28 March, 2024

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Sri Lanka Unfit To Lead The Commonwealth After CHOGM: Letters Written To The Guardian UK

The UK’s Guardian Newspaper is receiving letters to its editors castigating the Commonwealth for allowing Sri Lanka to host the grouping’s Heads of Government Meet (CHOGM) in Colombo next month.

The letters state that Sri Lanka’s Human Rights record makes it unfit to lead the 53-member body, of which it will assume the chair after the summit is held in the Sri Lankan capital in November.

Mahinda Rajapaksa

“The Commonwealth is making a major mistake in holding its heads of government meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka (Report, 9 October), when that country is in serious breach of the values set out in the Commonwealth charter, and has even failed to comply with the recommendations of its own “Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission”,” writes Michael Ellmanfidh, an officer for the Commonwealth, International Federation for Human Rights

Ellmanfidh says many NGOs accredited to the Commonwealth who successfully persuaded the heads of government four years ago not to hold their 2011 meeting in Sri Lanka insisted that the human rights situation there had not improved by 2013, and in some respects (notably the impeachment of the chief justice and her replacement by a government nominee), the rule of law and governance have got worse.

This meeting will show the world that the Commonwealth, which has hitherto had a good reputation for not tolerating human rights abuses, no longer cares about them, the writer said.

Ellmanfidh said the Commonwealth secretary-general, recently empowered to speak out against human rights abuses (as he did in Kenya earlier this year) has signally failed to do so in Sri Lanka. If the CHOGM follows its usual tradition and elects the president of Sri Lanka to lead the Commonwealth as its president for the next two years, it will confirm the impression of lack of concern about human rights which is given by holding the CHOGM in Colombo.

Margaret Owen, Director of Widows for Peace Through Democracy said that across the world women’s organisations are appalled at the systematic sexual torture, rape, and trafficking for sex slavery of Tamil women and girls living in the north-east of Sri Lanka, both during the conflict, and continuing after its brutal end in 2009.

“Tamil women are victims of rape, rape in detention, and sexual as well as economic exploitation (for example, in the garment factories and army brothels) on a massive scale, but we now have evidence of forced sterilisation of Tamil women in a city in the north-east. Any measure intended to prevent births within in a particular group is defined as an act of genocide under article II of the genocide convention. Moreover, Sri Lanka has the highest number of “forcibly disappeared” people anywhere in the world. And of extra judicial killings,” she said.

Owen said Sri Lanka has continually refused to co-operate in any independent investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and has insulted the UN human rights chief, Navi Pillay, who referred to these allegations following her visit to the island in August as “abusing her mandate and acting with bias”.

“Canada has done the right thing in boycotting this meeting. Cameron’s attendance would be seen as a condonation of extreme human rights abuses. His attendance would also compromise the Hague initiative that launched the declaration to eliminate sexual violence in conflict,” Owen writes in the Guardian

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    Prime Minister Cameron will have to train himself in patiently istening to gruesome lies:

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/175290946/Our-Prime-Minister-Will-Have-to-Face-the-Rank-Lies-of-President-Rajapakse

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      Good idea to have a public education campaign on the Commonwealth of Clowns – Commonwealth of Nations in BRITIAN!
      The Commonwealth Circus is a British Colonial relic; an organization that is a TOTALLY IRRELEVENT in and OBSOLETE and seves NO PURPOSE expcept that it is a platform for third World Military Dictators and wanna be second-rate superpowers like India and the clown Sharma to grandstand.
      Commonwealth of Nations has outlived its shlef life and should be SHUT DOWN. It serves no purpose and is a massive WASTE OF FUNDS..
      Sri Lankans should protest the funds spent to enetertain the commonwelath of clowns that boosts huamnrights VIOLATORS and military dictators!

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      No need to train he is already trained listning to LTTE DieAsspora and Channel4 lies….

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        You must be very happy to hear that cameron is attending the summit, fuku-fuku Jim Softy alias Camel Urine Asanka.

