A group calling itself ‘Tamil Solidarity’ which organized a protest outside the Sri Lanka High Commission, London on the occasion of the country’s 70th anniversary of Independence has appealed to the UK Foreign Ministry and the High Commission to remove its defence attaché Brigadier Priyankara Fernando for ‘trying to intimidate [a] new generation of fighters for justice.’
The organization has circulated a video footage of Fernando running a finger across his neck which the organization claims was a gesture indicating that he would cut their necks.
The demonstration had been organized to emphasize that Sri Lanka’s Independence Day ‘does not represent the independence of Tamil-speaking people.’
The petition says:
Complaint against Brigadier Priyankara Fernando, Sir Lankan High Commission
Officer Brigadier Priyankara Fernando, while wearing Sri Lankan army uniform, gave death threat gestures to peaceful protesters. His actions have been recorded and filmed.
This event took place on the 4th of February 2018 outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London. Tamil Solidarity organised this peaceful protest to highlight the continuous oppression and attacks on the Tamil-speaking people by the Sri Lankan government.
Brigadier Priyankara Fernando’s action was designed to scare protesters, some of whom have suffered torture from the Sri Lankan army. This type of behaviour is unacceptable. However it is not so shocking when we see the actions by President Sirisena to protect the warmongers who carried out the genocidal slaughter from war crimes investigation. This incident shows that the establishment is unrepentant for those well-documented war crimes and that the struggle for justice must go on.
We demand immediate action – the launch of an investigation into Priyankara Fernando and his removal from his position.
Yours faithfully,
To sign the petition click here
Mallaiyuran / February 5, 2018
Intimidating and threatening Tamils is part of the Lankawe Aappa Diplomacy Culture.
Below material, posted elsewhere being reposted:
Sampanthar has said that he was invited to negotiations and threatened with Physical safety.
It was Ranil who assured the legal and other safeties to Old King when he was leaving the Temple Tree House. Recently Old King had challenged if Ranil can, have his Civic rights removed. He issued same threats to New King too with double edged sword.
Sampanthar & Selected TNA members went to negotiate with Old Royals in January 2012. Three days in a row Nimal SiriPala De Silva did not show up. Then Old King invited Sampanthar to Temple Tree House and there he and his accomplices threatened Sampanthar of physical safety. Sampanthar has talked about in a Trincomalee LG election rally.
Further Sampanthar was threatened to attending the 2012 UNHRC Sitting, with pogrom against Tamils. I believe Premachandran and Sritharan unofficially attended UNHRC, Geneva. Those days, with the help of Hakeem and Rishard, many Muslims were hired to protest against that UNHRC siting using Muslims’ anti-American sentiment. Wimal’s famous LEMON PUFF show was also in those days.
This the story of Old Royals restoring Tamils rights after receiving help from 32 nations to defeat Tamils fights for Freedom.
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Jim softy / February 6, 2018
Mallaiyuran: No one cared TNA because they know days of TNA are numbered. Do you know why ? Tamil politicians never solved Tamil problems instead nourished Casteism. Local elections will promote Tamils as communities so the every caste is equal to each other.
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Tamil from the north / February 6, 2018
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Rajendram Suthan / February 5, 2018
Send it back srilanka
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Dillon / February 7, 2018
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Raja Rajan / February 5, 2018
Very bad behaviour
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Rajash / February 6, 2018
They think they are immune to UK law as the gesture was made from the Sri Lankan High Commission premises In London, the capital of the country from which they got their independence
This is what happens when thugs are appointed to diplomatic positions. They show their own thuggery etiquette
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 6, 2018
The gesture was made on the pavement and therefore it is not within the embassy premises which is immune to law. If you have been to SL High Commission you would have noticed that the porch is built over the pavement which is public domain where people walking on the road cannot be prevented from using it. Picture shows that even the next building has its porch over the pavement. Thus this officer enjoying diplomatic privileges has behaved in a manner not keeping with his status by publicly showing violence of threatening to slit the throats of Tamil demonstrators. Bring this to the notice of UK Foreign Ministry to take necessary action against him.
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Native Vedda / February 6, 2018
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam & Rajash
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Are they Dr Gota’s plants?
Where did he hire this rent a mob?
These stupid boys are serving Dr Gota (DSc ) very well.
This army boy Brigadier Priyankara Fernando has every reason to feel provoked. When is he going start the next riot in this island?
