19 March, 2024

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Sri Lanka Should Not Be Given The CHOGM Chair: Australian And New Zealand MP Delegation

The two MPs detained by Sri Lankan immigration authorities earlier today were scheduled to address the press in Colombo when their passports were impounded and the briefing shut down.

Lee Rhiannon

Lee Rhiannon

MPs Lee Rhiannon and Jan Logie were to tell the Sri Lankan press corps that  the ongoing abuses of human and legal rights are so serious that the Commonwealth meeting scheduled for Colombo should not proceed and that the Sri Lanka government should not be given the chair of CHOGM for the next two years .

A damning statement to be issued by the two MPs at the press briefing implicates Sri Lanka Army Commander of the North Maj, Gen. Mahinda Hathurusinghe of sexually abusing women in the North.

““Large numbers of women regularly suffer sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the Sri Lankan armed forces. One lawyer described to us the evidence collected about these crimes. In one case they have text messages from Major General Mahinda Hathurusingha to the ‘comfort women’ he frequently abuses,” the joint statement by Rhiannon and Logie said.

Following is the full statement.

Joint Statement: Sri Lanka should not host CHOGM

Australian Greens Senator Rhiannon and New Zealand Green MP Jan Logie will be holding a Press Conference today in Sri Lanka.

Time: 10.30am (local time)

Location:         Tamil National Alliance office, 32A, Retreat Road Colombo 4

Contact:   Lee Rhiannon:   +61 487 350 880 and Jan Logie: +64 21038 6101

MEDIA STATEMENT 

10  November 2013

A delegation of Australian and New Zealand MPs at the conclusion of their fact finding visit to Sri Lanka have found that the ongoing abuses of human and legal rights are so serious that the Commonwealth meeting scheduled for Colombo should not proceed and that the Sri Lanka government should not be given the chair of CHOGM for the next two years .

Senator Lee Rhiannon from Australia and Jan Logie MP from New Zealand have been on a fact finding visit to Sri Lanka. Both MPs will report to their respective parliaments on their findings next week.

Joint statement from Senator Lee Rhiannon and MP Jan Logie:


“If CHOGM goes ahead and if Sri Lanka is given the Chair of this organisation the Commonwealth will have failed the people of Sri Lanka and damaged its own high standing with the international community.

“Elected officials and members of civil society in Sri Lanka have provided us with examples of massive illegal land confiscation by the armed forces; people being gaoled and detained with regular disregard for legal rights; violence, often involving rape, of women and children with no police investigation of these crimes; and ongoing intimidation of media workers.

“We visited areas where the army is occupying people’s land. The homes of the displaced people are now tin shacks serviced by dirt pot holed roads. Many people have been living like this for more than two decades.

“Large numbers of women regularly suffer sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the Sri Lankan armed forces. One lawyer described to us the evidence collected about these crimes. In one case they have text messages from Major General Mahinda Hathurusingha to the ‘comfort women’ he frequently abuses.

“The level of hardship for women and their dependents is shocking. More than 40,000 households in the north and east of the country are now female headed and few of them receive any government assistance if they cannot find work.

“Politicians described to us incidents in the past week where young party workers have been intimidated and detained. One worker we met who had just been released from gaol after ten months was never charged.

“The harassment of media workers and media owners continues. In Jaffna we saw the bullet holes in the printing presses, the computers and walls of one media outlet. Journalists and paper distributors have been attacked.

“Clearly this is an unsafe country for journalists to work as those who commit these crimes have not been investigated or charged. We were left with the impression that the government is becoming increasingly repressive towards those committed to a critical independent examination of events in Sri Lanka.

“If CHOGM events proceed in Sri Lanka the Commonwealths heads need to ensure that their handshakes, talks and communiques with President  Rajapaksa are not used by this regime to claim legitimacy for their current operations.

“CHOGM’s presence in Sri Lanka risks becoming an award for a regime accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. This international body should not allow itself to become a propaganda tool for the Rajapaksa regime.

“The Commonwealth played a key role in challenging apartheid in South Africa and oppression in Fiji. CHOGM should continue to stand by its own values and principles by working for improved human rights protection and justice in Sri Lanka.

