The United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Nisha Biswal has said that the relationship between the United States and Sri Lanka is “at an all-time high.”
Nisha Desai Biswal
Sharing her views soon after her meeting with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera on Tuesday, Biswal who is in Sri Lanka on an official visit also said that Sri Lanka was on a remarkable trajectory in addressing internal challenges, while also engaging with the international community.
“We will continue to support the Government of Sri Lanka as it takes meaningful and concrete steps in relation to democratic governance, while working towards ensuring reconciliation, justice and accountability,” she said.
While underscoring the ‘deepening’ ties between both countries, she said that both the US and Sri Lanka were ‘partners’ and every effort will be taken to ensure that the common goals of the two countries, which are to promote and protect human rights and freedom of everyone is ensured.
“We are partners and today our relationship is at an all-time high,” Biswal said.
Samaraweera also highlighted that his Government has being working towards consolidating the relations between US and Sri Lanka.
“We have seen a series of visits from the United States since January last year. This included the Cabinet-level visits of Secretary of State John Kerry, and Ambassador Samantha Power. These high-level visits, combined with the hard work of Assistant Secretary Biswal and Assistant Secretary Malinowski, and others including our respective Ambassadors in the United States and in Sri Lanka, we have succeeded in consolidating relations between our two countries,” he said.
Biswal is in Sri Lanka with Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Tom Malinowski. During their stay, they will meet high-level Government officials including President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as well as opposition parties, including Leader of the Opposition R. Sampanthan.
Sri Lanka’s relations with the West, including with the US took a beating during former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s term, as he isolated Sri Lanka from the western world and leaned towards countries such as China. Since coming into power last year, the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe duo has been working hard to mend fences with the international community, although in the recent past, Sirisena and Wickremesinghe too has been leaning towards China hoping for an increase in Chinese led investments to Sri Lanka, in the backdrop of the country’s economy continuing to take a tumble. ( By Munza Mushtaq © Colombo Telegraph)
KA Sumanasekera / July 13, 2016
Miss Bishwal perhaps hasn’t been to Dallas, because of these engagements to protect and asses Human Rights of Srilankans.
Cool..
Our number one collaborator of Ms Bishwal, Mr Mangalan has made an interesting statement on the eve of Ms Bishwal’s arrival.
According to Mangalan, it was Batalanada Ranil the PM,cousin CBK, DB Wijetunga and the Field Marshall who defeated the Tamil Terrorists and liberated the country.
Mr Pirahapara was hiding in Mullative with his family and friends when Rajapakasa took over the Presidency.
All Rajapksa did was cluster bomb Mr Pirahaparan in Nanthikadal which is the issue Mr Mangalan wants investigated by Hybrid Courts and Foreign Judges,
No wonder the chief HR protector Bedouin Prince only wants his Judges to look into War Crimes starting from Nanthikdal ie year 2009.
A very short brief isn’t it. Wonder how much the Judges and the Supporting Staff will get paid for this?..
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sanchay / July 13, 2016
Sumana, even if you dont like people, you should stick to the civilized norms. Calling someone like “Bedouin Prince” or homo brothher or anythingelse is not civilized. How do you feel if someone addresses you always as “singhala modaya”?? please do us the favour.
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Antany Peter / July 13, 2016
The US is doing everything to put pressure on Sri Lanka through the UN. Meantime, it is fooling the good governance leaders that its relationship with Sri Lanka is an all time high. The Americans are kings of double game.
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Mallaiyuran / July 14, 2016
I agree with you. Americans seems to be determined to learn the trick form Lankawe.
American diplomats have learned the Appa Diplomacy from the Lankawe master cooks. They are going to throw away the Pizza. It doesn’t work. They will soon start to show the art they learned from Lankawe Cooks when they return back to America. Soon things are going to turn around. That is what Rupavahini reported, I hear.
But the problem is recently Old King has said he gave to Naviplillai only Kurakkan Kazhi. He said he doesn’t like soft and sweet Aappa. So eats only Kurrakkan Kazhi. He likes something rough and bitter. It’s not easy learning anything from him. He won’t reveal the recipe. Forget about learning that art.
I hear China is upset because there is no water in the Kelani Ganga and no electricity in Nuraicholai. Have you heared about it? Man Arrokara thamai! Do you guess what I guess? At least 50 of the would go down this time too isn’t. What are you pick? Any interesting ones this time too?
By the way how is the treatment going? I missed you for some time? Where were you?
If the American didn’t forcefully remove the names from the OILS report, I doubt Thailand would have given the Visa, last month! That is how they are pressing the UN! Can you tell me how did Brother Prince went to America while government minister Fonseka could not go?
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AJ / July 17, 2016
The resolution is cosponsered by Sri Lanka calling for international involvement in the ivestigation and now we are backing off. Who is the king of double game here ?
