26 April, 2024

Blog

Sunday Leader Censored Tisaranee Gunasekara’s Column

By Colombo Telegraph

The Sunday Leader has edited Tisaranee Gunasekara‘s weekly column without discussing with her.Her column has been altered beyond recognition and all reference to the Rajapaksas have been axed. She has today sent the following email to its Editor Sakuntala Perera and the Chairman Lal Wickrematunge

Dear Shakunthala/Lal,
I usually do not read my own articles in print. But since the ownership of the Leader changed hands, I have been doing so, knowing that on some Sunday the new management will move to censor my comments on the Rajapaksas.
That Sunday has come. My column has been altered beyond recognition and all reference to the Rajapaksas have been axed.
As you both know, I have been writing to the Leader without asking or accepting any payment. For me, it has been a labour of love, to use a much used phrase. My only condition was that my articles be published uncensored; and that if changes have to be made, they are done after discussing with me.
That agreement has been broken. Shaku, I understand the constraints under which you operate, but I wish you had the courtesy to keep me informed before you took a pick axe of Rajapaksa provenance to my article!
The only condition under which I will continue to write is if what I write is published sans censoring.
I would be much appreciative if you could let me know, in writing, whether a commitment to our original agreement can continue or not.
I am sending the uncut version together with this letter to several websites. I would hate it if those few who still read the likes of me think that I too have been purchased by the Rajapaksas.
Thanks and regards
Tisaranee

You can read the cenosored and uncensored columns here

Related posts;

Sunday Leader Censored Emil van der Poorten’s Column

Frede Out And Saku In – Frederica Is Sacked, Not Resigned

Bowed And Afraid: The Sunday Leader To Apologize To Gota For Calling Former Editor “A Fucking Pig Who Eats Shit”

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Latest comments

  • 0
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    Hi Thisaranee
    At last you have got a taste of your own medicine. You have been washing dirty linen through your disgusting articles in the past. It is time to
    say Good Bye.

    When you have something nice to write about my country, please feel free.

    • 0
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      Oh my god!

    • 0
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      Don(key) Dissnayake:
      Your simple illiteracy is painful to behold. Don’t call it “my country” because it can’t be: it belongs to your Rajapassas, not to you.

      • 0
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        Rajapakshas belong to us the people too because the majority of this country vote for them and love them. Though your frustration lead you to call all of them illiterates, it only displays your own ignorance about the people of one of the most peaceful nations of the world that’s Shree Lanka.

        • 0
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          ANOTHER IDIOT.
          PAL WECHCHA KURUMBAYAK.
          THAT IS WHY, SO BAD SMELL.

        • 0
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          Good to know that scoundrels have supporters too.

    • 0
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      Donkey of your ilk are not at all worth to name as Srilankans at this crtical juncture in which the country is moving towards a tyranny :(

    • 0
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      Even Martin Luther’s critics called his speeches disgusting. Nothing to be surprised of Junta henchmen like you.

    • 0
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      Comment by a stooge these rascals call them selves patriots.Look the other way until Rajapakse comes looking for you

  • 0
    0

    Now I have a plausible excuse to stop buying The Sunday Leader!

    • 0
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      Thisaranee, says she does not want people to think that she has been purchased by the Rajapakses. Fair comment. However, on the same token, Thisaranee should not blame anyone, who read her past articles, for thinking she has been already purchased by the Rajapakse haters. Yes perceptions can work in both ways.

  • 0
    0

    So it continues. The muzzling of criticism, dissent, and truth. The Rajapaksa’s WANT the country kept in ignorance and in the dark about crimes committed against the Sri Lankan people. The guard dogs here should stop drinking that koolaid and wonder why, if they are blemish free, would so many in the media go missing, kidnapped or killed, and why the Rajapaksa’s seem inept at finding the killers. If they were able to find terrorists, how difficult must it be for the killers of journalists be hard to find. A country without voices of dissent and opposition, is NOT a democracy.