        You always say that the Western world have committed more human rights violations than in SillyRajapakistan. If thats true Cameron wouldnt give a damn and rightly so he is attending.

        Iam laughing from my back side when imagining how our Gon Raja speaking with Cameron and Abbot and other English speaking delegates in ENGLISH.
        ‘Ayyo Saali – kaeada kaapu takaranda’

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          There is nothing to be shamed of not being able to speak proper english. The only shame is that people who think like you exist. And I am sure that our president would be able to manage, and would be better than you from a country mile!

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    The Commonwealth has indeed lost its values. UN Agency is also responsible for this bad state of affairs

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    The commonwealth is set to take on Mahinda Chinthana as its new set of values for the millennium.

    We must congratulate the commonwealth on its deep wisdom and foresight. Mahinda Chinthana will be the only way forward soon.

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    Sri Lanka has hired a few to be their spoke person. Australian prime-minister Forign minister and immigration minister are all doing their part. But since they are minister nobodies world is not taking no notice. If fact they are making fools of themselves. May be they have a few wedding to attend in Sri Lanka

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      You are right Lanka Liar. Australian, British PMs are coughing in favour of MR and the CHOGM for the payments made by Bell Pottinger & Company who are paid well to project MR’s image. In return they also financially benefit like busines deals arising from CHOGM to sell their Rolls Royces and BMWs. Unfortunately Human Rights and denying Democracy here, seem not their priority or concern. How sad, what the World Order has descended to.

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    Dogs may bark :D

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      Like you, you mean?

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        No he’s squealing cos he’s a pig. Say oink oink you blady p—-i

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          A couple of the aforementioned dogs are now trying to latch on to my leg now it seems. Shoo, before I call animal control :D

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            Get everybody give a round of applauds to to self claimed stand up Muslim comedian.

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    British PM David Cameron is naive to say the least in thinking he could persuade the Sri Lankan president Rajapakse in person to heed to his advice of respecting human rights and do justice to the victims of extra judicial killings of abductees, political opponents, members of the minorities and journalists when other powerful and influential world leaders of the calibre of UN General Secretary and UN HRC Chief; and NGOs such as Amnesty International, HRW and AHRC. Already the media run by the government and nationalistic claim that organising and having CHOGM in Sri Lanka is the proof of the support of the Sri Lankan leader Rajapakse and his government by 53 countries of the world and isolation of boycotting Canada in the international arena. That shows why the government is keen to stage Commonwealth Olympics, CHOGM and SARRC Conference.

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      Sorry.David Cameron is not naive but on the contrary deliberate.
      What he is somewhat troubled about is the letters to the Guardian and Clarance House taking a private interest about the murder of the Jewish Red Cross worker and the gang rape of his Russian girl friend by Rajapakse goons.

      Cameron will however attend after taking lessons from Rajapakse about shaping the occupant of Clarence House and certainly accompany him.
      After all he will be satisfied within himself knowing that some of the proceeds from the Rolls Royce and BMW import deal for the Commonwealth tamasha will find it’s way into conservative Party funds.

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    How come these champions of Human Rights never talk about suffering of the innocent civillians at the hand of the terrorists..?

    Some of the allegations these people make doesn’t even make any sense.. They try their best to paint a barbaric image of Sri Lanka, which is not true.. These people should come to Sri Lanka and witness the current situation rather then making hyped up statements of pure crap…

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      First ask your boss to withdraw the ban on protests during CHOGM.

      Then the delegates will get the true picture from the democratic demonstrators.

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      Akila,

      “These people should come to Sri Lanka and witness the current situation rather then making hyped up statements of pure crap…”

      You bloody fool, Before you write this shit didn’t you remember what N Pillai said after visiting SL?

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        Akila

        “Some of the allegations these people make doesn’t even make any sense.”

        It makes sense only to sensible people.

