The unlawful sacking of a 12 year old grade 7 student of the Royal Institute Nugegoda Branch by its Director of Administration Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne, has now triggered the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to summon officials of the Ministry of Education, National Child Protection Bureau and the Mirihana Police Women/Child Abuse Protection Unit for ignoring a complaint made by the student’s parent to each of their respective offices on the 25th of January 2019.
The Grade 7 student has been deprived of an education since the Royal Institute Nugegoda Branch unlawfully terminated the student on the 25th of January 2019.
Based on a complaint filed by the parent bearing number HRC/2989/18 to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, it summoned its meeting with the three respective bodies for a meeting which is to be held on the 22nd of March 2019 at their 6th floor office at 14, R.A.De Mel Mawatha Colombo 4.
The parent seeking relief has also officially filed complaints at the Police Commission, President’s Office and also the Child Court at Battaramulla.
The Child Court at Battaramulla in its bid to hear the complaint bearing number 5376/P has summoned officials of the Royal Institute, the parent and the child to a meeting with the presiding Judge on the 19th of March 2019.
The unethical practice employed by the Royal Institute also deprived the student who was eagerly waiting to go on his school class trip on the 27th of February 2019. The student had also paid the class trip fee which was Rs 3,700. However the Royal Institute, who had sent a letter by registered post to the parent on the 25th of February 2019 stating that the child’s education has been terminated, ejected the student from his class at the commencement of school on the 26th of February 2019 and had him sit in the school office the entire day.
Despite being deprived of an education on that day, the child was also exposed to much ridicule by other staff members who happened to pass him by whilst been made to sit in the school office.
The school refunded the Rs 3,700 to the child and stated that he won’t be going on the school trip with his class mates the following day.
This entire saga began in September 2018 when Royal Institute much against a letter issued to the parents in 2014 went on to increase the school fees by exorbitant proportions.
Many parents found it difficult to meet the hiked up fees when school commenced for the new academic year in September 2010, despite the school stating that fees would be increased bi-annually only by 12%. The school in fact increased the school fees annually.
On the 10th of October 2018 the Royal Institute who had acquired the services of Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne as the School’s Group Administration Director, brought in a special group of security personnel and forcibly incarcerated several students into two classrooms for non-payment of school fees. They were all deprived of an education that day. They were also made to sweat in the heat whilst being detained, as even the classroom fans were not turned on.
Many parents filed cases at the Mirihana Police Station on that day and also phoned the Police hotline number 119.
However nothing materialized from those complaints as two policemen passed by the school on a motor cycle and simply went away.
It was later discovered that the Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne’s brother Amith Gunaratne is the current ASP IR Director at the Mirihana police Station.
However in this particular case involving this particular 12 year old Grade 7 student, it is evident that the parent who was the leader of the parent body at Royal Institute’s Nugegoda Branch has been made a victim here.
Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne’s ploy of terminating the child was the best way he could keep the parent quiet.
The said parent and the child, whose names have been withheld by Colombo Telegraph for ethical reasons, have officially complained about their predicament to every possible government body seeking relief.
However it is quite evident that the Retired Major General wields his muscle with almost all government institutions leaving the parent and his 12 year old child with no respite.
This is a classic example of how Sri Lanka is failing as a country to provide its citizens even its very own basic human rights.
It proves that it does matter who you know in higher up places, if in the event you need to get anything done within the government circles.
Earlier the Ministry of Education sent in a letter to the Royal Institute dated 9th of March 2019, highlighting the International Children’s Rights Convention. It also went to provide references from the 1939 Education Ordinance Act, 185 Authority. The letter further provides guidelines referring to the compulsory education that needs to be provided to a child aged 5 to 16. It also reiterated that if in the event a child is to be deprived of an education, the School must obtain the consent of the Provincial Educational Director prior to doing so. The letter further demanded explanations from Royal Institute on the subject matter of this case.