“The Australian Greens and Green party of New Zealand will continue to work for an independent investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by all sides in the conflicts in Sri Lanka, and for CHOGM to stand with all the people of Sri Lanka not with a regime accused of war crimes.

“We look forward to reporting fully to the Australian and New Zealand parliament when we return.

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Latest comments

  • 0
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    Damn the culprits who planned and organized the CHOGM in Sri Lanka after knowing the war crimes and Crimes against humanity from the evidence they got from various sources including the UN as early as 2009.

    • 0
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      A relevant note.
      Martin Vickers, Conservative MP, UK:

      Clearly there has been genocide taken place in Sri Lanka and the International Community needs to take the issue much more seriously and investigations should take place.

      Source a video clip in English, above is a transcript by me from:

      http://www.tamilwin.com/show-RUmrzBSVMZit7.html

  • 0
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    Sri Lankan civil society should lead the international call to SHUT DOWN of the British Commonwealth of Nations which today is a platform to celebrate Military Dictators and Human Rights Abuses from Asia and Africa.
    The British Commonwealth has NO geopolitical or economic or social purpose. CHOGM has NO substance, just cultural Pagaentry and Raj Nostalgia. It seem that the lesser the substance the bigger the noise and vacuous “CULTURAL” show and the larger the number of gyrating DANCING GIRLS at the opening of the CHOGM circus for which schools are closed.
    The Sri Lankan Military Dictator Mahinda Rajapassa’s has embraced the WHITE MAN’S BURDEN as part of his “Facade of Democracy” to mask the DEEP STATE or state within a state that the paranoid psychopath Gota the Goon and his military intelligence operates!
    Ironically, Rajapassa is about to put on a crown of thorns as Head of the Commonwealth – he has walked into an international trap to celebrate British Colonialism having spent huge sums to entertain British royalty and the White Commonwealth including Racist Australia that pays Rajapass’s Navy to keep refugees away from white Australia!

    • 0
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      @Don Stanley – your wrong on every single point you make; including ‘white Australia’ point. The White Australia Policy is old, finished, and gone. A lot of immigration here in Australia is now from Asia; and most of us want that. Asian immigrants have contributed a lot to Australian development and progress, and to Australian society and community. Our average IQ level actually rose during the period when Australia drifted away from Britain and began to embrace Asia. Withiout Asia, Australia is nothing; without Britain, Australia is happy.
      Regarding Sri Lankan human rights abuses:
      Sri Lanka fought the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) for 30 years. Frequent bombing of buses, buildings, and many other public places by the LTTE brought no protests about human rights abuses from European Governments or the Canadian Government. When the LTTE forced the Sri Lankan Tamil youth and children to join the LTTE and give their lives for it (and this happened on a large scale; the kidnapped youth were first forced to attack their own village to ensure they could never go back there), no murmur of protest could be heard from European or Canadian Governments. The fact that Sri Lanka, a small Asian nation, was able to win a war against terrorism when no western nation could do it seems to irk the white patronising, condescending European and Canadian Governments.The hypocrisy is sickening and suffocating annoyingly too sticky to be free of it.
      The LTTE also conducted international terrorism, assassinating Rajiv Ghandi and hijacking freighters in international waters; but still no protests from these governments.
      So considering all this, one has to wonder WHY Canada and Britain and other European countries have suddenly found their human rights conscience. These countries all have large Tamil communities and I think two facts have influenced their judgements: their own political ambitions and possibly fear….the world Knows how ruthless and bloodthirsty the LTTE is.
      Give Sri Lanka credit. It has won a war against terrorism and the country has been developing well since the end of that war. And don’t bring the human rights issue into it without first looking at the human rights abuses of every other country. No one is innocent.

      • 0
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        Paul . You said it all very cleverly . Deeply appreciated and many thanks .

