By Colombo Telegraph –
Contrary to some media reports, Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has not made any statements today with regard to Sri Lanka as host venue of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2013, says Richard Uku, Official Spokesperson and Director of Communications and Public Affairs.
Sharma
Colombo based Daily Mirror today reported that “Sharma confirms summit location”. The report said; “Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma who met task force Chairmen and External Ministry officials today in Colombo confirmed the location of the summit as Colombo and reviewed the ongoing preparations for the holding of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), official said. External Affairs Ministry Secretary K. Amunugama told Daily Mirror online that the meeting which lasted for more than 90 minutes was attended by Chairmen of some 15 task forces and other officials.
Issuing a statement the Official Spokesperson and Director of Communications and Public Affairs said; “There will be a statement at the end of the Secretary-General’s visit to Sri Lanka on Wednesday, 13 February.”
srilal / February 11, 2013
Dear CT Editors,
Who is accurately reporting ? Both Colombo gazette and daily mirror have been reported the same story confirming the CHOHAM in SL !
“The Commonwealth summit will be held in Sri Lanka as scheduled, the official spokesperson and Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Richard Uku, told the Colombo Gazette.
He also denied reports that some countries had requested that the summit be shifted out of Sri Lanka over human rights allegations.
“No member government of the Commonwealth has called for CHOGM 2013 to be moved from Sri Lanka. Preparations are underway for the summit to be held in Colombo as scheduled,” Uku told the Colombo Gazette.”
11/02/2013
“Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma who met task force Chairmen and External Ministry officials today in Colombo confirmed the location of the summit as Colombo and reviewed the ongoing preparations for the holding of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), official said.
External Affairs Ministry Secretary K. Amunugama told Daily Mirror online that the meeting which lasted for more than 90 minutes was attended by Chairmen of some 15 task forces and other officials.(HF)”
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Sivaloganathan / February 11, 2013
Hey man, trust Colombo Telegraph!! I always trust them.
CHOGM 2013
11 February 2013
Contrary to some media reports, Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has not made any statements today with regard to Sri Lanka as host venue of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2013.
The only public statement issued by the Commonwealth Secretariat thus far is a press release issued by the Secretariat’s Official Spokesperson, Richard Uku, on 10 February 2013 announcing the Secretary-General’s current visit to Sri Lanka.
The Spokesperson’s statement indicated that Mr Sharma will be in Colombo to discuss matters of shared interest between Sri Lanka and the Commonwealth, including November’s Heads of Government Meeting. It indicated that he will review organisational preparations for CHOGM and discuss possible outcomes that Sri Lanka and Commonwealth leaders will want to achieve at the summit.
The Spokesperson’s 10 February statement also indicated that Mr Sharma is expected to discuss, among other issues, options for advancing Commonwealth values and principles, including the independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers.
There will be a statement at the end of the Secretary-General’s visit to Sri Lanka on Wednesday, 13 February.
Media Contact
Richard Uku
Spokesperson / Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Commonwealth Secretariat
Tel (Sri Lanka): +94 (0) 78 888 0384
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7747 6380
Tel Mobile: +44 (0) 7711 187784
Email: r.uku@commonwealth.int
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/253154/110213chogm2013.htm
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Dodo / February 12, 2013
The Rajapakse Dictatorship in Sri Lanka has gone from strength to strength with support from the so-called Commonwealth of Nations a.k.a. Commonwealth of Clowns support: viz. impeachment of CJ, militarization and power grab by Rajapassa family Dictatorship.
Sri Lanka’s Tax payers have spent massive sums on Commonwealth Games circuses – bids and Commonwealth Parliament circus in Colombo last year with no payback except of course to boost Rajapakses dictatorship and ego.
The Commonwealth has NO LEGITIMACY and is an obsolete, irrelevant organization that is a talk shops for Dictators from Asia and Africa.
Latimar House rules that Ranil W quotes are not worth the paper they are printed on!
The Commonwealth of Nations aka. Commonwealth of Clowns is an obsolete, irrelevant British colonial remnant which even the British do NOT take seriously!
The Commonwealth of Clowns is an organization that gives third world dictators a stage to STRUT ON and feel important, headed as it is by KS a national of the wanna be South Asia regional super power Indian which is a basket case of war with its own people’s Human Rights in Kashmir, Northeast, and the Maoist belt that traverses 12 states…
The collusion between third world dictatorships in Asia and Africa to keep this Commonwealth Circus going is to boost their egos.