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Seelawathie Jayasinghe / July 13, 2016
xxxx
Now the paranoid et al make every Rasakatha s – fairy tales presuming that something very big should be behind all these bla bla. Hope not Rasakatha fairy tale masters Gonthadipila and Wimal Buruwanse will succeed in their devious agendas in rabble rousing next days. People are fed up being cheated and looted – With the election of new govt – electric chair billa and so called stammered stories about muslim communities went dissapeared for a while, but that has been the bread of those ultra nationalist fractions not forget Ghanasara led Balu Balu Sena will now make every effort to paint the picture in favour of them. On the other side, the master mind of rabbale rousing most known Mahinda Mahaththaya with his regular unencessary involvement in the day today businesses of buddhist temples- as not even Abitthayas would not normally do – wait and see the how all these will stand on the way of the current moves-… This country could achieve a lot if the blood – which is the nation could have positive and unbiased thoughts. As it is the case in a metastasized cancer patients, with most of body parts being affected, a larger amount of lanken bodies institutes have been infected by corurption, and abuses. Today with the leaders being clean but all other s been over corrupted – totally the other way around prior to 8th Jan 2016 – they have set examples people to see it forward. With former first family ones being investigated – they the govt make every effort to prove the mountains of allegations levelled at thme. If not they – who had to take the responsibility where the funds have been – the funds several hundred billionas of dollars … why the journos sstay away not questioning former President and high men become a puzzle to any average thinkers.. all in all.. OHOMA YAMU has become the slogan of the day.
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T Dumphreys / July 14, 2016
KA Sumanasekera,
chinese youth pin up boy no nonsense Boris Johnson is foreign Secretary.
you are in for showdown when Trump wins.
Minister Priti Patel is anyday a stronger character than Desai.
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trunket / July 13, 2016
These lapdogs of Washington won’t be there after 21st January 2017.
‘Bernie Sanders endorsing Crooked Hillary Clinton is like Occupy Wall Street endorsing Goldman Sachs’
Same as Kerry the billionair wolf in blue collar democratic party of social leeches.
Faulty towers, the corner shop Desi opportunist will go into oblivion.
make the island another pakistan or bangla where india scavenges.
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justice / July 13, 2016
Samaraweera expects the full implementation of the UNHRC resolution including war crimes trials with participation of foreign judges, and Biswal too believes that this will happen – hence her enthusiasm.
Sirisena has other ideas – which Biswal will learn about, shortly.
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Aloy / July 13, 2016
As an ex-Sri Lankan, octogenarian Canadian, I know I have no right to intervene in Sri Lankan affairs anymore. But I am doing it foer the hell of it.
Biswal the glove puppet and Tom Malenow-ski the yamulka wearing blood sucker are putting their arms around the ethically compromised Our-Mangala claiming “all time high US-SL relation”.
They don’t recognise the buffer to their blood sucking relationship set up by the President of the country, Maithripala Sirisena. These parasites are there in Sri Lanka for nothing else but to show their support to Our-Mangal before the no confidence motion.
They still think their help can save developing country politicians!
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Good student / July 13, 2016
MR only leaned toward China cos the usual misguided hypocritical US foreign policy pushed him towards China with bogus Dharusman report, which SEXED THINGS UP, like tony blairs “dojjie dossier” leading to Iraq war in 2003 looking for non existent WMD. ( Robert Blake was the real author of the Dharusman report.)
Sri Lanka should be a pro western country, but good relations with all neighbours, but keeping India at arms length. India (usa) always underhand. Absolutely no free hold land to China (or anyone else).
Our FM mangala is also very dojjie, specializes in bootlicking and worshiping Tamil Tigers. sooner the president sacks him the better. Mangala puts the interests of the LTTE before interest of mother Lanka. Him mangala real traitor. Even dbs jeyarj was shocked at the way Mangala made bee line to LLTE rump, when there were more urgent matters.
We would prefer fair minded white diplomat, like Prof Wriggins than these dubious Indian diplomats (athul Keshaps etc). Always meddling. There is a saying in Jaffna “What is more dangerous than snake in the grass?” Answer: “an Indian”!!!
USA ( & India) no doubt cooking dodgy, unsuitable new Constitution in the background and force it down our throats in 2017. (Just as JR. did in 1977, and India did in 1987. Dressed up as reconciliation. Here we go again. Sri Lanka should go back to Westminster style parliament system ( but with permanent cabinet posts for minorities ( Vedda people (First Nation people), northern Tamils, eastern Tamils ( eastern tamils don’t like northern lot cos of caste differences USED AS CANNON FODDER by NORTHERN TAMILS), tea estate Tamils (both northern and eastern Tamils turn their noses up at tea waste Tamils as low caste coolies), eastern Muslims and special post for Muslim women’s welfare as many Sri Lankan muslims don’t want to educate their daughters get them married young and treat them as baby machines to increase their numbers creating mass poverty as in Bangladesh, Pakistan&indonesia, burghers and last but not least the rest for the Sinhalese.
Alarming to see only about 2800 Sinhalese in Jaffna district, but 250,000 Tamils (all well to do) in Colombo district alone. Giving one third of land (NP and EP) to Tamils is non starter. Gokana (aka Trinco) was traditional homeland of Sinhalese and Kantha roda in Jaffna. Tamil encroached in to Sinhalese areas. As we have all encroached on to land of Vedda/Vanniala attho. Best to equalize Sri Lanka and encourage people to intermarry. Has happened many times before. Still the best solution.
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Paul the Strict Teacher / July 13, 2016
You are a very bad student and are posting a lot of untruths. The North and East have always been Tamil and the Sinhalese only arrived there after independence. Population statistics proves this.
Stop lying I do not like naughty students who copy and past what is own Sinhalese extremists sites.