      • 0
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        Well said Paul. What next, Canada boycotting the US for no investigation into the deaths of innocent civilians from their drone strikes? Ironically that would also mean a boycott of the UN due to its New York location.
        When you invest in a company for say 30 years and you don’t receive the dividends you were expecting from what was said in the prospectus, would you just let your investment shrink?
        Now when people who donated thousands and some millions of dollars to the LTTE over the time of the war which ended in 2009, do you really think they were going to disappear after all the money they invested just because Prabhakaran dies?
        I’d like to see an investigation into those that donated to an terrorist organisation that killed innocent civilians of all races for 3 decades and they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and may they rot in jail.

  • 0
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    Thanks for this statement Ladies!

    This statement should be translated into Sinhala so that the people will know the truth about the Rajapassa military dictatorship.

    • 0
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      World is asking WAR CRIMES to be investigated by an international court..

      Those who stay with fears to open their voices – ask to investigate also all the crimes that has become day today agenda with the open approval of the current regime- this has been the case for the poor nation since MR administration is in place (since 2005).

      Few of them are:
      a) Baratha Murder – Duminda the key accused – reappointed by President himself; prosecutors even dont respect prevailing law of the country cocerning the court hearings. Head injuries of Duminda were not provable.
      This is the chance Baratha family to come forward and express their views to the entire world

      b) Waragoda Killing – Pradeshieeya Saba MP – the key accused was not even not questioned properly – since he is one MR^s cabinet ministers (Mervin Silva)

      c) Deraniyagala multi murder killings- key accused are PS members of ruling coalition

  • 0
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    The corrupt moron who is the Minister of Education in Sri Lanka has claimed that once Mahinda Rajapakse become Chairman of the Commonwealth, Prince Charles will be “under” him and will have to take orders from Rajapakse!

    This sick Rajapakse military dictatorship has delusions of grandeur!

  • 0
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    Percy Mahinda’s chickens coming home to roost. But he is too thick-skinned to even notice. Let Gothabaya loose to give us a reprise of his ‘hand-dryer impersonation’ (as first performed for Milliband and Kouchner in 2009).

    • 0
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      Not thick skinned, but fully ignorant.. no matter the average would suffer, he has to make his thing like that… now people should be clear that Premadasa in late 80ties was not the worst.

  • 0
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    CHOGAM is putting Sri Lanka and the Rajapakse regime on the spot light.
    David Cameron made it a point to watch the C4 documentary before travelling to the CHOGAM.

  • 0
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    This is serious! This regime does not know what they are in for…. They chased away journalists and NGO’s from the war front before carrying out the final push, but never expected CHOGM to open the door for prying eyes at the highest level..!

  • 0
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    This CHOGM is like no other, in the land that is like no other, Wonder of Asia where the naked Emperor Maha Prakarama Rajapkse and war criminal will be crowned, and leads the Commonwealth for 2 years.

    God save the Commonwealth, and for what?

  • 0
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    If the CHOGM nations want to help the people of Sri Lanka, then boycotting this circus would be a good place to start. By attending this charade, they are enabling the Rajapaksa brothers, condoning war crimes, and human rights violations.

    • 0
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      “By attending this charade, they are enabling the Rajapaksa brothers, condoning war crimes, and human rights violations”

      Let’s get glued to thinking beyond this awkward.

      Mugabe is head on rajpasse Mugabe Love’s Lankets.

      Like on Iran embargo is the very best to go with No guns all fun. :0

      0:3

  • 0
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    No, these ladies have no idea of what is happening in the North.

    Dr. Narendran Rajasingham, the expert on the ground will confirm that people are are all very, very happy and very thankful for all the help and development that the Rajapakse regime has done for the benefit of the Tamils. Rajasingham, please confirm!

    • 0
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      “Dr. Narendran Rajasingham, the expert on the ground will confirm that people are are all very, very happy and very thankful for all the help and development that the Rajapakse regime has done for the benefit of the Tamils. Rajasingham, please confirm!”

      But, you said this first.

      “No, these ladies have no idea of what is happening in the North.

      Do you have any idea what is happening in North?

      • 0
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        Rohan – ever heard of a thing called sarcasm? I guess some need that spelt out!

        • 0
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          ROHAN, I AM TOLD THAT OLIVE OIL EASES THE PAIN AND BRUISES CAUSED BY INDUCED HEMORRHOIDS.I’M SURE KUMAR CAN SEND YOU A BOTTLE.