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shan / February 11, 2013
I can take a bet that this event will be held in Sri Lanka with all concerned attending, with full fanfare and the so called “concerned”international community will be totally bought over by the wining and dining and “hospitality’of the regime and all will be well. Internationals are not a part of any solution. they are only a part of the problem. Sometimes I think that their going price is so low. They can be bought over by food , wine and luxury, it seems.
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Saman Wijesiri / February 11, 2013
The DM story appears to be a typical plant. According to the story, some anonymous `official’ has told the Daily Mirror that “Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma…. today in Colombo confirmed the location of the summit as Colombo and reviewed the ongoing preparations…” This `official’ has not even been described as a Ministry official. In the Para 2, the DM quotes EAM Secretary as saying:”that the meeting which lasted for more than 90 minutes was attended by chairmen of 15 task forces and other officials.” Is it not funny that the information relating to a minor detail is attributed to the Ministry Secretary and the vital piece of information that really makes news to an anonymous `official’?
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Park / February 11, 2013
When I thought that Sri Lanka cannot get any deeper into trouble, I have been proven wrong again. Sri Lanka can dip further into the hole. When are we going to learn how to handle messages. Now the poor guy who made the statement to the press will lose his neck!
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Senguttuvan / February 11, 2013
Not just the Daily Mirror but several others too. The Nation on Sunday, said to have been bought over by friends of the ruling clique to advance their interests, had it in its front page with various
claims that seemed intriguing. The comedy is staged to such an extent one newspaper said Mr Sharma spoke to local officials carrying out the Hambantota CHOGM operation for an hour while another said the talks went for 2 hours.
“Boruwa hondata adaganna” is in Sinhala what is roughly in Tamil what goes as “poiya chonnalum porundath chol”
Senguttuvan
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Jayantha / February 12, 2013
@Jayantha, please our comment policy and comment – CT
8. Keep it relevant. We know that some conversations can be wide-ranging, but if you post something which is unrelated to the original topic (“off-topic”) then it may be removed, in order to keep the thread on track. This also applies to queries or comments about moderation, which should not be posted as comments.
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Jayantha / February 12, 2013
I am sorry CT editors. I was responding to another article and mistakenly posted under this topic.
Sorry again, and I will be extra careful when I post in future.
Keep up your great work.
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Mahela / February 12, 2013
Only three days ago that Govt. Electronic Midia spoke person said that USA asked Sri Lanka to send our soldiers to Afghanistan to train Afghan soldiers and Govt. refused it……….Later USA denied this news and said they never requested our soldiers…and Govt. later kiept quite.
Now this is another story made by GOSL.
I think in future all media including CT should double check all Govt. media before publishing them.
Also it was only after 1976 Non Align Summit that all the Citizen had to suffer including food shortages, Long bread ques and Corporative food lines…. where life got miserable.
CHOGM is another show off wasteful expenditure and anybody could guess what will happen to all Citizen and their daily lives after CHOGM while Govt. importing more Rolls Royce, Duty free liquor, gifts, food fun and froic…..while Citizen trying to meet their ends meet.
While Govt. will feed the CHOGM delegates with all the best of Food, wine, sun, sea and sand and frolic…. Citizen will have to eat Grass (thanakola)
CHOGM is nothing but another show off high fun high expense event.
Therefore all opposition parties and other groups should tell the CW about the true state of Citizens and stop this wasteful expenditure.
IT’S TIME FOR OPPOSITION AND CITIZEN CONCERN PARTIES TO ACT ON BEHALF OF CITIZEN AND STOP THIS WASTEFUL CHOGM CRAZY FUN EVENT AND FIGHT FOR CITIZENS AND MINORITY RIGHTS THROUGH CW.
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P T Dinal / February 12, 2013
How to STOP it, according to Daily Mirror, R/Wicremasinghe has confirmed to Sharma that he is also supporting to hold it in Srilanka ….?
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Senguttuvan / February 12, 2013
Mahela,
When we have Media Spokesman like Rambukwella you can be sure when, speaking for the Govt, he says something won’t be done, in a few hours we come to learn from elsewhere in the Govt, it will be done. It has -happened so many times. So what you complain of is nothing new. The denial from the Commonwealth Secretariat has shamed the entire country – not the liars in the government only.