  • 0
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    Tisaranee

    Forget Sunday Leader. I quit reading it since it was taken over an infamous owner alligned with the family run dictatorship.

    It is time to create a new Sunday Leader.

  • 0
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    Tisaranee

    Forget Sunday Leader. I quit reading it since it was taken over by an infamous owner, alligned with the family run dictatorship.

    It is time to create a new Sunday Leader.

  • 0
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    sir. mohanlal piyadasa of leader publication and bennet rupasingha also got free laptops at templtrees. even wimalanath weerarathna also got.., its a shame.. w9imalanath attack president in ravaya now he dine with president what a shame

  • 0
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    it is ugly…….wimalanath weerarathne got laptop at temple tree….

    • 0
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      On one hand I wouldn’t blame Wimalanath for taking that laptop, because with their meager salaries Journalists in Sinhala newspapers accnot afford to buy a laptop. No do their news organisations can provide it. In any case it was not a bribe given from President’s personal wealth. Funds for the laptops were allocated in the budget appropriated by the parliament(though some big wig may have got his commission from the 50 million allocated to purchase the laptops etc)

      But there is of course an ethical dimension to this practice. Whether it was the government or any other party should they journalists be allowed to take gifts particularly when they are expected to scrutanise, verify and report on government”s deeds and misdeeds. I know in other countries news organisations prohibit the journalists to take gifts. But in Sri Lanka Journalists are also (a)manussayoya.

      • 0
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        @janadasa
        NONE of the bribes given are EVER given from the president’s personal wealth. :)

        ps. And if any bigwigs get commissions, you can rest assured that 9 out of 10 times their surnames starts with the letter ‘R’ and ends with the letter ‘a’ :)

        • 0
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          ALL THOSE BRIBES COME FROM THE DOWRIES RECEIVED FROM MR’S MOTHER’S AND WIFE’S.

  • 0
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    In China, they force Google and other search engines to not display certain search results which are “detrimental” to the government agenda. In S. Lanka, “tamilnet” is already banned. Only the incompetence of Raja Ltd. has prevented a full censorship of the internet. But it is definitely in the works, as that is the next logical step. If people cannot read Tisaranee in their local paper, but can do so with a single browser click, then censoring the local paper was futile to begin with. By the way, it’s very interesting that Google cache is no longer there. Google cache used to provide a great way to circumvent filtering/censorship.

    • 0
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      In China we all read it via proxy sites

      • 0
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        Are you now saying you’re located in China, Wu-Liang Guo?

        So is it Northerners and Southerners in China, that you have a problem with and think are “pricks”? And what’s with the “yellow-robed terrorists”, references to “Gautama” and claiming you lived in Sri Lanka “centenaries” before “Mrs B”?

        Do you know who Mrs B is, Wu-Liang Guo? Or are you just being given stuff to post here?

        • 0
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          Que …

          This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
          http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/

        • 0
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          Troll stop the booze take your pills and dont masquerade as dr whe have seen dr white who treated the cricketers too.
          Get yourself a job.

        • 0
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          Urban planners/engineers travel frequently and me 35 years of it. Pity you never travelled troll.

        • 0
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          He he trying to teach a native which hole B the housewife came from when as in your own comments you were never born in ceylon or lived there.

  • 0
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    One track mind Tissaranee in blinkers kicked out.
    [Edited out]cashing in on her writting to sing for their SUPPER….

    What deception………….

    • 0
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      Try to be logical. If Tisaranee wanted only to sing for her supper, she would have gone the other way, and paid pooja to the Rajapaksa’s, because it would be more lucrative, and not put her career nor life at risk.
      The deception comes from Temple Trees.

    • 0
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      You are a blind fool. If you read her letter above carefully you will see that she does not accept money for her articles. She wasn’t kicked out either. Why does CT publishes comments from imbeciles like this dick?

  • 0
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    Juest give Rajapakses a break. It is good that this woman leave.

    • 0
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      You want to give the tyrant a “break” I would rather make it a cocktail.“B”randy, “R”um , “E”au-de-vie , “A”rrack , “K”assipu

      Then you photograph him in his birthday suit please.