          I’M SURE THE CT WILL GRANT YOU ONE MONTH’S LEAVE.OR WHY DON’T YOU
          JOIN THE “OBSERVER” THE PAY IS GOOD FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE TASTE OF SHOE POLISH.

    • 0
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      WE DON’T KNOW WHERE ALL THEIR INFORMATION CAME FROM BUT WAA HATHURUSINGHE REALLY SO DUMB TO TEXT THE RAPE VICTIMS ? AND HOW DID THOSE RAPE VICTIMS GET MOBILES ?

      THAT PART OF IT DOES NOT GEL WITH ME. THE REST COMPRISES ALREADY WELL KNOWN ALLEGATIONS.

  • 0
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    why they didn’t com;lain the police. What are the evidence.

  • 0
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    Actually these two Ladies are not telling the real truth. They were arrested by Mr. Chulananda’s officers. That confirms that in our country we have a Media freedom. If not arrest should have been done by white Van Brigade.

    Now they say CHOGM Chair should not be given to our 3-San-wedee nayakathuma. Actually in my opinion he is the only suitable person in the world to have this chair. Even Kamalesh Sharma will confirm what I says. Our Saddarmadveepa Chakrawarthi finished 30 long years of war but the peace yet to come. non of the world leaders could achieve that kind of success with their enemies. He started giant development work with recorded foreign Loans, holding elections every month etc. etc. I think Everything because of Jealousy with our Chakrawarthi.

    As for Mahinda Hathurusingha, he is ardent follower of his supreme commander.

    Therefore nobody should listen to these Ladies as we have Kamalesh Sharma in our side.

  • 0
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    “Obviously the”right of right” British element dare not see the”left of left”

    Greens in the Broadway neither the Jewish Media that controls the World Media.

    Control Freeks- preek preek preeeeeeek, hic hic.

    Gota “Gooo”ta “Booo”ts?? ~kk゜・_・゜kk~ 

    O:-) 0:3

  • 0
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    If what these two women say is TRUE, why DONT they tell their governments to grant “ASYLUM” to all the ladies who go by boat? Why are ONLY Sri-Lankns who go by boat to AUS deported while people from Vietnam, Cambodia, Afghanistan and Iraq are treated much more humanely?

    Can the two of them ask the relevent authorities to save the SL women who go to Aus by Boat? NO they wont…

    Selective application of law….

  • 0
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    Those whom God wishes to destroy
    He first makes them mad –
    POWER CRAZY MAD!
    Arul

    • 0
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      Never spend your money before you have earned it.

  • 0
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    Sri Lanka Should Not Be Given The CHOGM Chair: Australian And New Zealand MP Delegation.

    This is true.

    Sri lankan and other victim – countries of the British srutality should be given this kind of crappy meetings only.

    Economically beneficial Common Wealth Games like meetings should be given ONLY TO AUSTRALIA, more than once, and to similar SIMILAR COUNTRIES.

    Only one African country had the backbone to refuse any thing from the people who brutalized and robbed them of every thing they had.

  • 0
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    They are coming to talk human rights here while they have decimated australian aborigines and they are living in pathetic living conditions and when not live in Australian jails.

    Australian govt repeal the legislation they themselves wanted because aborigines would get help from that legislation.

    • 0
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      Australia and NZ has taken some meaningfull steps to address their past crimes.
      By criticising SL on its brutal and thug like behaviour they are showing that some of them do care about human rights.
      You Sinhala Nationalists will find any excuse to character assasinate and delfect attention from your brutish and thugish ways.

  • 0
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    The following is a part of the HUMAN RIGHTS record of Australia with respect to Aboriginals

    “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_massacres_of_Indigenous_Australians “

  • 0
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    So these guys avail themselves for hire as “Party Crashers”?

  • 0
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    Where is the seriousness and objectivity of that cantankerous Rambukwella and other senior Govt. officials media persons coming for CHOGM have full freedom to carry on their work – without interference.
    Kamlesh Sharma should be held responsible for white-washing the regime that everything is tickety-boo in militarised Sri Lanka.
    What has David Cameron and Hague got to say to this fascist action by the Rajapakse regime to silence the visiting free media.