CHOGM at Hambtantota is merely to massage the ego of the President. The Rajapakses hope, if the event is held there, all the buildings and other resources will then go to ensure the clan to be voted in for the next few elections. Except for the few dozens of hangers on – who benefit from the engineered plundering of the country’s resources – one can say, without the fear of contradiction, the entire country is against the holding of this in the Rajapakse fiefdom. Just as many people will say Sri Lanka does not have the resources or the need presently to hold this expensive “boru show” even in Colombo. Our
priorities should be totally different aimed at improving the quality of life of the have-nots suffering from the punishing high prices of essential foodstuffs for day to day living. Something the well-fed Rajapakses and their immediate friends are unaware of.
It is the Buddhist priests and their hierarchy that must get into the streets and put a stop to this wasteful expenditure we cannot afford. Remember what happened to Greece. They hosted the Olypics with borrowed money and in about a few years from then became bankrupt. Half the country is on food-stamps today. Millions of families saw their comfortable lives totally destroyed. Will our powerful priests have the required national feeling and responsibility to do the obvious? The fact is many of them are beholden to drug-traffickers, kudu karayas, murderers, Contract killers and the like they’d rather chose the path of least resistance. For them, it is far more convenient to place the blame on the LTTE, the Tamils, the Tamil diaspora and India. We hope they will prove all of us wrong and do what is needed to save the country.
Senguttuvan
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Mahela / February 12, 2013
Both Senguttuvan and Daniel,
I totally agree with you. Infact I was bit involved in 1976 Non Align Summit and I saw what fun all these delegates had in Hotel Oboroi and elsewhere.
I saw how gold chains, pandents and others were exchanged in Oboroi Parlors and discos and everything was normal.
This time it’s going to be super fun with already Rolls Royce are starting to appear….while the new Diyawanna Park been restricted with lot of laws and Govt. spies around. Read the following web….which is in Sinhala
http://srilankaxnews.com/index.php/out-of-focus/item/2719-
Be prepared if CHOGM to beheld in Sri Lanka……
1)To face unbearable traffic, curfiews, restrictions to travel, emergency road closures,Govt.Spies all over listening to your conversations, constant route and road checkups, food shortages, long lines, work disruptions, and all other messes.
2)Prices of all essential goods including Petrol, Diesel, Electricity to go up.
3)Long bread lines.
4)Restrictions in money and account transfers. etc…etc..
Already IMF refused 1 Billion Dollar Loan to GOSL.
Unfortunately we have an Opposition Leader who is more interested in keeping his Parliament goats as supreme, while getting all the MR perks and santhosam….without fighting for peoples rights.
Ranil JR’s Nephew another crook……
CHOGM will be the SHOGAM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faeCmuux1Xk
FOR US SRI LANKANS.
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shan / February 12, 2013
Believe me guys, it will happen, as planned with the regime collecting the fruits of this meeting in the form of a month long propaganda campaing. The delegates will be taken on a tour to north and east and at the end of that sweaty journey someone will quickly say that they are so impressed with the state of affairs and what were we thinking, we’re so sorry. Feed them , booze them, take them to Pinnawala and show them the luxury or luxuries- that’s all it takes. How many ïnternationals”have arrived here gungs blazing, only to return like petted pups, happy and singigng praises of thi sregime. Has anything ever come out of their empty cliams and emptier threats? Either we are nuts to imagine that things are falling apart- or these white men are telling the truth- that its all hunky dori here in paradise. NOTHING will happen to this meeting. It will be held with great fanfare.
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Leela / February 12, 2013
Talking about the CHOGM, would anyone please list the benefits to Sri Lanka by being a member of CHOGM for the last sixty years?
Though CHOGM list number of aims, the truth is, it had done nothing useful to its members. Indeed, CHOGM didn’t contribute a bag of flour to any of its member states that were hit hard during the last tsunami disaster. Leave out aids and assistances, Journalist CA Chandraprema asks whether CHOGM gave at least verbal help to its members states at such difficult instances.
We all know that white colonial countries strive hard to punish us for defeating terrorism. When the US and Europe tried to influence IMF not to give a loan to Sri Lanka in 2009, CHOGM had not helped us; its India that helped us. When Europe withdrew GSP plus CHOGM hadn’t raised any voice either says Chandraprema. If that’s a fact, should we care about our membership of CHOGM? I wonder!
Indeed if white colonialists wanted to shift their venue for their tea party with their majesty and their subordinate servants, I agree fully with Chandraprema that we should not object it but encourage them to take their CHOGM where ever they want.