  • 0
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    Tisaranee, what are you complaining off now? You should have read the writing on the wall when FJ got sacked and had the dignity to walk with you head held high as she did.
    Mudpie

  • 0
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    It is a VERY GOOD gesture to gift Laptops to the Journalists BUT mind you the BIG BROTHER is keeping a very secret look at your information. You may enjoy BUT It will invade your privacy.The secret behind is to know who is writing against the Rajapakshas or the Sri Lanka Government to the Foreign Papers or to the UN, UNHCR ,etc…. Watch out you happy Journalists with the free LAPTOP

  • 0
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    Dear Tissaranee

    I relish your writing and would urge you to stick to your principles. Hell hath no fury like a scribe who compromises his or her principles.

  • 0
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    The article by TG were neither of political interest nor of any literary value. They were a continuous “vomit” of stinking verbal poison. She could have used her ability to write something useful. A barrage of attacks on Rajapaksa family will not help her or the readers. She may perhaps be accepted by Groundview, TamilNet or JSB or she may even try Island , Daily Mirror. They like such puking.

    I would advise her to change style and write travel articles, or Buddhist Articles to Budusarana, Annual Wesak Kalapays or perhaps start writing short stories about Goni Billas, and spooks.

    It was time for her to take a rest from hate literature otherwise she is bound to go crazy if not she is already.

    • 0
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      Charles,
      Were you by any chance referring to the stinking verbal poison propagated by lankaweblies?
      Perhaps you ought to go back to that stench.

      • 0
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        Chandra, You have Well spotted the stench from the LW. 10/10

    • 0
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      [Edited out]Charlie[Edited out]
      What do you know about Gautama?
      Indians gave the Yakas the tainted version of the Mahanama (original version in the language of the Rajas lost forever) when the philosophy was at its ebbs. Dr Ambedkar requested the untouchables of India to embrace Buddhism so that they may not turn to Islam.
      On the other hand the Tibetan’s were civilized during Gautama’s time and they took it down in their own language (seen long man grottos. It takes 3 days to see it all that is Gautama you pervert) – the Mahayana therefore there are no pedos or polygamy and the West respects the Dalai Lama.
      [Edited out] charlie keep on drinking more kasipu.

      • 0
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        YOU ARE ON THE SPOT MY FRIEND.

        SOME TIMES THIS CHARLIE THINKS [WRITE] HE IS LINDBERG.

        • 0
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          Are you another of Narendra Mori’s Indian Internet Trolls?

    • 0
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      she has written enough of ‘greeze billas’ !!!!

    • 0
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      CHARLIE,
      WE KNOW, HOW YOU ARE COUGHING TO THIS UNGRATEFUL BUFFOON RAJAPASSA.

      • 0
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        I meant, Narendra Modi (with a D for danger, deception, deviousness, devilishness and dastardliness).

        The recent commentator going by the name of “Wuliangguobinjiu” has told us that he had never heard of the Colombo Telegraph or the Sunday Leader until he responded, recently, to a “mass mail-out” (as he called it) to Indian cyber-warriors and cyber-trolls with “Lasantha’s last editorial” in which he “predicted he’d be killed”. This editorial was first published, as I understand it, just after he WAS killed.

        I wasn’t aware of any details about the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunge, the long-time editor, and, apparently, one of the “founders” of the Colombo English-language weekend paper known as the “Sunday Leader”. Though I have never read this newspaper, I knew of it from the fact that for many, many years, a copy was posted, every week, by Mrs Ranee Eliezer in Melbourne, addressed to my father, Brian Senewiratne, in Brisbane. The weekly newspaper from Colombo was, throughout the latter years of the war, his main literary source of information/news about Sri Lanka.

        The moving request by Lasantha’s daughter, Ahimsa, to help find out who killed him rather than make his death into a “circus” resonated deeply with me.