A parent of the student body at Royal Institute speaking on condition of anonymity said “As parents we fear for this child’s parent besides feeling very sad as to how the Royal Institute has decided to treat this 12 year old child. The Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne has been a ruthless man during the war and it is no wonder why the country is even being probed by the International Human Rights Commission for war crimes committed during the final stages of the war. But I want to put this on record that we fear for the life of this parent. The Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne can easily harm him or even his life could be in danger. With his brother’s help at the Mirihana Police they could even plant drugs on him and have him arrested and sent to jail”. (By Janaka Ranaweera)
Related posts:
Royal Institute: Kids Suffer As ‘War Veteran’ Kamal Gunaratne’s Thuggery Continues
Royal Institute: Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne Muscles His Way To Terminate Children
Champa / March 18, 2019
The last paragraph can be an add-on by the writer. Therefore, it should be disregarded.
What is the reason for expelling the child from school? Is it for non-payment of school fees?
If it is the case, I don’t think private schools will give any concessions on that matter.
If the reason is something else, then it is a different matter.
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Pluto / March 18, 2019
The parent had not paid school fees for the existing term. There was a dispute in this particular child’s fees as the child had a 25% discount as he had an older sibling in school. However the child’s older brother finished his schooling in December 2018. The school then increased the child’s school fees and included Rs 10,000 additionally for the month of December 2018 and another Rs 10,000 for the month of January 2019 and increased the fees further after the hiked amount from Rs 37,000 to Rs 57,000. However the school also has a system where they levy a 5% surcharge if school fees is paid after January. So the parent was within his right to pay the 5% penalty by the 28th of February 2019. However the school sent a letter by registered post dated 25th February 2019 stating the child has been terminated for non payment of school fees and the letter also went on to say that the parent has been raising concerns about the school. He was the mouth piece for the parent body and has also raised alarms when safety standards were not up to the mark in the school. The parent was also one of the 14 parents who filed a complain with the Mirihana Police when the children were deprived of schooling and locked up in a room on the 10th of October 2018.
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Simon De Silva / March 18, 2019
Champawathiye, Young lady please read the story BEFORE jumping on to add your 2cts worth.
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It is all about the unhearted reaction of BP Kamal Gunaratne.
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Kamal gunaratne is a man of Gotler camp, that BP would NOT have hearts to treat the students with kindness. That is what becoming clear US CT readership/theworld.
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Champa / March 18, 2019
Simon de Silva
Young man, I read the article.
I have observed since 2015, that every year in February and March, there are articles of this nature discrediting retired or serving army or police officials. This is well planned to coincide with Geneva HR meetings.
According to this article, Kamal Gunaratne is the Director/Administration. What are his duties? His job is to make everyone adhere to school’s rules and regulations.
As anybody can see, Kamal Gunaratne has nothing to do with school’s decision to terminate the child from attending school.
If the Director/Admin was someone else, I don’t think this type of an article will even emerge.
I feel sorry for the child. It is he/she who has to suffer. I blame the parent. It is common knowledge that International Schools are money-minded. Otherwise how could they run schools with international standards? Having said that, unfair increase in school fees can be stopped if the Education Ministry regulates international schools.
I think this matter should be settled amicably by cancelling the termination and granting a few weeks for the parent to settle school fees, as a gesture of goodwill, for which I am sure he will be thankful.
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Analyst / March 20, 2019
Champa is his pseudonym, She’s a He not a She definitely .
Who cares what this moron is ??
All we know him as A supporter of Evil . He’s not a Patriot a mentally unstable fool.
He wants the Thieving , Murderous, Racists & Co back to power to destroy the nation further and be isolated from the rest of the civilised nations.
Mine is a Pseudonym , do I care what people think of me? They think of me a Muslim, a Tamil , or not at all bothered , it does not matter.
I can proudly say that I am a Patriot who believes in Prosperity of my nation now and for the future generations.
This country does not belong to JUST ONE section of the Community.
This is a multi cultural , multilingual nation. It has been to that effect for many centuries ago and will be there as such for many more centuries to come , as long as the brain dead idiots gets this into their thick heads it’s better for the country now and forever.
So who cares about this very confused moron called Champangseee……
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Native Vedda / March 18, 2019
Champass
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Why hasn’t Sinhala/Buddhist fascist diaspora invited single handed Kamal Gunaratne UNHRC sessions while funding Sarath Wijesekara’s regular shopping trip to Geneva?