        “How come these champions of Human Rights never talk about suffering of the innocent civillians at the hand of the terrorists..?”

        You didn’t hear it because you were in coma, now in long term denial.

        “They try their best to paint a barbaric image of Sri Lanka,”

        They seem very kind to Sri Lanka.

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    GL Pieries the SL Foreign Minister is already crowing that the world is with us.

    The British Forign Minister recently criticsed Kamlesh Sharma’s leadership of Commonwealth implying tha his decision to hold the CHOGAM in Sri Lanka is indeed a grave mistake.

    The regime has beautified colombo, kisked out all the beggars and shanty dwellers out of colombo, bannned all protest during the duration of the CHOGAM.

    The regime will ensure to portray Mahinda as the leader of the CHOGAM and the Rajapakse family as the Royal Family and the gullible Sinhala Modayas will fall for it.

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      RajasH

      “GL Pieries the SL Foreign Minister is already crowing that the world is with us.”

      It doesn’t mean they all want to share GL’s bed or their bed with GL.

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        NV,

        “It doesn’t mean they all want to share GL’s bed or their bed with GL.”

        Even if they wanted to share GL’s they can’t because Dayasiri the pukkolla has already reserved it for life with GL the lifeless pangaranatta blown away in every direction by the wind!

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    The dancers will dance, the drummers will drum and the chefs will produce mouth-watering signature dishes. The sun will shine and a beaming MR will be seen, non-stop on national television, busily accepting the congratulatory wishes of the well-fed happy VIP’s. Who will spoil this glittering ‘Tamasha of the Century’ with gripes about ‘human rights’?

    ps: Don’t worry, GR will ensure that NOBODY spoils the party.

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    Is that why you are barking?

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      Huh… this guy seems to have the sole right on barking! Inherited, I guess.

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    MR is not a fit and proper person to lead the Commonwealth: He will make it a laughing stock.

    This is like asking a mass murderer to preside over human rights investigations in a few dozen countries: Sort of a subset of the UNHCHR investigations, who has already accused him of massive violations of human rights.

    Isn’t it an international comedy?

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      Thiru,
      You are correct.
      Next two years of ‘chairmanship’ of commonwealth are extremely important for MR – he will bask in its limelight.
      Sirimavo was called “the leader of two-thirds of the world” after being elected as chair of the Non Aligned Movement.
      MR will be thus labelled.

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    Cameron is taking with him the Bhagavadgita to preach MR of the karma he faces.

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      He should have taken the Bhagavath firstly to Tony Blair the lap dog of GW Bush…. who was part of the massacre of innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq… where were the SO called Human Rights advocates when all that happened and still happening… not forgetting the drone attacks in Pakistan?

      Power is bad, absolute power sucks….

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    Can you believe Sri Lanka today, that dshould be thrown out of membership of the Commonwealth, is the host of CHOGM, and its leader from November this year.

    Isn’t it the height of hypocrisy of the Commonwealth Secretariat that engineered this, and the members who endorsed it like a herd of sheep lead by Sharma?

    Has it degenerated into a club of immoral international leaders?

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    People,

    MR is ideal person to lead the CHOGM without any problems. Particularly CHOGM’s leadership including the Great Queen, David C, Sharma, Australian PM, so and so forth perfectly know that MR is the correct person do this task in 2013. You know why? All these so call leaders of CHOGM are bunch of hypocrites, mass murders, uncivilized people, and human right violators (if you study in-depth about their past).

    So whats your take? Who need hypocrites, mass murders, uncivilized people, and human right violators to LEAD the civilized world? CHOGM? or the world we believe it is civilized?