    R. Varathan

  • 0
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    Britain was the “Thorn” of South African independence,

    Britain is the “Thorn” in Euro currency and the economic collapse of the PIGs.

    Britain says there are 54 members and 2 billion people with a 4 Trillion GDP.

    With India and Canada refusing to comply but listen to the people it’s just ½ billion voiceless left Blighty.


    We are not to expect to be translated from despotism to liberty in a featherbed.-Thomas Jefferson

  • 0
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    Hello MPs Lee Rhiannon and Jan Logie,

    You spoke with People in the North. Ok good. But did you speak with people in other areas?

    Some people told you that police are brutal, hold suspects without trial and commit rape. Did you investigate the veracity of such statements. Did you solicit an interview with Police High Command or even police manning small stations to get their version of events?

    You said the military had grabbed civilian properties. Did you ask the military why they did that?

    You saw bullet holes in printing establishments. It is only four years since the war ended. There are a vast number of establishments with bullet and shrapnel holes that are still to be plastered over.

    And then to cap it all you choose to hold your press conference at the Tamil National Alliance office, 32A, Retreat Road Colombo 4.

    I am sorry to conclude that your investigations, actions and reporting methodology reeks of bias. That is all.

    • 0
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      BBS Rep you have mentioned here in this CT comments section how you BBS types want to carve out a mono ethnic Sri Lanka and that non Sinhala Buddhist should lose their identity and become Sinhala or leave. So you are totally biased against anyone who stands in the way of your genocidal Sinhala Nationalist goal, so you accusing the Australian and Kiwi women of bias is rather meaningless .

      • 0
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        Hello Palm Squirrell,

        I have no part in any genocidal Sinhala Nationalist Goal. I agree, we do have within BBS some men who’s dreams are that. I also agree there are beasts in human form within the Sinhala community. There are similar beasts in other communities as well. However there are a great number of good people also. I always try and identify with the latter.

        Secondly I am not looking for a mono ethnic Sri Lanka. It is foolhardy to believe that this could be achieved, although we do have men within BBS who think on such lines. What I say is, if you identify with the Saudis, in culture, religion, dress codes and other mannerisms, then it is better for you to go live in Saudi. The same applies to those who so closely identify themselves with Tamil Nadu heritage. If you wish to live in Sri Lanka in harmony with others let us try and forge a Sri Lankan identity. Not blatently go about your business as if you don’t belong here.

        With regards to the Australian and Kiwi MP’s I only pointed out that their actions reeks of bias. They may not be biased but their actions can be deemed so.

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      BBS Rep ,

      “Did you solicit an interview with Police High Command or even police manning small stations to get their version of events?”

      had she solicited an interview with the police high command or for that matter SLHRC (that lackey P.Mahananama bloke )can you expect them to speak freely ? have your forgotten that DIG vass (was the potential IGP candidate)was carrying out his duties diligently until the very last moment, unlucky for him ,he got caught red handed for one crime which he didn’t have the prior approval , thus he is paying the heavy price, is not he ? as everybody knows SL police number one priority is to protect the Royal family every thing else is secondary so lets not talk about police .

      • 0
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        Srilal
        BBS rep is a pakistani american “internet pook” ignore the skunk paid for by /mossad at the top end via “Gooo”ta

        BBS rep trip it up alu porate!

        • 0
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          Well Javi,

          I must be a very rich man if I am a Pakistani American paid by Mossad. Hon GR may pay others in BBS but certainly not me.

          Hehe, makes me laugh. I don’t even own a square meter of land anywhere in the world.

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            (゜゜)~ if I am a Pakistani American paid by Mossad (゜゜)~

            But you are by admittance and a fake making you the classic internet poof.!

            Because of bad breath mossad would never come close to any camel but it changes hands at least ½ dozen like tax evasion and finally via an agency to performer!
            Makes sense doesn’t it?

            They are doing it everywhere in Asia at the moment with small nations in ASEAN for for a decade and SL for a couple of years now!

      • 0
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        Well srilal,

        Hehe, I do agree with you.