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Sinhala/Buddhist fascist diaspora must invite single handed Kamal Gunaratne to teach the LTTE supporting ugly terror flag waving Tamil Diaspora in Geneva a lesson they will not forget next time around.
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Champa / March 18, 2019
Hindian Vedda
About UNHRC:
Right now, there is no way to do anything until a new President is elected.
That is why I kept quiet this time.
There is only one thing left. That is, taking traitors to the galore.
There is no point of talking about anything when the slave government, traitorous PM and the traitorous President went ahead with co-sponsoring the treacherous second Geneva Resolution.
No Head of State in the world will betray his own country and the national army in favour of terrorists.
Betraying a country which struggled for 34 years to eliminate terrorism is TREASON.
Betraying the national army which paid a heavy price to defeat terrorists by sacrificing lives + limbs, eye sight and hearing of 28,708 + 40,107 servicemen is TREASON.
Maithri and Ranil both should be charged for TREASON.
As far as I know, death by hanging is the “internationally accepted” penalty for TREASON. Let’s see how UNHCHR saves them then.
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Buramphisincho / March 19, 2019
Native,
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I thought BP Sarath Wijesekara with that fake Prof. Jayasumana may have not travelled to Geneva this time ?:
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As their proof materials, no such Last YEAR Kandy Muslim attacks or the like were NOT heard yet from them. either. President Sorysena confirmed even last year ATTACK on MUSLIMs were orchestrated by SW under the guidance of Rajakshe. THe tape was heard on the CT platform during that 52-day coup saga.
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Champawathi would never see all these and the degree of their dangers, since she is said to be suffering from fecal incontinence..
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UNHRC should see it also that BRUTAL accident which killed the POLICE officer while being on his duties few days ago… when looking at them in SL, Christchurch people in Kiwi land would have to be luckier them to see their LAW and Order made it clear convicting the MURDER of the brutal killing within two days. Our court hearings regardless of the size of any crimes deliberately put off for paving killers enjoying the impunity.
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Analyst / March 18, 2019
Champawathi !
Any news about the CIS school girl who refused to wear girls uniforms and insisted on wearing trousers which was against school rules? She was facing eviction. Right?
Human Rights Chaps I meant Chaps , not Champa! did they take note of this child. That child had a point in the present human rights regulations it’s ones own preferences of their sexuality.
Are the private schools turning into third Reich! Or Auschwitz??
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Champa / March 18, 2019
Analyst
Every school has a right to have their own rules, regulations, dress codes, etc.
On the very first day of the enrollment to the school, they tell parents about the uniform.
If it is not acceptable, then the parents have to find a school where their requirement of dress code is met, which has nothing to do with human rights.
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Analyst / March 18, 2019
Champa
Your mentality / ideology is 101 YEARS OLD mate.
Get back to 21 st Century mate!! That’s all.
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Champa / March 18, 2019
Analyst
I know I won the argument when the other person replied with Greek!
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Analyst / March 18, 2019
Chimp,
That’s how you’re winning with hundreds of RED THUMBS DOWN . ,,,,,, keep it down buff.ooooonnnn,……….LOSER!! Ignorance is Bliss.
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Champa / March 19, 2019
Analyst
C’mon loser, I said this before.
I am not writing for cheap popularity.
Red Thumbs are the sign that I hit the nail on the head.
My motivational theories are quite opposite of losers like you.
For your information, negative feedback is more motivational to me than positive feedback.
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Ajith / March 18, 2019
Champa,
I think you are one of them trained by Gotapaya and Gunaratne who ran white van company. You have no concern about humanity.
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Champa / March 18, 2019
Ajith
Show me anybody who has seen a so called white van?
Tell me which international school exchanges humanity with school fees?
If you run a school, would you do that?
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Ajith / March 18, 2019
Champa,
You are living in a paradise which had no white vans!
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Champa / March 19, 2019
Ajith
Your response in Greek shows that there were no white vans and that your claim is a fabrication.
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Ben Hurling / March 18, 2019
2 Points:
1. “War Hero” needs psychotherapy. He equals everything with the Eelam War IV. Please provide him the help he so badly requires.