    Chers

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    what is stated in the article are facts…
    but going by the facts that surrounded the ultimate annihilation of Prabhakaran and the LTTE ..this is the best course of action…Prabhakaran refused to get into mainstream politics under any circumstances..so he had to be eliminated because there cannot be two rulers in one Country..so either way one has to go..democracy never worked with Prabhakaran and he ultimately met with his mirror image ..the President is willing to tow the line on Democratic principles..at least he displays.. and he could be pulled out of the deceitful practices in popular terms called ..Politics …internal affairs… sovereignty ..etc. ..The acceptance by the West than wholesale rejection of the person who was able to eliminate the terror for greater good of the Country ..though the process is crude…which he has been painfully bearing in isolation could bring light to the Nation groping in darkness over the past 10 years…with huge scars of War Crimes and internal rifts with sinhalese extremists …basically he lacks exposure so he does things the way he knows..
    GOD is an amazing …potter ..master craftsman ..and a perfect purifier….look at the process of extracting Gold out of earth….HE NEVER REJECTED ANYONE WHO IS WILLING…we all worship God and we need to identify those who are willing to go through the process…that is the need of the Hour..
    after all we all are paasers on this journey on earth…tomorrow will be designed by today’s actions..

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      “What is stated in the article are facts…but going by the facts that surrounded the ultimate annihilation of Prabaharan and the LTTE …. this is the best course of action…”

      For sixty five long years the Tamils had tried all options in the book to live in dignity and as lawful citizens of the land on par with the Sinhalese. They failed to get redress through parliamentary representation for the shortcomings they faced in the field of education, job opportunities, and their right to use their mother tongue to transact official business. They then tried peaceful sathiagraha. That too failed because the Sinhalese-dominated majority government, with the help of its army, navy, air force and the police, used the repressive tactics of a brutal genocide by unscrupulously bombing, shooting, destroying property, injuring, raping and killing to subjugate the Tamils, when, they suffered loss of life and property. These abuses led the Tamil youth to fight back against the ‘state terrorism’ and oppression, for their very survival. Thus sprang the Tamil resistance movement at a time when there was nothing else to defend the Tamil people. The war declared on the Tamils (Citizens of the vey land) was asymmetric, in that the Sri Lankan Government (GoSL) had a very powerful arsenal of multi-barrel rockets, helicopter gunships, and Kefir jets, piloted by Pakistanis, Ukrainians and Israelis, who delivered lethal bombs which indiscriminately killed innocent civilian citizens. The resistance fighters, who did not have such powerful weaponry, had braved the onslaught and retorted on foot, using improvised anti-personal devices targeting the repressive army, or by suicide attacks on specific army targets.
      The world stood by as a silent spectator when atrocities of this nature were taking place in Sri Lanka. When these innocent people were chased out of their homes, how could they submit to further tyranny without fighting back? Not only children, but all Tamils without distinction of age or sex, were compelled to defend their lives, from the tyranny and the wanton killings carried out by the oppressive government. The youth had to take up arms purely to defend the helpless community. Sixty-five thousand lives and thirty years (later) at that time after the country got its independence, a ray of hope for the Tamils to live in dignity was brought about by the untiring sacrifice of the Tamil youth under the acknowledged leadership of Prabaharan. In fact, Prabaharan was a ‘phenomenon’ sent to save the hapless Tamils at a time when the entire world was not willing to come to their rescue. Ban Ki Moon now confesses that the UN had failed on the Tamils in Sri Lanka. The fact of the matter is that 22 nations teamed up together to defeat the LTTE, and the UN was part of it, and that is visibly seen the way the powerful Nations (in that 22) are hell bent to save the (Terroristic) Sri Lankan State from the global demand to try Mahinda for war Crimes and crimes against Humanity. Had it been a one on one war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government, and if not for the Indian Government (in that 22) intervention, the LTTE would have driven the 40,000 Sri Lankan Troops (that it had cornered in Palaly in its battle strategy) into the into the Myllady Sea in 2000 itself.

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    Sri Lankan Tamils do not have any heritage to prove and they are only trying to create one. Every Thing what Sri Lankan Tamils have is Indian.