Most of the Sinhalese arrived in the North and East in the past 40-50 illegally settled by all Sinhalese governments to deliberately change the demography of these ancient Tamil areas and are still are doing this. Recently in a strategic coastal village in Trincomallee, a Sinhalese extremist Buddhist monk supported by Sinhalese goons and thugs and protected by the racist occupying Sinhalese armed forces and police have desecrated and destroyed a Hindu shrine to Ganesha. They destroyed the Hindu shrine and broken the statue of Ganesha and thrown it to the ground and then installed a huge Budda statue where the shrine was and planted a BO tree. The racist Sinhalese armed forces and police are giving twenty four protection to this extremist Sinhalese Buddhist monk who has arrived from nowhere and the thugs and will not allow the dismayed local Tamil villagers to come anywhere near the desecrated Hindu Shrine for Ganesha where a Budda statue has been now installed and bo tree planted. They are now screeching louldly the site is now Buddhist and Sinhalese should be brought into be settled in this Hindu Tamil area. This is what has been happening at various places in the north and east from the time of independence. First a Budda statue under the protection of the armed forces and Ploice is installed in a Tamil area. Then a Bo tree planted. Later some joker from the archaeological department from Colombo buries another Budda statue and then states this is an ancient Sinhalese Buddhist area and Sinhalese must reclaim this and then large scale state sponsored Sinhalese settlement takes place.
Listen evil lazy student. All ancient Hindu and Buddhist sites in the north and east are Tamil not Sinhalese. The Tamils were also Buddhist and they equally patronised Buddhism and Saivaism until the Chola occupation, when Buddhism amongst Tamils died, just like in the rest of India. The Buddhist ruins in Kantharoddai are largely Mahayana and not Theravadha as Tamils practised both forms of Buddhism. Sinhalese did not. Stop lying.
Unlike the state sponsored illegal Sinhalese settlement in the north and east. Tamils use their own funds to purchase lands and properties down south. Sinhalese sell land to them willingly. They do not receive ethnically cleansed Tamil lands like the Sinhalese do in the north and east. Tamils do not attempt to change the name or Sinhalese character of the region. The Sinhalese do the opposite in the north and east they change the Tamil name place and then destroy any vestige of the original Tamil Hindu character of the region, in the ethnically cleansed regions they are settled, as they have the support of the racist Sinhalese governments and armed forces.
See the amont of newly created Sinhalese only AGA divisions and electorates in the north and east for these illegally settled Sinhalese colonists in the north and east. Where only Sinhalese is allowed to be used in a historic Tamil area, However there not a single Tamil AGA division special electorate or Tamil allowed to be used, despite Tamil being the other official language in paper in any southern parts . Especially in the greater Colombo region and Central province where 50% of the population speaks Tamil as their mother tongue.
Bad student this strict teacher will punish anyone who lies and posts false history taken from Sinhalese extremist sites like Lankaweb SPUR or from anti Tamil rags like the island.
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sach / July 14, 2016
LOL why do tamils want to live with false history?
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Native Vedda / July 14, 2016
sachooooooooooo the stupid I
“LOL why do tamils want to live with false history?”
Probably they too are following in the footstep of their Sinhala/Buddhists brethren.
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / July 14, 2016
We Thamizh have no choice but to come up with cool stories – it’s not like the modern day We Thamizh have any real history in Sr Lanka :D
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DeepCut / July 15, 2016
“”have any real history in Sr Lanka :D “”
Ha ha,Death Star, Screaming For Jesus??
what is `real history`?? author’s imagination exemplified??
The whole problem with Sri Lanka’s is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.
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Native Vedda / July 13, 2016
Good student with very bad education
Here we go again.
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Paul _ The Srict Teacher / July 13, 2016
This bad student thinks that a lie and falsehood often repeated becomes the truth and will bring some brownie points for the Sinhalese extremist camp.
He did not realise that he was going to be marked by a strict teacher like me and there will be no brownie points but a big zero.
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Rajan / July 13, 2016
What is that Biswal can cite in defense of the democracy of the new government?.
The army is still making the Northern province an “Occupied Territory”. Thousands of people are homeless because army occupies private homes. Still there are abductions and tortures, as recently verified by the UN agents visiting the island. No progress in prosecuting murders, corruption and other crimes that were committed by the previous regime. There are indications that the Sirisena-Ranil duo are openly protecting errant leaders of the past. There is no attempt at Accountability and Reconciliation which was called for, in the UN Resolution.
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Paul / July 13, 2016
She is a North Indian so will be an anti Tamil. The Sinhalese go around stating falesely that they are of North Indian( Bengali/Oriya) background and many of these Tamil hating north Indians believe in this lies and myth and do not realise that most of the present day Sinhalese are descended from largely low caste Indian Tamil indentured labour who were imported into the island by the Portuguese and Dutch colonials. The rest a mixture of some Prakrit speaking immigrants from some part of India, indigenous/Indian Tamils and other tribes who converted to Buddhism and gradually corrupted their local Tamil dialect with the Pali and Sanskrit of Buddhism which gradually evolved as Sinhalese by 9AD.
The island’s original language or dialect was Elu( Eelam Eezham). This a prehistoric semi Tamil dialect. When the few Prakrit speakers arrived the this semi Tamil Elu got mixed up with Prakrit and became Hela. Later with the arrival of Buddhism Hela got mixed up with Sanskrit Pali and proper Tamil to gradually to form Sinhalese. Old Sinhalese was very close to its Tamil mother in pronunciation.