2. Private education is spinning out of control. Just like Private Bus Mafia, Private Hospital Mafia or Media Mafia. This is a lawless nation.
Cheers!
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Pluto / March 18, 2019
The parent had not paid school fees for the existing term. There was a dispute in this particular child’s fees as the child had a 25% discount as he had an older sibling in school. However the child’s older brother finished his schooling in December 2018. The school then increased the child’s school fees and included Rs 10,000 additionally for the month of December 2018 and another Rs 10,000 for the month of January 2019 and increased the fees further after the hiked amount from Rs 37,000 to Rs 57,000. However the school also has a system where they levy a 5% surcharge if school fees is paid after January. So the parent was within his right to pay the 5% penalty by the 28th of February 2019. However the school sent a letter by registered post dated 25th February 2019 stating the child has been terminated for non payment of school fees and the letter also went on to say that the parent has been raising concerns about the school. He was the mouth piece for the parent body and has also raised alarms when safety standards were not up to the mark in the school. The parent was also one of the 14 parents who filed a complain with the Mirihana Police when the children were deprived of schooling and locked up in a room on the 10th of October 2018.
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Analyst / March 18, 2019
There are two sides to a story. Why the Parent of this child has been put in this dangerous (“quote”) situation??
Very sad indeed for the child who had been put in this situation by the school management due to the inability of the parent to pay the increased fees as quoted .
The school could have negotiated in many different ways to solve this with the parent. The child need not face these embarrassments , let alone missing school lessons which comes under human rights, child abuse, or child neglect,.
Both parties needed to address this situation and resolve it for the sake of this child .
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Analyst / March 18, 2019
As per Pluto above the older sibling finished schooling in December , the school need not have increased anything at all in December. The normal fees be payable only from January. The rule of the school as such the parent should have adhered to the written rules of the school . If the Parent had faced some finacial difficulty he should have explained and negotiated with the school management.
When Parents have siblings in private schools it’s a fact that the older sibling would leave school earlier and the younger siblings to follow the rules of the school fees agreements unless it states otherwise.
The Parent should realise at the end who he was punishing , certainly his child.
Come on ! Negotiate instead of going Public.
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K A Sumanasekera / March 18, 2019
This is hilarious.
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HR Commission and the Child Protection Bureau were notified because the Child was made to sit in the Office for non payment of School Fees..
What a difference..
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When I was attending Night School in Galle to learn English, I used to get Two cuts of the Cane from the Principal.
And forced to kneel on the Sand for one whole period, every day ,until the Fees were paid..
And it was a miserly LK 5 Ruppiah a month…
And my poor Daddy couldn’t afford it.
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Thank God the Day School Principal was not that bad, although I had racked up a few Hundred Ruppiahs as unpaid fees, by the time I left School.
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This is why our Dalits should fight tooth and nail to force the UNP Politikkas not to touch our Free Education.
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Our Dalits who make up most of the 70 Percent Inhabitant population are neither interested nor can afford any fee charging Schools , let alone Royal Fee Levying Ones..
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Those are exclusively for Dr Ranil supporting Elite, Anglican , Vellala and Sinhala Converts who hold Birth Day Parties in at least 3 * Hotels ,
And pay LKR 600 for 25 Ml Red Label.-
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Maybe our Child Protection and HR Dudes have not many complaints from our non fee paying students at free schools..
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Jo / March 18, 2019
The Royal Institute did not act very clever, for sure, but did it really act unlawfully terminating the student? Have the school fees been paid by the child‘s parents? The article doesn’t inform about that. If not – and that is my impression – how can the parents complain? If you choose to have a private service, you have to pay for it. If you cannot pay for it, you cannot have it. Also, I wonder if the guidelines that are mentioned, apply to private schools also. At any stage a student of a private school can change to a public school, so it is not deprived of his/her education.
The market is a matter of supply and demand and also of competition. Royal Institute has decided to „improve“ its image by horrendous school fees, disregard of earlier commitments, employment of dubious personnel and bad treatment of students. A bad marketing strategy, I would say. I doubt it will be successful. However, the stakeholders have a choice. Change the school! Nobody is forced to stay. Who wants to send children to such a school??