        Ahimsa has said she is still being kept in the dark, and Lasantha’s brother, Lal, has explained to us, the readers of CT, that he made calculated business decision to sell the newspaper, which was having financial difficulties. Lal also asked the editor, Frederica Jansz, to refrain from further defamatory references to the “first family”. She, however, is stressing that she was “sacked” rather than “reigning”. The inference is that the “new ownership is trying to muzzle the media” on behalf of the “evil Rajapaksa dictatorship”.

        The reasons for the decline in sales of the Sunday Leader are best known to those who read the paper and those who owned and advertised in it. However the recent comments by Donald Gnanakone on his analysis of Sanjana’s sympathetic interview with Frederica Jansz raise some serious questions about the murder.

        Was what was subsequently described as the “murder of Sri Lanka’s last independent news editor” pre-planned? If so, by whom, and how far ahead? And what is the truth about the “secession” as “editor” – Frederica Jansz has talked, on camera, about her version of events. I’m not sure that I believed her…

        • 0
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          RS : “recent commentator going by the name of “Wuliangguobinjiu” has told us…in which he “predicted he’d be killed”.
          Dreams – Humour is nothing but “Fanaticism” keep it up tota katu pook.
          Dirty Kangaroo the offer is still on Be a Patriot go to Afghanistan at $7k per week. Its for bounty hunters for you and your old dick.
          WooHooo

    • 0
      0

      Ok, so write Buddhist articles and ignore or praise the wicked, corrupt , dishonest & arrogant MR. Clan. It does not work that way. You maybe out of your mind but most people in SL are not.

    • 0
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      In any society there are bun kissing Charlies like you. Are you blind or stupid not to see the mega-blunders and unimaginable corruptions happening in the country. Thisaranee, please keep us enlightened and ignore the idiots.

  • 0
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    Laws of motion says that Every force they say has an equal and opposite reaction. But, in this case, the Rajapaksa force has no opposite force in Sri Lanka that can stop or even slow down the inevitable motion towards total domination. My advice to ‘ants’ like Tisaranee is to get out of the way before she is crushed. Or join the Raja Force and enjoy the ride!

    • 0
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      This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
      http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/

    • 0
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      Saman what a sad sack with no spine and balls at least the lady did her part to expose the rajapaksae’s. cowards like only look for joy rides. grow up.

  • 0
    0

    Asanga Seneviratne shouldn’t be that quick to pat his back for achieving results at his master’s bidding….He would soon cause his Leader to die a natural death when it gets discarded like the Daily Noose!

    • 0
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      I stopped buying Sunday Leader and others should do so. Asanga is MR’s pawn and he has to follow MR’s instructions. Cannot expect anymore unbiased reports from SL. Also Asanga should reveal how he acquired SL. I herd MR gave him a hugh sum, and this is tax payer money. why should we tax payers suffer for this sordid transaction. COPE or some one should investigate.

      • 0
        0

        I started buying Sunday Leader and others should do so. I don’t worry if Asanga is somebody’s pawn ‘cos I’m sure he does not have to follow anyones instructions but he just have to be balanced. Now I Can expect more unbiased reports from SL (In fact I see already the changes). I don’t care how Asanga acquired SL.

        • 0
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          There’s a saying that donkeys are born and not made. They neither listen nor be corrected. But the donkey cannot be the master however it tried. Good luck.

        • 0
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          This is the classic “bent back at will” its characteristic is
          it cannot say “I love you” because the “I” does not come in their vocabulary – always a slave and coward.

        • 0
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          Who is this Kurumba joker? A real jester indeed.

        • 0
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          On another planet are you or are you a Rajapakse crony? We will see how long it takes for your rights to be trampled

  • 0
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    It is time that Ms. Gunasekera cut her ties with Sunday Leader and write to other websites and even start her own blog site like D B S Jeyaraj. Then the readers will have more respect for the author.