What these north Indian clowns do not realise is the Bengali origin theory for the Sinhalese does not hold as the indigenous Eelam Tamils share a 28% DNA with the Bengali compared to the 22-24% DNA that the Sinhalese share with the Bengali, Proving the Tamils of Sri Lanka have more of the so called Bengali ancestry than the present day Sinhalese and it was not the small amount of immigration from north India that created the Sinhalese ( if there was one ) but the arrival of Buddhism and the large scale conversion of the local Tamils down south to Buddhism and them corruption their local Tamil dialect Elu with other North Indian Pali and Sanskrit closely associated with Buddhism.
Lastly USA really does not care for human rights as long as the regime is friendly towards them. Ronald Reagan called Sadam Hussain a nice friendly man to deal with despite the fact he chemically bombed and killed thousands of Kurdish civilians in Falluja. They only turned against him when he invaded their ally Kuwait. Most of the funding and Islamic extremism comes from Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf countries but USA calls them their friends despite the horrific humans rights abuses in these nations
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Saffron / July 13, 2016
Paul “She is a North Indian so will be an anti Tamil. “
Nope she is Western Indian from Gujarat where all the Motel owners come from in the US.
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Marrikar / July 13, 2016
you have not travelled or associated with Guju Bhai and their corner shops.
The English in 1600 went to Surat like the Parsee refugees from Iran.
The geographic north eats chappathi and Gugu eat it but not rice.
Their language evolved from Sanskrit.
Modi got a chance from Maharashtra RSS. He has ruined it because Guju do business only their own people and whites for the money. They were driven away from Kenya and Uganda even with British passports. America is new country and cocky so they are not aware. Who is Ambani??
As TRP holder in the 60’s Ceylon they used to sit on pots of money.That is exactly what they do in the west. about 2 million.
MR Patel can belong to either side of partition- hindu or muslim.
Mark Twain put it well .. “it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to talk and remove all doubt.”
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Paul-Siva Sankaran Sarma / July 14, 2016
Gujarat is in the west but in the North West part of India and the language and culture is very North Indian. The Gujarati language is very similar to Hindi. If you know Hindi you will understand the gist of a Gujarati conversation. Almost 80% percent.
Most Gujarati are very prejudiced against South Indians especially Tamils. I have moved with many north Indians even the very sophisticated ones, however despite being very friendly and liking you as a person at some unguarded moment they show their deep prejudice against southern Indians especially the Tamils, whom they think epitomise the South Indian/Dravidian culture.
They let down their guard more with me as they think I am a Brahmin so despite being an ethnic Tamil, I am still part of the Indo Aryan culture and not the Dravidian culture. Little do they realise that most Tamil Brahmins are also deeply attached to the Tamil language and Tamil culture.
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Marrikar / July 15, 2016
undoubtedly porriki tamils have problems like rich and poor sinhalese.
North East Tamils are a closed stupid cell beyond repair in the island.
Reality concerns the future more than history.
By running corner shops in the west does not create a nation however modern inventions (jews, japanese, germans) are respected but alas n.e. tamils have exemplified murder of rajiv g, and insider trading con men- a deep stigma.
both are introverts in a stupid brawl unable to control weakness and exhibit confidence like western citizens.
frogs in the well, hey ho the frogs in the well.
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Amarasiri / July 13, 2016
Nisha Desai Biswal
RE: “Sri Lanka, US Relations At An All-Time High” – Nisha Biswal
//”The United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Nisha Biswal has said that the relationship between the United States and Sri Lanka is “at an all-time high.””//
Naturally,now we have Yahapalanaya, Pseudo Democracy, that has let loose all the culprits and criminals from the former MaRa regine.
Beside Sri Lanka under Ranil W. regime did not condemn, the Illegal US lead invasion of Iraq based on the lies pf WMD, that killed a mullion people, destroyed the infrastructure, and left Iraq in an state of Sectarianism War,
If the Relationship as at an Al;l time high, why not throw in $5 Billion in Aid, with no strings attached. Then the relationship will go much higher. After All the US spent $4,000,000,000 to commit crimes in Iraq.
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Amarasiri / July 13, 2016
Correction:
“After All the US spent $4,000,000,000 to commit crimes in Iraq.”
Corrected, $4 Trillion, not $4 Billion, three more Zeros!
$4,000,000,000,000. That is $40,000 per US Household, where the Average Per Capita income is close to that. What is the poverty line income in the US?
What did they get for it? More poverty?
What did the Iraqis get? More Death and Destruction?
Is stupidity a Virtue in America?
How stupid are Americans? LOOK and see…don’t we all wish it wasn’t true!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpDEu8KmNj0
Published on Jun 6, 2015
This is not a joke.. try asking the same questions on the street and you too will be amazed at the stupid level of the average person. And then they want to run the world.. duh!
It is not about education but distractions…
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D.Nimal / July 13, 2016
The Majority people of Sri Lankan are disappoints of US blessing for TNA and JVP and UNP joint “compromised” ruling regimes.
US have to upheld values of democracy in Globally ,But not that the UNP ruling governance is really far from democracy by policies implantations of different in politics.
UNP hegemony of politics is Not that having any relationship with valued democracy accepts by People of USA!
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Amarasiri / July 13, 2016
Nisha Desai Biswal
//“We will continue to support the Government of Sri Lanka as it takes meaningful and concrete steps in relation to democratic governance, while working towards ensuring reconciliation, justice and accountability,” she said.”//
Yes, that will be very positive and great, if you can get the Politicians to do it. However, since independence it has been all deception by the Para-Sinhala “Buddhists” and their politicians.
By the way, how are your relations with Russia. Are you still hung up on your hang ups and still want the Eurasians to hang in there?
