submitted to it by them (contentious cases) and requests for advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by United Nations organs and specialized agencies (advisory proceedings).
Contentious cases
Only States (States Members of the United Nations and other States which have become parties to the Statute of the Court or which have accepted its jurisdiction under certain conditions) may be parties to contentious cases.
The Court is competent to entertain a dispute only if the States concerned have accepted its jurisdiction in one or more of the following ways:
by entering into a special agreement to submit the dispute to the Court;
by virtue of a jurisdictional clause, i.e., typically, when they are parties to a treaty containing a provision whereby, in the event of a dispute of a given type or disagreement over the interpretation or application of the treaty, one of them may refer the dispute to the Court;
through the reciprocal effect of declarations made by them under the Statute whereby each has accepted the jurisdiction of the Court as compulsory in the event of a dispute with another State having made a similar declaration. A number of these declarations, which must be deposited with the United Nations Secretary-General, contain reservations excluding certain categories of dispute.
States normally communicate with the Registrar through the medium of their Minister for Foreign Affairs or their ambassador accredited to the Netherlands. Where they are parties to a case before the Court they are represented by an agent. An agent plays the same role, and has the same rights and obligations, as a solicitor or avoué with respect to a national court. But we are dealing here with international relations, and the agent is also as it were the head of a special diplomatic mission with powers to commit a sovereign State. He/she receives communications from the Registrar concerning the case and forwards to the Registrar all correspondence and pleadings duly signed or certified. In public hearings the agent opens the argument on behalf of the government he/she represents and lodges the submissions. In general, whenever a formal act is to be done by the government represented, it is done by the agent. Agents are sometimes assisted by co-agents, deputy agents or assistant agents and always have counsel or advocates, whose work they co-ordinate, to assist them in the preparation of the pleadings and the delivery of oral argument. Since there is no special International Court of Justice Bar, there are no conditions that have to be fulfilled for counsel or advocates to enjoy the right of arguing before it except only that they must have been appointed by a government to do so.
Proceedings may be instituted in one of two ways:
through the notification of a special agreement: this document, which is of a bilateral nature, can be lodged with the Court by either of the States parties to the proceedings or by both of them. A special agreement must indicate the subject of the dispute and the parties thereto. Since there is neither an “applicant” State nor a “respondent” State, in the Court’s publications their names are separated by an oblique stroke at the end of the official title of the case, e.g., Benin/Niger;
by means of an application: the application, which is of a unilateral nature, is submitted by an applicant State against a respondent State. It is intended for communication to the latter State and the Rules of Court contain stricter requirements with respect to its content. In addition to the name of the party against which the claim is brought and the subject of the dispute, the applicant State must, as far as possible, indicate briefly on what basis – a treaty or a declaration of acceptance of compulsory jurisdiction – it claims the Court has jurisdiction, and must succinctly state the facts and grounds on which it bases its claim. At the end of the official title of the case the names of the two parties are separated by the abbreviation “v.” (for the Latin versus), e.g., Nicaragua v. Colombia.
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JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA / January 10, 2013
DEAR SEN,AND NATIVE;
SAUDIS HAVE MONEY AND POWER,
THEY DONT CARE ABOUT YOU, ME OR ANY FAKIR,
THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT ANY NATIONALITY.
BECAUSE USA, RUSSIA AND OTHER POWERFUL COUNTRIES ARE BACKING THEM. AND
THEY SAY, WE HAVE MONEY, YOU CAME TO WORK AND WE PAY.
IF YOU DONOT LIKE.SOON YOU GO. IF NOT,WE THROW YOU OUT.
MANY EUROPEANS AND ASIANS ARE IN SAUDI PRISONS. ARE
I AM TELLING THIS, BECAUSE I WORKED IN SAUDI ARABIA 7 YEARS AND OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES FOR ABUT 9 YEARS.
THE MAIN REASON IS THAT THEY HAVE TO KEEP THEIR FOOLISH PEOPLE IN A TIGHT ROPE OF RELIGION TO CONTROL AND KEEP THEM SILENT.
IF LET THESE EXECUTION STOP THEY CANNOT MANIPULATE ALL MATHAWWAS [EXTREMIST MUSLIM CLERGY] AND OTHER FOOLISH MUSLIMS.
IN SAUDI CITIES, POLICE CARS ARE COMING WITH MOSQUE’ MATHAWWAS [MUSLIM CLERGY] SHOUTING TO SPEKERS “”ALLAHU AKBAR, YALLAHA, SALAAH.””
WHEN THE PRAYER TIME COMES, IF YOU ARE IN STREET, THEY CHASE YOU TELLING GO AND PRAY.