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Thanos / February 6, 2018
This is correct. Making such gestures within the sovereign territory of the UK is essentially harassment or assault on its citizens. Making such gestures is extremely negative regardless but on this occasion there is an additional legal issue as well. He should be thrown out of the country. If the GoSL has any common-sense they would immediately recall this person avoiding further embarrassment.
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Rationalist / February 9, 2018
Thanos,
The UK is at fault for allowing such an Organised Mob to Demonstrate on the Streets of London! Any Red Blooded Sri Lankan would have been provoked! Especially One who had seen his Compatriots been decimated by the LTTE!
It looks as if they have been Preparing for a long time to get together and Fund such a large crowd, with Printed Placards, and Brand New Tiger Flags!
Weren’t the ‘Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’, (LTTE), banned in the UK?
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srinath.gunaratne / February 6, 2018
So which law did he brake? Could you elaborate?
Is giving the middle also a crime?
Enlighten us good doctor!
You guys are pathetic, hanging onto anything to justify your Peelam agenda!
First it was the genocide, genocide! Now throat slinging! Is it not your Sun god who sent manna gangs to slice and dice innocent children?
Of course the officer is an idiot, but Tamil community is desperate!
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Rajash / February 6, 2018
Thanks CT for posting the link to the petition.
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Jim softy / February 6, 2018
Tamil losers, they do not have EELAM. so they cry. Way to go Brigadier. Is there a Nandikaddal there ?
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Native Vedda / February 6, 2018
Jimmy the dimwit
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Is he pointing to his father’s selfie?
Is this how he ran away from IPKF and hid himself behind VP’s fat bum and/or women folks?
Poor fellow he thinks he is in grade seven.
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Native Vedda / February 6, 2018
Jimmy the dimwit
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There is Tames river in London.
I doubt Brits have a Kelani river in London. Does the Brigadier need tyres?
Find out if the wife was impressed?
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Marian / February 6, 2018
Bloody rasist…. go to hell….. Tamils are looser hence what u have…. u think the country name is srilanka…. no it is not ,sooner will become Chinalanka….. already they sold half colombu to china…..Soon they start eating snakes lol
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Native Vedda / February 6, 2018
Marian
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“sooner will become Chinalanka….. already they sold half colombu to china…..Soon they start eating snakes lol”
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Are you suggesting it is the fault of the Tamils/Muslims?
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Jim softy / February 6, 2018
Excellent gesture. Bravo.
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PARAGON / February 6, 2018
These Actions and signals are carried out to please the higher ups in colombo politics and army big wigs so that this army officer can hold on to his position in U.K and enjoy all benefits for long period.all officers attached to foreign missions are very clever and smart .the people giving big pubilicity for this in any way helping this army officer in big way.
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Rajash / February 6, 2018
I have seen this guy at Sambal Express in South Harrow joking with the Tamil shop assistants and placing a large order including thosai and masala vadae. He insisted on sambar and chutney. He also bought some maalu banis and kottu rotti.
The guys who served him in Sambal Express and other Tamils owned grocery shops he frequent are probably in the march, to whom he is gesturing.
I am sure tomorrow he will visit Sambal Express with a sheepish smile.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 6, 2018
Recently some SL ex service personnel in UK had been reported to the police for misbehaviour. These fellows who have been given a free run in Srilanka to what they want and to get away from crimes committed, are trying to do the same in foreign countries. I will check and let you know whether he is one of them involved. I do not know whether the recent visit to UK of SL Army commander has encouraged them.
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Rajash / February 6, 2018
I completely agree. These guys come over here and live in Sinhala ghettos …and behave as though they are in Sri Lanka….
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Shehan / February 6, 2018
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Taraki / February 6, 2018
And how do you know all this? Are you his lover?
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Rationalist / February 9, 2018
Rajash,
He was probably continuing to Joke with the Guys at Sambal Express! They would have understood it as a Joke. If you look at the Photos, you can see that a lot of the Demonstrators are thinking it is a Sri Lankan Joke!
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Rajash / February 6, 2018
I have seen this guy at Sambal Express in South Harrow joking with the Tamil shop assistants and placing a large order including thosai and masala vadae. He insisted on sambar and chutney. He also bought some maalu banis and kottu rotti.
The guys who served him in Sambal Express and other Tamils owned grocery shops he frequent are probably in the march, to whom he is gesturing.
I am sure tomorrow he will visit Sambal Express with a sheepish smile.
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Burt / February 6, 2018
What a MORON.