Putin crushes CNN smartass Fareed Zakaria on Donald Trump and US elections
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBTBBNOtbhM
Published on Jun 19, 2016
Fareed Zakaria, as a host on CNN, is known to misquote Putin as well as misrepresent Russia’s intentions to the world. At the St Petersburg Economic Forum 2016, Zakaria wasn’t going to get away with that very easily…
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Mallaiyuran / July 13, 2016
Mohammed won’t come to Mountain!
In that case there is nothing else the mountain can do; of cause it is the turn of the mountain to come to Mohammed.
American Diplomats came down to Colombo!
From last May (2015), the time when secretary Kerry came to Lankawe and offered help to take forward Appe Andu’s Yahapalanaya promises at UNHRC, (7th or 8th edition of Solomon West Richard Way Dias – Chelva Pact; the latest edition, with glossy hard cover!) American diplomats had repeated it three times(that many I know of). Now they have changed their mind and saying Lankawe does not need help as it has progressed a lot, it seems.
Mountain stomach sometimes pains to give birth to mouse. I do not belive Assistant Secretary’s 6 visits ending in blind praising of Lankawe Yahapalanaya which is, now blamed by almost every citizen voted for it, is enough pressure to bring any changes in Lankawe. After all, as soon as Ranil loses the power, only Old Royal regime is coming back. That time, Assistant Secretary’s all these commending will be gone like the writing on the water. Our word of saying that it is only premature to remove Old King from power is still remaining as writing on the stone. Sinhalese never rejected him. Somebody blowed too much ethylene to young produce to get hasty fruits. So it is fruit of no use!Not worth for anything!
I do not think Secretary Kerry’s argument of winning the LTTE has brought everything is right. He is comparing Rangoon with Ceylon. That is not correct at all. Myanmar Military is lose its grip. They can not do anything other than going for another coup. But the Old Royal with the new name of Joint Comedians are flexing the muscle.
Philippine filed a case against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague and have won it. China refused to give consent to arbitration. But, still the mouse Philippine has given a birth to a child to balance the mountain China. Lankawe consented and co-signed the resolution, but nothing came out of it so far.
That is why the Mountain has come to the mouse this time.
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Patriot / July 13, 2016
Deepening relationship with US is like a same sex marriage no matter how deep the relationship is it does not bear fruit. Batalanda Ranil has gone on all fours to China to economic support and has pledged full ownership of Hambanthota port for that. Mongol is busy wining and dining with lot of rhetoric. Hindian origin Nisha and Athul Keshap get free appa and polsomboll each time they visit but no money from US for that they have to tax the local poor with extortion VAT. Thanks to Wimal Supreme Court has put an end to it.
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Native Vedda / July 13, 2016
Patriot the Pathetic
“Deepening relationship with US is like a same sex marriage no matter how deep the relationship is it does not bear fruit.”
Both can hire a surrogate mother.
There are alternative solutions to each and every problem only when you start using your brain, which is a rare commodity in this land.
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AJ / July 13, 2016
It is very low of you to use same sex marriage as an anology in this context. For your information, having a deep, lasting and loving relationship is more important than to have children. What good does it do when have 10 children and no love in the family ? We are in a different era, traditional notion of procreation is not valued by everyone. Some couples choose to adopt and some choose surrogate. Welcome to the 21 century.
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Seelawathie Jayasinghe / July 13, 2016
Now the paranoid et al make every Rasakatha s – fairy tales presuming that something very big should be behind all these bla bla. Hope not Rasakatha fairy tale masters Gonthadipila and Wimal Buruwanse will succeed in their devious agendas in rabble rousing next days. People are fed up being cheated and looted – With the election of new govt – electric chair billa and so called stammered stories about muslim communities went dissapeared for a while, but that has been the bread of those ultra nationalist fractions not forget Ghanasara led Balu Balu Sena will now make every effort to paint the picture in favour of them. On the other side, the master mind of rabbale rousing most known Mahinda Mahaththaya with his regular unencessary involvement in the day today businesses of buddhist temples- as not even Abitthayas would not normally do – wait and see the how all these will stand on the way of the current moves-… This country could achieve a lot if the blood – which is the nation could have positive and unbiased thoughts. As it is the case in a metastasized cancer patients, with most of body parts being affected, a larger amount of lanken bodies institutes have been infected by corurption, and abuses.
Today with the leaders being clean but all other s been over corrupted – totally the other way around prior to 8th Jan 2016 – they have set examples people to see it forward. With former first family ones being investigated – they the govt make every effort to prove the mountains of allegations levelled at thme. If not they – who had to take the responsibility where the funds have been – the funds several hundred billionas of dollars … why the journos sstay away not questioning former President and high men become a puzzle to any average thinkers.. all in all.. OHOMA YAMU has become the slogan of the day.
/
AshyD / July 13, 2016
We need the United States to back us if we are to see ourselves creeping back as a respected and proud nation in the world community.
The Western nations are crucial to our economic development and we have to accept this whether we like it or not.
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Nenawath / July 13, 2016
Hey AshyD,
So why do tou think Sri Lanka failed to develop economically after 500 years of being ‘under’ your beloved Western nations?
Who respects United States after Iraq, Libya lies and all other conspiracies? How can they help us creep up? Creep up from what?
Do you simply have no balls, spine, brains or all three?
Shame on you.
/
AshyD / July 13, 2016
Nenawath !!
Please delve into the following and tell me, where you have your “Family Jewels” or if you have them at all.