    • 0
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      BBS Man or women,
      You want those two ladies from outside who visited SL for a short visit to find WHY all that happened? What a idiotic comments? What you guys are doing?
      Do you at least know HOW those things happening in SL?

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    If the two women MPs were sent away, on false pretence of immigration
    laws, but because they were to move a Motion to prevent Mahinda Rajapakse from being the Chair for the next two years, both Australia and New Zealand should use their diplomatic influences to ensure both ladies are back in Sri Lanka and enable to do what they came for.

    Hooker

  • 0
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    These two MPs should by now have given this message to the delegations from Australia an New Zealand to CHOGM – I hope – and that copies are given to other delegations,by these delegations.
    Hathurusinghe sending texts to his paramours is fantastic – he is so bold as to risk exposure.
    The entire army in the north are having a good time with Free Comfort Women!!!!!!!!!!!

    Now we will see the responses of Rambukwella and others.

  • 0
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    Dead souls

    [By Sharmini Serasinghe –
    There is a tangible feeling of an impending carnival-coming-to-town in the air these days in Colombo. The city is being virtually turned up-side-down and inside-out, dusted and vacuumed by the Surgeon General of Lanka’s cosmetic surgery-Urban Development cum Defence – in order to make it look pretty to impress the visiting revelers.
    Vibrant coloured banners and gadgets decorate the streets and roundabouts, competing with larger-than-life cut-outs of our very own Emperor-in-new-clothes. Trees pruned and some uprooted, innocent homeless dogs banished, roads re-carpeted and of course the pavements/side-walks dug up and some still awaiting to be tiled. In the interim, pedestrians at great risk to life and limb must share the roads with speeding vehicles.

    In short, anything that doesn’t look pretty and prosperous is being removed and pretty-looking-things put in its place.

    But this is not just any ol’ carnival coming to town, it’s CHOGM!]

    In the mass graves
    poor dead souls
    dream
    this
    Utopia,
    Colonial friends
    and some others
    visit the pearl of Indian Ocean.
    Renovations exceeding……..
    but be careful of the Excavation
    As the exodus will come out?

    nimal p.dunuhinga

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    Australian Green MP Lee Rhiannon was apparently on a fact finding mission but she had requested and been granted a Tourist Visa. Why didn’t she apply for the appropriate visa? If she had she could now take up the matter with her own Government in Canberra, which would eventually contact the Sri Lankan High Commission there to resolve the matter. If a mistake has been committed Sri Lankan High Commission would apologize and grant her the correct visa to go on her fact finding mission. If somebody tries to play cat and mouse games the Sri Lankan will definitely pull out many skeletons from the Australian closet and show her what they have found on their fact finding missions! (Please see following findings from an article on Australia’s human rights record).

    “When the British arrived in Australia in 1788, Australia was NEVER a white country. It was occupied for over 65,000 years by indigenous black Australians called ‘Aborigines’. How did they suddenly disappear? How would the English, such respectable and gentlemanly people get rid of possibly close to 1 million indigenous people? How did the Aborigines become less than 100,000 by 1901? The very respectable English settlers cut their food resources and began genocidal massacres and David Cameron speaks to the world on HUMAN RIGHTS!

    Some notable colonial (Australian) legislation that targeted Aboriginal peoples are: *1816 Martial Law (NSW): This proclamation declared Martial Law against Indigenous Australians who could then be shot on sight if armed with spears, or even unarmed, if they were within a certain distance of houses or settlements. *1824 (Tasmania). Settlers are authorized to shoot Aboriginal people. *1840 (NSW). Indigenous Australians were forbidden to use firearms without the permission of a Justice of the Peace. *1869 (Victoria): The Board for the Protection of Aborigines is established. The Governor can order the removal of any child to a reformatory or industrial school. *In 1890 (NSW): In a denial of human rights the Aborigines Protection Board could forcibly take children off reserves and “resocialise” them. (Canada had similar laws and authorities removed thousands of children from Inuit – aboriginal – families, who were then subjected to unexplainable abuses in camp type schools).
    The 1948 Nationality and Citizenship Act in theory made Aboriginal people Australian citizens, because they were born in Australia. However it did not guarantee them citizenship rights – though they were living in Australia for over 65,000 years. They had no right to vote in Commonwealth elections, and those who lived in Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory had no right to vote in state elections. *Sport of burying Aboriginal babies and children up to their necks and then kicking the heads until decapitation. *Shooting pregnant Aboriginal women. *Thousands of Aboriginal children ripped from tribes and parents in a Nazi type effort to breed out aboriginality (Stolen Generations). *In 1834 Black population of colonial Victoria was 5000-10,000 by 1886 the population was just 806. Between 8000 to 10,000 Blacks were killed in Queensland.
    The list is too long to continue in a comment area. Please refer to: http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2013/11/09/britains-mass-murder-of-indigenous-australians-aborigines/