    Even Shanku and Lal agree about the censorship, they are simply hanging on to the Rajapakse Kurrankan shawl by it’s threads for a job… Lal with only 28% of the shares, which might be even subject to the testamentary cases and issues of the family including legal issues Lasantha’s Two wives and three children, might not be Chairman of the Sunday Leader for long. The same with Palitha Pelpola and VishGupta and others hangers on…

    Ms. Gunasekera should stop writing for the Leader, if she has any respect for Lasantha, and not for Frederica, Sonali or Lal.

  • 0
    0

    Raja, Tissarani is of independant means and has no reason to pander to anyone for a living which is rare in SL and also of high integrity and journalistic ethics.Tisaranee I will miss reading your great discourses, and now read the sunday leader as party news such as Tass,Xinhua or Granma.Please I beg that you write in some other outlet so we can get the real ground realities.Goodluck.

  • 0
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    “I have been writing to the Leader without asking or accepting any payment”…. This is where the question is… Who paid you all this time ??? or may I rather ask which embassy???

    • 0
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      What the big deal to write just one article a week?
      Its like anyother profession.SL does not have Oil but the government has begging bowls on both hands so whats the buss? are you a yellow robed terrorist or bent back?

      • 0
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        The “big deal” Wu-Liang… is the right of journalists and writers to be paid, reasonably, for their work. If journalists get paid by sources outside the “independent” newspaper it becomes either a bribe, or an advertisement. I believe there are laws in various countries that require the reading and viewing public to be informed when something is an ad rather than legitimate news, but it is obvious that the TV stations have long enjoyed impunity regarding such laws, when they exist.

        Your statement, (or is it your attempt at a rhetorical question?) is rather hard to comprehend, but appears to be a double-pronged insult to Buddhist culture (“begging bowls” and “yellow robed terrorists”):

        “SL does not have Oil but the government has begging bowls on both hands so whats the buss? are you a yellow robed terrorist or bent back?”

        Actually, Sri Lanka has no shortage of oil or other natural resources and is enjoying a healthy relationship with the Communist regime in China that is treating the people of Sri Lanka much better than the British, Dutch, Portuguese and Indians have in the past. Is this what the problem is?

        • 0
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          Ha ha ha. The thieves were traditionally sent down under. One cannot expect honest comments from a pseudo doctor. Your so called pop Brian has admitted that he cannot leave his surgery for a couple of days to visit Genève because there is no one to care for his patients.
          Keep on strumming the guitar and beating the drum.

    • 0
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      At least those embassy’s don’t have stolen tax payers’ money unlike you who gets paid by (for licking a**)

    • 0
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      Well the same person who paid the tigers in late 2005 to come to power.

  • 0
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    Very sad to see the Sunday Leader resorting to self censorship to please Rajapaksa. The paper is now not worth reading and it will sink soon. I hope CT and other free press will continue to publish Tissaranee’s articles.

  • 0
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    Thisaranee ta Thisarana saranai. May her hatred towards all her attempt to build hatred among readers vanish and may her attain inner peace.

  • 0
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    Her articles are the best if I ever read any articles on that paper. I am bit worried if I would not be able to read hers any more on this blog too. Hope not these buggers would make similar arrangements to ban hers to be published on CT.

  • 0
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    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
    http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/

    • 0
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      G R E A T CT.

  • 0
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    I am going to buy Colombo Telegraph!!! Watch out the people who are name calling, insulting and deleting comments!!! Ooops…

    • 0
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      Ho ho ho X’mas is coming. Who is going to believe you when you say yes to tissa and no to fedrica both are charming I mean in their articles.
      or have you forgotton your tabs?

      • 0
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        Is “forgotten your tabs?” just a general insult you use, “Wu”? Does your family chemical company with Dutch connections (“Superiors, I think you called them) produce tablets? Or are you just calling various members of this forum names based on your many prejudices?

        You seem to have something against Buddhists and Buddhism, and against the Sinhalese people. You’ve also told us you are in your fifties, graduated as an engineer and “urban planner” in India and, if I recall correctly, you say you are “Eurasian”. You also proudly tell us you have several Western passports under your belt and worked in Bombay and Chennai. Though, from what you say, you are of Sri Lankan birth, you have not used the term “Burgher”. But you infer that you speak Dutch, and a smattering, it seems, of Spanish.