IF NOT THEY HIT YOU WITH LONG CAIN, AND THOSE FOOLS NEVER LISTEN TO YOU, EVAN IF YOU ARE A NON MUSLIM.
SO WHAT YOU CAN DO?.
BUT, IN THIS SO CALLED MUSLIM COUNTRY. YOU CAN FIND MANY EMPTY WHISKEY BOTTLES ON VVIP’S VILLAS AND PALACES DUSTBINS AND DESSERT ROAD SIDES. THERE ARE MANY
HIGH CLASS PROSTU COMING FROM NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES ALSO
THERE ARE LOT OF BANNED DRUGS AVAILABLE TOO.
IF SOMEBODY SAYS TO GO TO INTERNATIONAL COURTS AND ASK FOR FAIR INQUIRY. YOU WILL SEE NOTHING. YOU WILL GET NOTHING.
THEY DONT CARE THAT TO A FART.
NO USE AND LAUGHABLE MATTER.
SO, WHO CARE ABOUT OUR POOR SRI LANKA??????.
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K.A Sumanasekera / January 9, 2013
Hats off to reader Sengutuan for a balanced and informative comment on this babaric execution.
Whether the well fed and well rounded posters here like it or not ,there are 1.8 Million Srilankan inhabitants mostly Muslim Women who earn a living for themselves and to feed and provide shelter to their loved ones back home.
They are from the poorest people among the inhabitants and Srilankans living their or visit fequently know how much benifit these Middle incomes have brought them.
AHRC ,which is supposed to be the guardian angels of Human Rights seems oblivious, or couldn’t careless.
AHRC should be condemedmned for its biased ,irrelevant and insulting exloitation of a very sad and very unfortunate incident to score political points. for their current Agenda.
What a shame.
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Piranha / January 9, 2013
You pathetic idiot. The AHRC has been fighting to save this poor girl right from the beginning with vigour. Apart from issuing occasional pleas to the Sadis the Rajapaksa regime did nothing to save this girl, even refusing to pay for her legal defence. You are nothing but a Rajapaksa arselickers and that is clear from your various postings on this site.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / January 10, 2013
“1.8 Million Srilankan inhabitants”
Oh so your mum and sis are licking camels ass and you living the life la vida you scoundrel.
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Janaka Fernando / January 10, 2013
Why only Muslim Women???
More than 12 lakhs (12,000,000) Sri Lankan women (80 % of them Sinhalese) now work in the Middle East (800,000 in Saudi Arabia alone) as house maids, cleaners and nannies, some of them working 18 hours a day for a mere salary of US$ 200 per month.
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Native Vedda / January 10, 2013
Janaka Fernando
The Medieval present Desert Kingdoms don’t give a damn about women whether are Sinhalese, Buddhists, Tamils, Hindus, Muslims, Christians,….. just as the Sinhala/Buddhist kingdom treats their women folks.
Why complain when Sri Lankan ugly men treat their women folks just bad as the Medievalist in the Middle East?
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Rohan / January 9, 2013
Mr. Rajapakse should know much better than this. Isn’t it true that his own baby girl dies when she was in her care? Can someone shed more light on exactly how that baby girl died? Why don’t anyone talk about that unfortunate passing?
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Native Vedda / January 9, 2013
K.A Sumanasekera
In your previous comments you led us to believe that the economy under the clan is doing splendidly well supported by selective indices on growth in individual sectors, etc.
Now you state
“They are from the poorest people among the inhabitants and Srilankans living their or visit fequently know how much benifit these Middle incomes have brought them”.
My attempt to reconcile your above comment and previous statements seem most difficult a task. May be because I am bit thick.
You say:
“AHRC ,which is supposed to be the guardian angels of Human Rights seems oblivious, or couldn’t careless.”
In the past Sri Lanka never responded to any of AHRC’s observations or its recommendation. Why do you suddenly find AHRC to be a portent organisation?
As the president almighty MR should have sent his commando’s to rescue her from the desert kingdom. Shavendra Silva could have been an ideal person to lead the team. I was told Sri Lankan armed forces on a humanitarian mission rescued 300,000 Tamils in 2009 from the world’s lethal terrorists.
What did stop MR from sending a mercy mission this time around?
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K.A Sumanasekera / January 10, 2013
Native,
The 7 % below PL are the main source of Maids to the ME.
If not for the ME , these poor girls from our villages would be still serving the madams of the Colombo Elite, and their frisky ” Colts”,just for a meal.
Even that was at the end of the 14 hour shift.