A) When the British left us giving us the so called much hyped “independence” on 4th February 1948, we had a very well administered and above board bureaucracy in place.
B) Our political system was democratic and with no corruption and in our charge and destiny with incorruptible individuals at the helm.
C) The British left us a well managed plantations sector and also a ready made international marketplace to sell all our produce.
D) Our education system was designed to teach all three languages to all young Sri Lankans in a very secular environment, with the English language being the link between all communities.
All Sri Lankans of that era including myself, speak, read and write English and Sinhala, & to a certain extent speak Tamil too.
Though there were Methodist, Catholic and Anglican schools started by missionaries, none of the schools shoved down religious doctrine down the throats of their charges.
I studied in a Methodist and later in a Catholic school and have a very open mind when it comes to Religious beliefs and live a very secular life.I consider religion as a barrier to development and that following the laws of one’s land is more than sufficient to be a good human being rather than wasting time visiting temples, kovils, churches and mosques asking for divine intervention to have a safe passage to the afterlife which existence is just a mirage of imagination.
E) Our country has a very rich history going back more than 2500 years but we have screwed up everything in right royal fashion.
Our Judiciary is known Internationally to be corrupt,with a call to bring in independent judges to sit in judgement when the much hyped “war Crimes” issue is to be conducted.
Our Police department is also looked at with crooked eyes, but is now turning slowly to be respected again.
F) We have an obsession to see India our closest and powerful nation with jealousy and animosity all the time but turn the other way round and place flowers and worship the idol of one of India’s greatest sons, the Lord Buddha.
Whilst doing so we do not heed any of his teachings but KILL our fellow human beings callously and with impunity, on a daily basis.
The nearly ten years that Mahinda Rajapakse was President he and his stooges along with his corrupt family took our “Thrice Blessed” nation down an abyss that only “Karma” was able to overturn on the 8th of January 2015.
God forbid if he had retained power on that fateful day for all Sri Lankans, we would have ended not with the respect we are slowly beginning to enjoy around the world today but as a “Pariah” nation like none other.
G) Our Maha Sangha is administered still on the much known but less talked about caste system. No low caste can ever become the Mahanayake of either the Malwatte or Asgiriya chapters.
The USA is the only Super Power left in the world today, though the Chinese and Russians flex their muscles from time to time.
India has had the foresight to recognize this shift in world power and is today toeing a very much pro American stance which we did not see when Indira Gandhi was at the helm.
This shift has brought India very rich economic dividends and is developing at a very fast pace though it is a very diverse country with many problems.
What any country does elsewhere should not be our concern we should only see our National interests and act accordingly.
What is sauce for the Goose may not always be sauce for the gander.
We have much to gain by keeping the USA and the West on our side if you think otherwise you could always visit that famous hospital at Angoda and ask for a bed.
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Nenwath / July 13, 2016
“What any country does elsewhere should not be our concern we should only see our National interests and act accordingly.”
You are probably a lansi fruckwit not worth tlking to anymore.
I’ll get my dog to fruck you.
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Amarasiri / July 13, 2016
AshyD
“We need the United States to back us if we are to see ourselves creeping back as a respected and proud nation in the world community.”
You mean Just like Libya, Iraq and Syria?
Sri Lanka should not depend on any one country. True for USA, China, India, EU etc.
What is your IQ? 79?
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NAK / July 13, 2016
“all time high US-SL relation”.
High’s are only good while they last. Misery begins once the high is gone!
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DeepCut / July 14, 2016
“High’s are only good while they last. Misery begins once the high is gone “
stupid foot soldier yours is a culture problem.
you never come right…. begging bowl buruvas.
While Germany and Japan are still high after WW2.
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Native Vedda / July 14, 2016
NAK
“High’s are only good while they last. Misery begins once the high is gone”
You are telling us what we have known for years.
Now that MR and his goons are gone don’t you think you are like a deflated balloon?
Cheer up, save yourself from temporary setback, save your energy which you need later to put up a big fight against the proposed new constitution.
You need to recover from “anicca” – impermanence.
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THONDAMANNY / July 13, 2016
Hold it…………..secret is out.
Biswal whispered to Our Mangalam that USA is to give $ 5b loan with no strings attached just loke the Chinese give NSA.
US-SL relations will catapult tp an alltime high thereafter.
Our Mangalam was heard whistling the tune of “Whispering Hope”.
very soon, he is to sing it in the Parliament as well.
ALL CAN JOIN IN.
wILL IT BE THE nEW nATIONAL aNTHEM AFTER THE cONSTITUTION cHANGE?
oNLY TIME WILL TELL……………..
This will give us an opportunity to sing the Old National Anthem in Tamil.
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Fukushima / July 13, 2016
A Hi Fi ($5)is just a foe.
CIA: The government’s high debt payments and bloated civil service have contributed to historically high budget deficits and low tax revenues remain a concern. Government debt of about Public debt: 74.7% of GDP (2015 est.)remains among the highest in emerging markets.
GDP (official exchange rate): $82.1 billion (2015 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $223 billion (2015 est.)
nothing comes for free and goes only to NGO’s which are invariably donor government sponsored so they only speak to NGO on arrival not natives.
They know it (as Cameron said) is all corrupt like Nigeria Afghanistan but it recoils if not.
No strings attached- All American AID is defense related.
Very soon the forces would be pitched against China at South china Sea on behalf of filipinos.