If this is the behavior of a Brigadier you can imagine the foot soldiers.
You could be stupid but you don’t need to advertise. Sri Lanka should be given the opportunity to call him back or UK should deport him.
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Taraki / February 6, 2018
A pity the police did not remove the terrorist’s flag as it is illegal to fly it. The terrorists should try flying it where it matters – in Sri Lanka.
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Rajash / February 6, 2018
Sri Lanka government has proclaimed loud and clear to the world that the LTTE is defeated and they are no more , thanking the IC community including the UK for defeating the LTTE.
So how can the UK Govt order the police to remove the flag of an organisation that is no more and which they helped wiping out?
That will be egg on their face?
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Native Vedda / February 6, 2018
Taraki
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“A pity the police did not remove the terrorist’s flag as it is illegal to fly it. The terrorists should try flying it where it matters – in Sri Lanka.”
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If you don’t like tiger flag do you want them to fly tiger kites? Will it make you happy?
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BTW The Tiger flag flew many parts of this island for many decades until the Hindians decided enough is enough. Probably Hindians hated the ugly tiger on the flag. Had your brethren VP the psychopath replaced the ugly tiger with cuddly Simba’s picture Hindians would have tolerated him.
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Hindians might review and reconsider their decision to finish off LTTE.
Why is Brigadier Priyankara Fernando hiding behind women folks?
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Burt / February 6, 2018
Taraki::
They might have if you were carrying the flag. British police is well trained to recognise lowlife Rajapaksa hacks.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 7, 2018
In 2015 lawyer and author John Gimlet, when giving a lecture at the High Commission on Elephants in Srilanka, took LTTE flag inside the premises, and no one objected. Since High Commission premises is Srilankan territory, when he unfurled the flag to demonstrate his point, LTTE flag had already been flown where it mattered.
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Maya / February 6, 2018
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Kumaran / February 6, 2018
Idiot! Absolute moron! Typical of the military culture in Sri Lanka. He should be cashiered out of the army but first, fine him. 70 years of freedom from Britain! What a disgrace.
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Native Vedda / February 6, 2018
Kumaran
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“70 years of freedom from Britain!”
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The brown sahibs replaced the white sahibs. Thats all. Not much change in the past 70 years.
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Kumar R. / February 6, 2018
The bigger offense in this episode is not that this moron selected to represent SL in a foreign land is still to get basic lessons on civility and personal responsibility,.
The more vile vulgarity is the likely hood that the entire embassy and even the country would see it fit to celebrate this low-life as another celebrity, not unlike how the country celebrated the foot soldier who assaulted Rajiv Gandhi during his official visit to blessed nation.
Given such a reprehensible if not criminal (threat of murder) behaviour, any self-respecting Government would have promptly recalled and relieved such a moron of his official position. Not SL, whether under MR or Sirisena, or perhaps even Royalists! Shameful!!
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Manicka Vasagar / February 6, 2018
This is 70 years of make-believe nation building for reconciliation from Sri Lanka, instilling the fear factor by the military for further continuation of suppression and subjugation of Tamils in the island, structural genocide.
Just think, if this army officer at the Sri Lankan High Commission in London, has the gall to threaten Tamil protesters with death in the UK, a free and democratic country, imagine the dangers the Tamil people in their homeland in the North and East of the island under military siege face and are exposed to and vulnerable to!
Was he trying to signal that the people back home will be dead meat!
Is UK harbouring Sri Lankan state sponsored terrorist?
Can Mr Sambanthan explain honestly the future of Tamils in a unitary, united, indivisible, majoritarian, Sinhala, chauvinistic regimes. This video is on the wall, explains it all.
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Philomina. / February 6, 2018
How can he be a higher official?.AN ILLITERATE MAN OF. SRILANKA..NOT a human..his attitude towards humanity is not correct. ..hope SL president will take action.
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Upcountry Tamil / February 6, 2018
What the Sri Lankan soldier did was wrong. But at the same time these guys who were protesting are also wrong as they are supporters of LTTE. Have they forgotten what the LTTE did to the Tamils in East and North, what LTTE did to innocent villagers? Haven’t these protesters learned anything even after living in UK?
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Plato. / February 6, 2018
Quite unconsciously this Brigadier has allowed his emotions to run riot with those gestures.
Most people who see this will be convinced that those who demonstrated have a cause!
He should be called back for the negative publicity, all the more so, since it coincided with 70 years after British rule!