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      Jim Softy

      OK, I got your point. Tamil do not have “Sri Lankan” but certainly “Indian” heritage. You are perfectly correct. So what is your take? Are you trying to say that Sinhalese have Sri Lankan heritage?

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        I thought Buddhism came to SL from India, I hate my history teacher…..sigh

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    …no use after trophy photos become trophy billboards for 2014.

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    R.Dias,

    You have travelled from the sublime passing the mundane to the hell judging from a previous comment by you!

    Then why must the world maintain all these UN, UNHRC, Commonwealth, ICC etc. and the founding principles and value systems? Must they all be closed and allow every tin pot dictator to “do(es) things the way he knows..” because “basically he lacks exposure”? !!!

    You appears to be a mutated variance kind of Leela Virus but you can’t beat the “Humanity’s Guard”!

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      you have misunderstood my comment… I still maintain what I said in my previous comment…the arrival of the British 200 years ago civilized the Country and brought in a system of Administration…those who adhered to those principles in administering the Country are no more…now it has gone back to the barbaric era…it is such people who appoints him…?

      See the problem… the wild animals need to be tamed…

      President does not live but survives deceitfully by playing games ..he uses LTTE tactics just like Prabhakaran.. But because he is appointed by the people through a crooked election process what alternative do the world has..? The option is continuius isolation as is being done …but he is holding the Country to ransom… like Prabhakaran held the Tamil community to ransom in the North…the thorn has to be removed with ‘ 0 ‘ casualty.

      UN / UNHCR is built on the foundation of the two great religions of the World…

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        R.Dias,

        “..extracting gold..god (Mahinda Rajapaksha)?!” OMG! There is no misunderstanding of sorts. You have written a romantic eulogy to MARA in the pretext of criticism of him contained in your earlier comments. Just as he became president the war victory too was an accident! This bugger’s Mara Chinthanaya rag did not contain any mention of a war-based solution. When Mavilaru incident took place he had to do something. The JVP buggers said: “gahapiya munta”, MARA asked: “labbenda gahanne?”, JVP said: “thiyena labben gahapan, labu nathinam api labu dennam”! This is how he entered the war and found out the panacea for every problem in the country and found out the way of “doing things the way he knows!”

        No one is going to give any credit to this rogue king for a war victory because this so called victory has been heavily fornicated by this corrupt person to his own benefit. Under the victory curtain he has done massive scale crimes, corruptions and thefts.

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    Already giant pictures of the “great leader” standing with Obama have come up. This is to show our “Modayas”that he brushes shoulders with the real greats. No pictures of Obama & the great leader have been put up in the USA.I can just imagine the no of pictures that will come up after CHOGM which we are going to be suffocated with.The Almighty must surely be smiling that one of his creations are making the world laugh!!

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    In the meanwhile, millions of rupees are being thrown in the face of the people to beautify the city at an speed that I don’t think even developed countries could do it. While women, widows and children perish in the North, cut out of all help and possibilities to re-start a new life. How dramatic!

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    The Colombo Telegraph will do well to broad-base its media affiliations. I have often felt that the Guardian takes upon itself the task of being to über liberal mantle – and thus welcoming the extreme element of the Tamil Diaspora whose one-sided perceptions are seen as a cause célèbre for the newspaper.

    Incessant barges of hearsay and general accusation laid out to its reporters cannot be taken in the spirit of no smoke without fire.

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    CHOGM is just crumb of the bread.

    See even the Commonwealth games was taken by Australia. How many times Australia had it. Because, it is a good opportunity for Australia. Sri Lanka like countries would get only this ministers meeting like crumbs.

    How how the Queen of England is caring about CHOGM. She does not come to it.

    All the stupid boot lickers are screaming and they think it is that big deal.

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    Sri Lanka has already lost, financially, because of CHOGM – how many countries they had to visit in order to invite so-called dignitaries.

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      CHOGM is a thamasa of International repute.. these idiots just talk shop, eat rich food, savor the wine and the women… then leave with a TAN may be….