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Sumithra / July 13, 2016
The reference by Samaraweera to “our respective ambassadors ” doing hard work is a good plant done by a woman official at foreign ministry and is really meant to get a further term for her ” dear friend” in USA whose contract ends in July according to embassy people.Super plant ha?Really speaking the man is a mediocre performer making good use of a good time in relations in which he has no role at all but claims he is the initiator of all of it,supported by his “lady friend ” with the look of a witch.
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Pippinggna / July 13, 2016
It took over 150 after the civil war ended in the US for there to be any reconciliation. Sadly, today relations between black America and White America are at their worst since the civil rights movement. US is trying to preach what it does not practice. Even after the civil war ended in 1965, A DECADE later THOUSANDS of Blacks were murdered, lynched, and wiped out in the Deep South.
Some say the war in USA was on “Preserving the Union” as that is what prompted the North to declare war and the Confederate South which was arguing for “States rights”. The constitution of the US is too complex to be discussed by me. That war caused most number of US deaths in any war the US was involved in:750,000 and more from the North because North had to invade the South to fight the rebels.(in contrast US only lost 407,300 approx in WW II)
So even 10 years AFTER that war ended heinous crimes were committed by Whites to oppress the Black people. Democrats were the ones mostly responsible for those crimes. Republicans were the good guys back then being the party of Lincoln. Voter oppression continued to the 1970s even after Civil Rights legislation was passed in the South. So this is an absurd push from a nation which has consistently failed its black people to preach to other nations where the divide is not that much.
As for the cultural divide: It is still very big here. People like Naturalized American Gujarati Indian born Ms. Biswal who is a political appointee probably never dwelt into the deep history of the south. Most of us S.Asians stick to our communities outside work and do not mingle or even intermarry and are afraid of black people. (she married a fellow Gujju: no surprise!) They are academic nerds who love theory and love to wag their fingers at their Demi God Obama’s behest :every nation Obama touched has burst into flames. Egypt, Libya Syria.
So reality is Biswal who is a political appointee will not last IF Trump wins. She was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs only in 2013. But she is likely to stay on. So in contrast to Robert Blake, and the other naturalized American Atul Kesap she is not a long standing career diplomat and she reflects the thinking of the current US government towards Sri Lanka.
Malinowski is also remarkable. He is a tough cookie with a strong Human Rights Watc background. He came to the US as a child from Poland and was raised in the US. He created a lot of trouble when he was in Bahrain. He was expelled from Bahrain!!
He is a diehard Human Rights activist and is likely to be tough on Sri Lanka because they have a double standard vis-a-vis Sri Lanka. He too is a Obama appointee. Both a diehard liberal democrats and will play no part in a Trump Administration. But it is likely that Hillary whose failed policies led to disasters in Egypt, Libya and other places will retain them. She is an advantage to the LTTE rump in the US and that ludicrous self proclaimed Trans National Government of Tamil Eelam that consists of very rich American Tamils. They are like the convicted felow Ahmed Chalabi that Bush relied upon. It is far better for these guys to speak to SRI LANKAN tamil living in Sri Lanka.
Hillary hates Samantha Power. Samantha who seems to have an unhealthy obsession with Obama called her a monster once during the 2008 campaign. So SL should play for time and see where the election takes the US on 8 Nov 2016. If Hillary wins as she is projected to, then SL is in trouble but LTTE and Tamil nation is likely. If Trump wins he will not give a shit so it will be an opportunity for Sri Lanka to tell him about terrorism.
Just because they are US STATE DEPT employees does not mean they are career professionals. Keshap is a career diplomat with extremely good sense of S.Asian life. His Father was privileged Punjabi Economist working for the UN in Nigeria(Keshap Sen) So he is not from a poor family. Keshap was born in Nigeria. His mother is a white diplomat. So he also is married to a white American. But he too is a career diplomat. But sometimes I wonder if he is more partial towards India than USA. But he is doing a good job and is lot better than the old white guys who served before him who were isolated from reality of third world living.
So if there is a new Govt, more than likely Biswal and Tom will have to brush up their resumes and look for new jobs. Mangala loves the attention he gets from these folks; they are also very pro LGBTQ rights so it will help with the elite Liberal Colombo pundits who guzzle free Scotch and love the invitations to the parties in the US Embassy and without fail drop that into conversation. Keshap is now the new Robert Blake in Hi Magazine.
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T Dumphreys / July 14, 2016
Sri Lanka in for big surprise.
Boris Johnson the Maverick is new foreign minister.
Mangala cannot talk shop like he is a Soho Bohemian
Out with Obama Hussein and his cohorts.
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Saffron / July 14, 2016
Timing of this visit is interesting. Is it to put political pressure before the election? Is it because the International Arbitration Commission judged in favour of Philippines in the 9-dash line issue in the South China sea?
Is US putting more pressure for Sri lanka to join the Anti China camp? Will that work if India does not go along? Is USA (judging by repeated new found “discovery and love” for Trincomalee by Keshap and other US diplomats) coveting Trincomalee?
How many Sri Lankans know that when Singapore fell Lord Mountbatten and the British fleet in Asia Pacific moved to Trincomalee? Did you know Mountbatten(later killed by IRA Catholic terrorists) was operating from Kandy in Suisse Hotel as his HQ and there were even black troops from US(Sinhalese traditional families were afraid of them and used to called them Karperi troops; not sure where that word came from except that it was possibly a modification of the insulting Afrikaner term for blacks Kaffir).