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justice / March 18, 2019
Private school education appears to be a “profit before education” enterprise.
These schools are an aftermath of inadequate performance by state schools.
However, the way this army man behaves is not proper.
In the old days of nineteen thirties onwards, there were “Attendance Officers” who visited homes of children who absented for more than two days, to persuade the parents to prevent absenteeism. The entire system now appears to be a ‘soup’ of rich parents and money making “schools”.
The provincial director and principal appear intimidated.
Is the minister aware?
“Fear for the life of the parent” !!!
Has Sri Lanka become another Third Reich????
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Upali / March 18, 2019
K Gunaratne is the man who said that the supporters of the proposed new constitution will be considered traitors and killed and how their funerals will be held. That’s on video. He is not suitable even to run a cattle farm let alone the children.
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Keynes! / March 18, 2019
War heroes!
C’mon Dayan, please defend this Kamal chap.
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mike / March 18, 2019
Keynes – BTW where is Dayan, the public racist #1, warmonger and Rajafucksha asslicker? This bugger was to pack his bags and come back and meet Ranilfucksha Sir!
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Victor / March 18, 2019
“Earlier the Ministry of Education sent in a letter to the Royal Institute dated 9th of March 2019, highlighting the International Children’s Rights Convention.”
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This is one of the international conventions Sri Lanka has promised to implement as a condition for the lower duty access for exports to European Union market. European Union representatives in Colombo should be informed of the problems that exist at Royal Institute and how they are being solved by local authorities.
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Analyst / March 18, 2019
You’re talking about GSP+ I guess. Certainly all concerned should be informed of these schools in SL runs privately or not privately.
At the rate the Paedophiles and war mongers are put in charge of these institutions is not right for innocent children, their lives are in danger along with their education.
Why the children ‘ s protections are silent? Why education ministry silent?
Are they all in to this drama supporting and scratching each other’s backs??
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Victor / March 18, 2019
Concerned parents have complained about problems with safety of their children at Royal Institute. It is unclear what has been done to improve school buildings.
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Meanwhile in remote Northern Province another private school Jaffna College has during years been calling former students to finance badly needed repairs and construction to school buildings that are literally falling down and posing a danger for staff, students and parents. How has this institution been cleared to operate as a school and provide boarding facilities by local health and education authorities? The school has been helpful enough to publish a list of their problems with pictures on the school home page.
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Victor / March 18, 2019
Here is a link to the site having the petition from Jaffna College for assistance to repair the school.
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http://www.jaffnacollege.lk/?page_id=577
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Will local authorities act before somebody is killed?
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Buddhist / March 18, 2019
People like Kamal are the people who are going to be in top positions in the Government and other Govt related institutions if Gotabaya becomes the President. We have seen the damage done to the country by Maithripala now Gota!
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H K Seneviratne / March 18, 2019
This “war Hero” including ” Gota ” needs psychiatric treatment as Ben Hurling rightfully commented .
This so-called war hero may be thinking that he is above and can disregard education dept circulars and established norms and standards in impunity and such things being irrelevant and inapplicable to his way of governance. It is a stupidity of the school authority to
appoint such a person to manage schools or institutions of learning.
HKS
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Buramphisincho / March 19, 2019
Mr Seneviratne,
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Self proclaimed WAR HEROES seem to be proving their ablities today.
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Poor people have to suffer just becasue of the kind heartless creatures are fallaciously made our war heroes. Alone that should be a punishable act if law and order would have been above anything else inthis society.
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This guy published a book before real WAR HERO General SARATH FONSEKA did it. SF’s book is in progress.
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I reminded the kind of low lives not once many a times particularly when I read any thing coming from Dayan Jaythilaka.This gene is common to many of our sinhalaya.. that is our archilles heel, I would say.
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Muslim / March 20, 2019
If this man is not removed from the administration of Royal Institute which had a good reputation students must boycott this institution right a way and get enrolled in other schools and save their lives from this
viyath maga maniac .Parents act before it is too late.Save your children
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