Get cue from your friend reader Sengutuan and look at each situation objectively, instead of following the abid herd of anti everything in Lanka post Nanthikadal.
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Native Vedda / January 10, 2013
K.A Sumanasekera
“instead of following the abid herd of anti everything in Lanka post Nanthikadal.”
Welcome back to earth.
I have been opposing everything wrong with Sri Lanka for donkey’s years. NanthiKadal may be your timeline, however the rot started many many moons ago, that means many donkey’s years.
You say:
“If not for the ME , these poor girls from our villages would be still serving the madams of the Colombo Elite, and their frisky ” Colts”,just for a meal.”
Does it mean you prefer overseas slavery to domestic slavery. How odd. I say no slavery at all.
Coming from Sinhala/Buddhist tradition which owned monastic slavery for many many years you may support foreign slavery to Sri Lankan slavery so that you could enjoy luxury foreign goods and services which is paid by foreign exchange earned by these poor girls working, 24/7/52.
Enjoy while the offer lasts.
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Noordeen / January 10, 2013
vedda,
Buddhism was a good religion before it got into the hands of the Sinhalese. The Sinhalese converted Buddhism into Barbarism and called it Sinhala-Buddhism.
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JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA / January 10, 2013
Noor;
Buddhism is not a Religion,
but the best philosophy to follow and understand oneself to get eternal happiness and get away from sufferings.
there is nothing called Sinhala buddhism. but wrongly interpreted and calling themselves by some foolish extremist to make and earn a living.
[ what I understood as per my little knowledge.]
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Mr Arabian Gulf / January 10, 2013
K.A Sumanasekera
What has happened to the women folk of the paradise of the Indian Ocean? What has happened to the women folk of the so called Lion race? Why are your women working as sanitary laborers in the mid-east countries? Why are they cleaning public toilets in Hospitals, Schools, Airports, Cooperate buildings, malls and hypermarkets in the Mid-East used by the people from all over the world?
What does your wife, mother, sisters, daughters, and aunties whom you sent to the Arab countries as slaves doing??? They are not only cleaning Arab toilets to earn their living and to feed you modayas but also satisfying their carnal desires. What do you do with the money your wife, daughters, sisters, mother, and aunties send you from the Middle East by being slaves for the Arabs?
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JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA / January 10, 2013
YOU ARE EATING YOUR WORDS,
IT IS CORRECT THAT Native Vedda MENTION THAT.
YOU BOAST ABOUT SYNTHETIC BOSSES AND FLOWERING ECONOMY UNDER JARAPASSA SCOUNDRELS AND LOOTERS.
WHAT TYPE OF A LEACH YOU ARE????????????.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / January 11, 2013
KA: “Get cue from your friend reader Sengutuan and look at”
Its the fault of the local politicians and the macho mentality to expose these women with a low IQ to an aggresive culture- period.
On this very topic like you Sengu is talking from his butthole for the sake of commenting. I have handled many an engineering project there and we also have a family enterprise running there but I have never lived there permanently because I don’t like the sound of the speaker calling to prayer etc. All these engineering projects were run by foreigners who hated Wahhabi Islam as it is practiced.
In some of the most expensive shopping malls I have noticed very pretty Philippine nurses who have been lured under the pretext of nursing and being cajoled to having sex and then when I visit the church I see these beaten up girls with no passport begging to go home having lost the money they paid the employment agency. So when the west bombs them I cheer you and Dayan lick those camels backsides!
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Rama / January 9, 2013
this is nothing when compared to the numerous atrocities committed by hybrid mongrels on tamil people. there are still thousands of cases unresolved murders, disappearances and rape. when is s**t lanka and s**t lankan president mahinda going to investigate them. when are we going to know the culprits. when will the culprits be punished. what happened to all the journalists. where are they. who killed them. why are these hybrid mongrels so concerned about mnuslim girl.
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Mahela / January 9, 2013
This is the curse that we have to bear for not only appreciating for what the Foreign and British Empire did to us and our economies under their rule which everything was good and people were much happy…….but now our head swolen politicians castigate daily at them as Conspirators who are trying to invade and destablise Sri Lanka.
Invading or destablise Sri Lanka for what…….to get our cheap,under educated unhealthy, and sickly labor… or to get the leftover shit after Big Boss robbing everything from Museum and robbed left and right from the country…..What bladdy Fu…ng natural resources or leftovers we have now other than CB OWE FOREIGN BANKS SOME TEN BILLION US DOLLARS THAT IT BORROWED AND ASKING MORE ANOTHER ONE BILLION US DOLAR LOAN. …..Even the little Elephants stock that we have are getting killed daily….due to not enough habitat after building Airports, Harbours and stadiums in animal habitats in Hambantota.