So there are geo strategic implications to these repeated visits. Keep in mind US is a key (and one of the largest) market/s for Sri Lankan exports; specially apparel(unless you count EU as one entity even in post Brexit world). So Sri Lanka cannot keep showing the middle finger to the USA. Those HR interests are genuine for some people like Malinowski but for others in State Department they are a tool to be use to heel bad boys and rein in nations they feel are not behaving according to their needs.
So whether we like it or not, Sri Lanka’s economic life depends on the exports(According to some statistics in 2014 SL exported about $2.6BILLION USD worth of goods to USA). So if USA decided to screw SL further it can impose tariffs and sanctions. It can make life miserable for all Sri Lankans.
US has in recent times despite Messiah Obama’s pronouncements screwed up and destablized many nations.
Ukraine: Where Asst Secy of State Victoria Nuland deliberately provoked anti government violence in Kiev. She actively sponsored protestors by joining them and handing out bread is a key example of a US engineer coup . Result? Clear confrontation with Russia they did not anticipate. They wanted to push Russia’s buttons to test how far Putin will go; when Putin reannexed Crimea which was always part of Russia, they were taken aback. when Putin supported the Russian part of Ukraine to separate they were caught with their so called pro democracy knickers/jungies at their ankles.
Libya: Everyone who had an iota of knowledge predicted exactly what will happen there when Hillary-Obama-Cameron-Sarkozy-Berulusconi intervened and overstepped the UN mandate(obtained on lies by Samantha Power) by bombing them. Result? ISIS and Islamic jihadis in a nation that did not have them.
We don’t even want to go to Syria where their bungling and secret plots made it worst.
We can look at Egypt. There has always been a long history of the US overthrowing regimes, creating coups, fomenting violence in many nations across Central and S America during the cold war. Anyone recall Iran in 1953?
So to make it short, BEWARE. SL will have to toe the line or risk being “Ukrainified”. Ranil and Mangala will be cognizant of this but not sure if H.E. Sirisena will be though I applaud his courage when he called out the US for creating conditions in Iraq and Libya for terrorism to flourish.
IF SL does not do US bidding it better look over their shoulder. It should never antagonize India or betray China but it can still balance complex relations with smart moves. Have you noticed how USAID is used as a tool for their political interests? Have you seen how they are very active in the minority areas now? Have you seen them even wooing the muslim minority.
Do not be shocked if there will be violence and demonstrations and conflicts initiated by the US if they do not get what they want.
Hillary is most likely to win. With Hillary or as some people say Hilliary there will hell to pay. Eelam is a potential reality. Look at South Sudan now. Who created South Sudan ?US did. There is a hell of a civil war now and none of the oil they were hoping to play grabass with has not panned out. There are always SELECTIVE outrage and SELECTIVE concerns about HR.
Why are USA, Tom the Polish kid who became American and the Gujarati kid who became American or the Punjabi kid who became American MUTE about SAUDI airstrikes that are responsible for most of the deaths in the Yemeni civil war where Sunnis and Shias are fighting a proxy war for dominance. Do you know Saudi Arabia hates Iran and wants the US to start a war against Iran as much as Israel does?
Why are these gasbags silent about what happened in Egypt? First they wanted democracy, then they wanted elections, then elections went to Muslim Brotherhood, they did not like it; they encouraged a military coup and there is stability again but at what cost? look at the thousands in jail and hundreds sentenced to death by kangaroo courts. Why are they mute about Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians?
Do you think Punjabi Indian American Keshap will have the balls to go pose for LGBTF photos in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey(a democratic NATO Ally), UAE, or even in China? No, because SL is now a new experimental democracy they want to only impose US values and US methods. I am ok with Gay marriage but it is too soon. The idiots in their Embassy are all liberal twits with limited exposure. They think a double decker bus full of LGBTQ people with Rainbow flags mean much when people probably thought it was the Buddhist flag? You really think outside the ENGLISH speaking western educated young Gays who make out at Dutch Hospital on weekends represent rest of Sri Lanka? NO ONE outside those circles do open or public display of affection. Do you think two men kissing in Jaffna or Kattankudy will fly unless we educate people. First of all people still engage in traditional marriage for different reasons than Americans. There are still a vast number of economic unions that are marriages. How can 2 men or two women do that? SO I say do not be in a hurry. It is only the younger generation that supported gay marriage in the USA. IF US wants( I am sure they give enough greencards to gay people in SL already)they can move gay people who are under threat to the US but in SL unlike Muslim Bangladesh there is amazing tolerance as long as people do not become “in your face” as we say it.
Also why is Keshap actively having so many Ramadan festivals? Why not a Christmas and Thanksgiving festival which are more real traditional american holidays? Ramadan is NOT a holiday in US and should not be either. But he is using American tax payer money to foment trouble.
Beware, if you do not heed there will be violence soon in Sri Lanka. Toe the line or face destabilization.
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sach / July 14, 2016
we face destabilization ONLY if we toe the line. remember almost all the countries US destabilized had been US puppets. Even Saddam Hussain was a US puppet once. Only countries that withstood US pressure and no matter what did the right thing by their country has survived.
As Kissinger said being an enemy of US is dangerous but being a friend is fatal
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ranjith / July 14, 2016
get lost lady. this is our country not a part of USA. we decide what we want. you can not dictate terms here. mind your own business.
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AJ / July 16, 2016
She can’t get lost because Sri Lanka voluntarily sponsored a resolution with the US. So they have a business in Sri Lanka to ensure that the resolution is satisfactorily implemented.
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