      ALL humbugs sucking on the blood of the citizenry…

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    Where the mind is full of fear and the head of the nation
    is kept spinning
    Where knowledge is punished in different ways
    Where the country has been broken into fragments by narrow
    domestic walls
    Where shallow words come out from the lying mouths of shameless despots
    Where the multiple treason leads the nation on its way into the dreary sands of Hambantota
    From that hell of freedom, my father, please save my precious land and all its people

    Senguttuvan

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      Thou prayers shalt be answered on one condition however that the decapitated heads of MARA and GORA be brought to Galle Face for public damnation.

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        God

        Where were you all these years when things got from bad to worse?

        Mind you I was looking for you everywhere including Churches, Temples, Vihares, Mosques, synagogues, Hadron Collider, top, bottom, Higgs Boson, to tell you to back off from our mundane life.

        In fact there are others who would simply want to thrash you. When can they meet you and where exactly?

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          Dear NV,

          Like you I too was looking for him but there was no GOD actually in any of those places you were looking for him! Like you I too had similar messages for him that got rebound by return post remarked: “address not found”, “abode vacated” or “residence excavated for treasure hunting courtesy Rajapaksha & Sons Inc. and God taken to wings” etc.!

          I discovered further that since God had been chased away by a juggernaut called Rajapakshas people have now shifted their faith to vermins like Mervyn, MARA, GORA, BARA, CHARA, NARA, SIRA, RORA, SHARA….and “Kora”, the man with a limp!

          Finally I decided to impersonate on behalf of the God and delivered the message as if HE would deliver it if he were out there! But still I am looking for him!

          Thank you so much for understanding things at fundamental level throughout the forums.

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          Fuck you bloody Rajapakshas, your [Edited out]! You destroyed us all too with the ones who used to worship us! Because of you fools now people have no faith in Gods, Goddesses and demigods like us! Nor do they fear the devil or he hell any more because you have replaced the devil as well with you! Be the Hell crash upon you!

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    “Moreover, Sri Lanka has the highest number of “forcibly disappeared” people anywhere in the world. And of extra judicial killings,” she said.”

    Does she know there are countries like IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, LIBYA exist, where american and the developed nations kill people in dozens every single day???

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    Most of the member countries are either violate HR of their own people nor use undemocratic methods to keep people under their grip. So there is no much different between them and the SL government. so they will naturally support Mara and attend the conference and enjoy a good time with the Executive President of and vanish.They will definitely have a beautiful party at Temple trees.ENJOY SIRS ……………..!

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    Event Invitation – Report Launch – “Challenges and Prospects in Uplifting War Widows in Sri Lanka”
    On the 21 July 2013, the Centre for Community Development had a successful War Widows conference entitled “Challenges and Prospects in Uplifting War Widows in Sri Lanka” at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
    The conference was attended by grassroots workers from Sri Lanka and specialists involved in promoting Human Rights, particularly the rights of women and charter for the rights of widowhood in the UN.
    The conference also provided an opportunity to share the experiences of Sri Lankan diaspora humanitarian organizations and campaign groups assisting women affected by the war in Sri Lanka with others involved in similar activities in African and Middle-Eastern and Asian countries that have faced or are facing war and its consequences. In addition the conference provided an opportunity to call for the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform of Action (BPfA) and UNSCR 1325 and 1820.
    We are writing to invite you for the launch of the report of the conference on Wednesday, 16 October at Committee Room 9, Houses of Parliament, London SW1A, from 6.00pm to 8.00pm.
    The launch will review the current status of the War Widows in the northeast Sri Lanka and look at how to stop the systematic abuse, promote access to services and justice. Special attention will be given to full implementation of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by the Sri Lankan government to protect widows from all forms of discrimination and exploitation.
    We hope you will be able to attend.

    You will need to use entrance ‘E’ (Cromwell Green). See Map attached

    Please bring with you this invitation and allow thirty minutes to get through security.

    Thanks

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