Talking tourism while the tourists are been murdered by govt. goons, elephants and other animals killed and swords been exported to Chinaa……while giving Bogus tourist figurs.
In future our children will have to go to CHINA to see our ancient Swords, Coins, Rings, Battons, Relics, antiques, which are been missing heavily these days.
If the Gon Harak Politicians since Independence would have continued the British Education system after Independence like Caribbean and some African Countries….these Risanas could have gone to work in USA,CANADA,ENGLAND, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZELAND OR EUROPE TO WORK AS NANNIES, BABY SITTERS, NURSES,ATTENDENTS, NURSARIES,PRE SCHOOLS, OR EVEN AS CLEANING PEOPLE AND COULD HAVE MADE TEN TO FIFTY TIMES MORE SALARY WHAT THEY ARE BEEN PAID IN MIDDLE EAST.
BUT BY NOT HAVING PROPER EDUCATION AND WITH NO ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY THEY HAD TO GO TO MIDDLE EAST WHERE STILL SOME BARBARIANS LIVE.
My friend who work in Saudi Arabia said Our Sri lankan House Maids are very popular among Saudi Youth who address them as Ma..i Qew…..h.
This is the state of our Maha Gon Harakas….Ashchariya…… Pis…Hu….a.
Let the Mot……..r fu………er go to ME and see for him self what is happening there. After all that is his main foreign exchange earner….while Maha Ekka screwi…g with that money.
Whatever said and done He talk like the owner of the WORLD……BIG SHOW HAMBAN…THOTA HARAKA.
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Jayantha / January 10, 2013
Yes, while sending poor girls to Middle east for Govt.to earn from house maid as main foreign exchange earner…. Politicians send their children to Europe and USA to study,spending those foreign exchange these poor people earn in those countries.
This is how Govt. do it’s business. Ashchariya.
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Max Silva / January 10, 2013
It is Medamulana Ass Chariya. The Rajapakshes are nothing but Hambayas (Malays)who settled in Medamulana during the Dutch period. They became SinhalaBuddhist govigama only during the British period. Now they are acting like relatives of Dutugemunu.
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Native Vedda / January 10, 2013
Mahela
Should we not send our ardent arahants to Middle East to deliver Buddha’s message. Infidels of the medieval kingdoms may or may not benefit from Champika and other Sinhala/Buddhists.
However this is one way of dealing with abhorrent arahants at home.
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JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA / January 10, 2013
I AGREE TO MOST OF YOUR COMMENTS,
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Park / January 9, 2013
Since 2005 from the time Rizana was incarcerated, how many foreign visits has the President, Foreign Minister and the leader of Muslim Congress made overseas. How many self serving laws has this Government of Sri Lanka got approved in the Parliament. If the Government can do all that why could not they meet the King of Saudi Arabia in person (not through third parties) and get the release of Rizana. There is a well established practice in Saudi. If a guests asks a favour then the host has to full fill it. This is how Idi Amin saved his neck. The President could have visited or at least his beloved son, or one of the brothers could have visited Saudi and personally requested the King to pardon Rizana, and I am sure the king would have pardoned. Shame on the leaders of Sri Lanka, on the back of the house maids the Government runs its show but to save a life none of them are there.
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Samuel / January 10, 2013
Those arabs are illiterate – Their soils are rich but those people are not at all educated. How could it be possible that the small girl could cause the death of the infant.
THere are thousands of lankens that are on camps not being able to find the correct job, sometimes being beaten by brutal minded house owners. There were programs that brought lanken radio revealed that there are a large nubmer of housemaids that live on camps. There are also some that have not got their salary for their work done to their house owners. Some have got pregnant and are helpless.
The grief of all these poor people should CLOSELY be addressed by SRILANKEN govt. Those fradulent lanken agencies should be punished accordingly going through lanken laws – not allowing those poor women to end up with saddest destnies.
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capucine / January 10, 2013
samuel: Ilitiracy is not a particular characteristic of Middle East ( you say thos arabs are illiterate)Watch the antics, booruwansa, Rajitha,disnesh,bandula etc and tell how literate they are?
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Senguttuvan / January 9, 2013
Park – the problem is the Saudi King does not present an audience
to every Tom, Dick and Harry. One has to earn their esteem and respect.
Senguttuvan
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Jay / January 10, 2013
Their soils are rich but the people are not.