Leela
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hope4change / February 13, 2013
So why continue to live in a white colonial country????? You should leave England and move back to sunny Lanka.
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kaputakukula / February 12, 2013
The Sri Lanka government (SLG) will now easily tell that the govt did not publish the news but the media. The government will also brag that this is a proof that there is freedom of media. Whatever it is…. the REAL SHAME in this to the government is the news was first denied by Sharma’s office and NOT by the SLG. If the news was not true why did not the SLG deny it beforre Sharma. On the other hand, if the news was true and Sharma was lying will the SLG publish so to enlighten public.
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Saman Wijesiri / February 13, 2013
Dinal, the entire world now knows that Ranil Wickremesinghe is part and parcel of the MR regime and what he says is what the regime has to say!
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Senguttuvan / February 13, 2013
Mahela,
The entire population of Colombo was confined to “house arrest” when Mrs B held the 1976. Even one of the my Cars was forcibly “stolen” by the State for a few days and returned in damaged condition. One of the reasons she was thrown out was the NAM 1976. The Maharajah Organisation was the biggest beneficiary. From a virtual non-descript
Pettah outfit selling fountain pens they were shoved into what they are now. Believe me I don’t blame them. They saw an opportunity – and grabbed it pronto, “handling” the people running the show then. Perfectly legal, unlike today when notorious gangsters and IRCs control the action provided the right “thuttu” is given – legally and illegally.
Senguttuvan
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mahela / February 14, 2013
Senguttuvan,
Yes I hope you remember the ever famous Holden long bodied limos, the renaults and the Peugeot 504 ect …..and Mack transport luxury coaches……..
It was a busy and a gala time for the Prime minister and the parliament ministers and MPs.
Holdens and renaults disappeared due to low mileage and spare part problems, while Peugeot 504 became a hit. Car Mart madee a good fortune of it.
But with CHOGM Rajapakses are planning for a SUPER SHOW OFF COMEDY SHOW….by importing Rolls Royces, Lincoln limos, Range Rovers and Volvo coaches……
Also both imported and local dames are ready for the gala with night clubs and casinos hotels and illicit drugs in galore…..under the guise of promoting tourism.
Wait for more surprises. Hope kan getta will not rob the Central Bank Gold reserve iron safe……….after stealing Museum.
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Senguttuvan / February 14, 2013
Ah! Those brown/yellow Holdens, Mahela. Tku for massaging the memory.
Yes! The regime’s Dames “will be getting read for the bash” but they will be mostly common women of the Akarsha easy virtue variety. Not the pedigree Kandyan and elegant ladies Mrs B was able to muster. Kan-getta has already piled up the loot – much invested on Massina’s Damila Empire on bogus names is common knowledge in Colombo Cocktail circuit. At least let us give him credit where it is due. Hang what happened to the country’s finances, his own has seen steady growth and development in the past few years as hundreds in the know will vouch for. Wait until the he sends the SLR to Rs150 when the humble pan-gediya will not be available even for Rs.100 – the price at which the wife will be buying a kankung mitiya. Already, we are somewhere there.
The Red JW (750) will cost you/me over Rs.10,000 hastening our already well-developed suicidal tendencies. Chintana economic lunumiris, lead by the doctored wizard and the magic accountant, in full cry, eh what?
Senguttuvan
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mahela / February 15, 2013
Yes, now in order to reduce Diabetes and to reduce the ever over weights due to eating super rich protein and highly arousal Danas the health minister has come up with some desha premi diet. They look like….
Kankun Chop Suay
Polkudu (Coconut dust) chow mien
Hunan grass tempura
Banana leaf wonton soup
Sweet and sour Del kola
Dim sim frog feet
Newspaper wrappers.
Only to drink Kottamalli (Koriendar) and Suduru (cumin )Tea….. Not the regular tea and coffee due to findings made by Vimal Gonwanse that Regular tea and coffee are British Imperiel Conspiracy by-products to reduce the brain function of Sri Lankans and make them impotent and submissive to others like opposition Leader RW and Patali Champika Ranawake…..while making women Barren but taking more authority over men like the new power minister Pavithra Vanniarchchi……. So be careful and think before you sipp the next cup of Sri Lanka Tea.
These are some of the few recommendation receipees that are prepared by health minister to introduce. I will let you know when other’s are available.
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