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      Captain Cook arrives in Australia which then had a population of 3 million natives. Today there are barely 300,000 of them living in reservations, completely dispossessed of their land and wealth.
      No claim has been made that the rest sought asylum in far away lands, unlike our Tamil bretheran who teleported to Austarlia, Canada and New Zealand among others where they were greeted with a bank account and a benefit cheque..

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        Dear ram,
        Most tamils who went to australia before and after the July 1983 pogrom were of the “skilled” category and are contributing to the australian state with their expertise – their children too are doing same.
        Many sinhalese too went to australia,canada & UK AS REFUGEES,after the pogrom.

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          Justice ,

          “Many sinhalese too went to australia,canada & UK AS REFUGEES,after the pogrom.”

          i don’t think so , of course lots of Sinhalese tried , their chances were very slim though , on the contrary Tamils had/have a genuine problem and authorities were very sympathetic towards them up until late 90 s , of course now things have been changed where even a genuine refugee can’t claim a refugee status.

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      Richmond Peiris ,

      ” Why didn’t she apply for the appropriate visa?”

      apparently she had applied for the right visa (not the tourist visa )and the appropriate visa was obtained before she left Sydney.

      “If she had she could now take up the matter with her own Government in Canberra”

      taking up the matter with Abbot , you must be kidding , Abbot’s priority is some where else , who is she ? do you know that Abbot guy praised MR and his administration for improving the democratic values in SL , this statement itself shows how pathetic/desperate Abbot is ?

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    Totally agree.Instead we should give the CHOGM chair to PM Rudrakumaran of fantasy Ealam!Hik hik hik!

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      World is crazy.
      Even to gather together with alleged war criminals should be avoided actually. Perhaps, they may have special agenda to catch the criminal in the summit itself.

      Some among the powerful say – boycott of the summit is not the correct thing while the others do so.
      Indians have done it a round about manner while the canadians have been blunt.
      UK cant do so, since they have the ones that have founded the summit. It can be a disgrace to them, if they are the ones to boycott it.
      All others – poor afro states are no strong to do any actions fearlessly.
      Majority of the members are from afro countries (over 75% or more).

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    Before one considers seriously what the likes of Lee Rhiannon have to say it would be instructive to go to ‘Google’ and find out something of the background of this lady. You will find she’s got a very colourful history and that Rhiannon is not in fact her surname by birth or by marriage but a name she has adopted after some figure from Welsh mythology. That tells its own story. She is a political busy body and a well known Tamil supporter. So, is it any surprise that she should champion the Tamil cause in this fashion, quoting as gospel truth everything her chosen audience had to say?

    By the way, who paid for her travel and that of her NZ buddy?

    Here she tells us that “The homes of the displaced people are now tin shacks serviced by dirt pot holed roads. Many people have been living like this for more than two decades”. What, living like that for more than two decades? That takes us back beyond 1993. And who was in control of those areas at that time? Surely, not the Sri Lankan government. If you are to be credible, you need to get your facts right.

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    Now we have Green MP’s from NZ and Australia with newly discovered ‘Commonwealth values’ which did not exist at the time the illegal aggressive war on Iraq was started, nor has it since been mentioned with regard to that invasion/occupation. Hypocrisy is not a commonwealth value.

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    Australian green party is another party supporting support the LTTE terrorist, Dr Sam Pari (LTTE carder) is very active in green party politics, SRi lanka government did the right thing ,

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