Whenever I take my transit from Dubai or Quatar, I feel how they have been. They only respect westerners also to some extent. Human beings behave like animals when they have not been given a proper school education. This is the case with majority of the those oil rich countries. The women are totally illiterate while the men own royal mentalities thinking that they are the bosses. I respect Islam as a religion but the countries that let many to live like illiterate and treat other people like to animals are not acceptable to anyone.
Srilanka is a country whose literacy rates are the highest in the south asian region. Levels are comparable to those of some developed countries. But when it goes with getting manipulated by all forms of foreign agencies – the folks are not different to those of ethiopia- it is all becasse of the pressure on their families to find a better living. As read recently, the salaries that a housemaid in middleeast earn is not huge one when considering the salaries that they could earn in SL today. So all these should be closely regarded by any one who without proper training go to those countries. I have met some iranians and irakies that had lanken housemaids for their households revealed- many of them were treated very inhumanly by their house owners.
Lanken authorities should finally pay wholte hearted attention when sending any of the lankens to those countries. It isthe rulers that should take the responsiblity if they get punished according to their stonge era laws.
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Sun / January 10, 2013
India is one of very poorest countries in the world. Poor than srilanka and other countries in the region.Not even few hundreds out of billion folk have a better life, a larger majority is under poverty levels. But indian govt would not send their women to any foreign desitnations like Srilanka, Philiphines and perhaps other poor small countries. Even if skilled indians are sent to middle east countries for their occupations, they dont send their poor women as housemaids. Lanken laws should be amended accordingly only the trained and skilled ones should be sent to any foreign country. Be it to Korea or other countries, the foreign ministry should react accordingly.
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Sun / January 10, 2013
it should be that INDIans WOULD not send their women as housemaids to the oil rich middleeast. That are their politics.
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Native Vedda / January 10, 2013
Senguttuvan
Is this a genuine outpouring of grief among the Sri Lankies or an attempt to wipe off their guilt for they and their rulers did nothing to prevent this brutal murder of a young person?
If these commentators are genuinely appalled by capital punishment they should campaign to remove it from Sri Lankan statute books once and for all rather than letting the state to recruit alugosuwas.
K.A Sumanasekera, Navin, David Blacker, ………BunkerRat…….and others should focus their valuable time on abolishing capital punishment rather than shadow boxing imagined nonexistent enemies.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / January 10, 2013
You are right. We have a long standing close family friend living in Genève and her father was in the Ceylon Foreign Service while she a super intelligent JT girl (late 60’s got 7D’s and 1C at O’level) became a top cat in a UN mission(it’s not right I give you their name because they are not politicians but well bred diplomats). Back in the 80’s when the present king of Saudi was a prince he became her private student and friend. They both used to fly to London and then he drove her down to the Casinos of Paris very regularly. They are still in touch. On the other hand look at the 3 professors inclusive of GL scratching their backsides favouring Palestine, reconciliation etc. plus the Islamist ministers of course. The problem with the amude Rajaporkistan familiar is that if a JT even a Vellan is involved they are bas’ard terrorist in the eyes of the Sinhalese unless they fit in his bigotry Sinhala terrorist amude. I spoke to her a short while ago and she just smiled- what has to happen happens. This is really sickening. Once my family employed around 600 SL Sinhala women to work in our warehouses across the UAE and the minimum wage we provided was $800 and this was even to our housemaids. The major component of the SL Diaspora in Spain and Italy are SL housemaids/houseboys who had taken boat across from the Middle East. In Spain $200 is barely enough for a week so most probably they get around 600- 800 plus the quality life of the EU. Of course the EU does not permit the import of housemaids.
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Punchilamani / January 10, 2013
The incident tends to recofirm two stereotypical views that are gaining more and more currency.
1. That Islamic law is barbaric no matter how one talks about the splendour of the medival muslim empires.
2. Despite the Modayas peddling Sinhala Buddhist nationalism, this nation and its people, both Sinhalese, tamils and muslims is used to wash the ass of Arabs so that a few MR goons can have night races in gall face.
It is so sad that Rizana had to pay the price for these modayas like MR, Mervin and the weerawansa donkeys.
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Ranasinghe / January 10, 2013
Only way to reduce muslims from world is fight among them. This is good mulim country kill muslim girl. Why sinhalese worry about it. Same way promotoe muslims kill by themselves. Rajpaksha needs only money not any other things. Even your country he will sell for money.
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Jayantha / January 10, 2013
While telling that we are Independent and not bowing to Imperialists and Dictators and consist with Proud of Natiolism…..Govt. does not take any steps to stop sending our House maids to work as slaves in Middle East.
This has to be stopped. Bring down the House Maids home.
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