        You accuse others of cowardice, stupidity and evasiveness, but are afraid to write your name in this learned, and mostly polite, forum. After charging in with offensive comments as “yellow robed terrorists”, you now reveal your hitherto “secret identity” with a long piece of prose about your childhood, of doubtful literary value which you want us to distribute here and there for you! Strange ways, indeed!

        I’m not sure what to make of you, mate!

  • 0
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    Yes, with impeachment of Chief Justice let the CJ, SC, CT, bar association and opposition open the Govt. hidden Pandora’s box and reveal it to people.

  • 0
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    Going through many an adverse comment of so many I suspect the hands of the GOVT in it.If I bought the Sunday Leader it was to read the logicl,analytical and sound articles written by Thisaranee.True they were critical of Rajapakses,can anyone with an ounce of brain praise the Rajapakses for the dictatorial ways of governance? Most of these commentators ,I am sure did not understand the superb English used by Thisaranee.I am happy that your articles are translated into Sinhala and published in the Ravaya and Lankadeepa.I suppose it appears in Tamil News papers too.Some scribes who pose as journalists are mere Reporters reporting events.Thisaranee, many of the readership of Sunday leader including me have stopped buying the paper.Please write to websites.

  • 0
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    CT Controller: on yahoo when I write bLardens tainted knickers it goes through though there is finger pointing. BUT now on your site a short while ago when I inscribed “yellow robed terrorist” you have deleted it Why pls? or should I write bald headed terrorist like skin heads is it OK. In Gautama own words Buddhism is a philosophy not a religion if that is what you are thinking of. As you may be aware the only truth in any newspaper are its advertisement. Awaiting your response

    @Wuliangguobinjiu, you can write it, but if you used it against someone commented here using his own name cannot be justified. – CT

    • 0
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      Woolly-Ian,

      Why were you trying to squeeze “bLarden’s tainted knickers” past the Yahoo censors? And why would you want to be calling anyone a “yellow-robed terrorist”?

      You are obviously planning on demonizing the Buddhist Clergy by propagating such a term, and seeing “how far you can get” in this forum. The term you insist on using is familiar to anyone who has been exposed to the old LTTE demonizing term “saffron-robed thugs” and the like.

      Get lost, with your vile name-calling and troublesome attitude! I doubt anyone is interested in your poorly-worded poison in Yahoo conversations, either.

      • 0
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        It’s your big problem skin head. Take your pills from unwanted brian

      • 0
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        What do you want me to name them “knicker-less mullahs”? I do have great respect for the rinpoches and have helped find the medicine for a dying one when no one else could obtain it- one of the greatest I have met; he had not plucked a flower in his live and was a relative of the king.
        Happily Agnostic.

  • 0
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    Thanks mate shall remember that Cheers

  • 0
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    We salute you Thisaranee! You wrre the only remaining jounrlist with (at least) a speck of courage. I’m sure blogs have more readership than the Leader’s Paper (Oops! Sunday Leader I meant) so please continue to speak your mind. I am still laughinga out loud at all the bootlickers’ comments above singing praise for the Junta. It’s only a matter of time till they came after you as well….no one will be left to listen to your cries then. Good luck suckers!

  • 0
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    Bravo Thisaranee. Please find some place to have your beautiful articles published. Long live Thisaranee and down with Rajapaksas’

    I hope this comments agrees with the Comment Policy of Colombo Telegraph.

    • 0
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      Charles
      Tsk! Tsk!Tsk!
      The above comment shows more about your nakedness than CT Policy.
      Think you will be happier at lankaweblies.

    • 0
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      Charles,
      Without attacking CT or the author TG, perhaps you will be kind enough to read the said article, original and the edited version and pin point which part or parts of the said article you agree or disagree with.
      There is no point in going about it in a “raised sarong” mode.

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