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Native Vedda / February 6, 2018
Plato
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My friend the old codger witnessed an incident in which hundreds of Premadasa’s thugs were in the UK to attend some official function during his presidency. There was a protest in front of the High Commission. Few thugs came out of the building and grab hold of few protesters. The the intention was to take them inside and beat the hell out of them or hand over them to the police. However the protesters somehow prevented the thugs from taking them inside the building.
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Whether thugs, politicians, diplomats, monitoring MP Sajin Vass or Brigadier there isn’t much difference in their behaviour.
You can see how these people are conditioned to behave in certain manner. You also can see how a handful of smart ass patriots type here in these forums despite having obtained their PhDs.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 6, 2018
It happened in 1981 when Srilanka was celebrating 50 years of universal franchise. Premadasa who was told of an impending protest sent thugs from Srilanka to assault protestors and disrupt it. But unfortunately nothing could be done as some hefty fellows like late Mr. Marasingham gave these thugs a sound beating and they had to make a hasty retreat into embassy to prevent being arrested by police.
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Marian / February 6, 2018
Soon China will rule srilanka…everyone thinks the country name is srilanka…. no it is not ,sooner will become Chinalanka….. already they sold half colombu to china…..Soon they will start eating snakes lol…. Thanks to god
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Spring Koha / February 6, 2018
Certainly, NOT an officer and gentleman.
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Native Vedda / February 6, 2018
Spring Koha
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Is there anyway we can wipe the smug off from his face?
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Spring Koha / February 6, 2018
There are many ways Native Vedda. Unfortunately all the one’s I can think of and suggest are both illegal and unnatural, but perhaps well know to the scoundrel brigadier.
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Percy / February 6, 2018
Tamil Terrorists are back in action and this damned YAHAPALANAYAS are talking of reconciliation. One has only to read the hate filled comments coming from Tamils in these columns and the spiteful derogatory comments on the Sinhalese,their culture and history, to conclude that the two communities will remain forever divided. That is the reality. Perhaps the antagonism will help the two communities to be more self reliant and to aspire to greatness independent of each other. In other words the identity known as Ceylonese, or Sri Lankan will have to evaporate.Both communities have to close ranks.
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K.Pillai / February 6, 2018
Suppose Brigadier Pryankara Fernando was in Colombo and there was an unruly gathering protesting over the unbearable cost of living. Would he have done the throat slitting gesticulation?
Pryankara’s gesticulation in London was to Tamils. This shows the culture in the near mono-lingual Lankan Army. The man is pointing out his Lankan Army badge. He does not realise that he is letting down the country and the army in particular.
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K.Pillai / February 6, 2018
Time has come for patriotic activists like Dayan & Sanja Jayatillaka, Rajeewa Jayaweera, to persuade Lord Naseby to find out where and how the video was morphed!
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thondamannay / February 6, 2018
Some frivlous matter magnified to crow about………..
Something to adore about nothing.
A gesture may mean things to many people but not to a bunch of hooligans who needed some entertainment on a Sunday.
OMG…. how pathetic, spiteful and petty minded are these protesters…
Is this vengence for the losses ???
This is speculation and imagination running riot.
This Protests are a good omen to encourage reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
This is uncouth behavior by the Tamils.
Reconciliation gap widens.
Will the British Government succumb??
Marian: Theresa May just concluded a 03 day tour of China with a begging Bowl.
Pounds (09) billion was thrown in by the Chinese for development.
Will Britain will change name of the Country to read as; Great Britain of the Republic of China??
Marian, stop thinking from your posterior.
So…. Mr. Marasingham too was a thug???????????????
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Dillon / February 7, 2018
IF YOU STILL CAN’T ACCEPT THE FACT THAT LTTLE IS A THING IN THE PAST AND IF YOU PROTEST ON A DAY SRI LANKA GAINED INDEPENDENCE GET THE F OFF!
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Jeyakannan / February 7, 2018
Defenetly he is not an officer.
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rbh / February 7, 2018
Action speaks louder than words, the spirit that he had in mind hurried him
to act.
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Rabok / February 7, 2018
Tamil protesters are collecting signatures against Brig. PF Phooo !!!! – I ask them to roll up all the signatures and insert into the asshole of them – Priyankara we appreciate your courage to show these killer supporters what they really deserve
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Native Vedda / February 7, 2018
Rabok
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This is simply brilliant.
Has VP’s ghost got into your body?
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“Priyankara we appreciate your courage to show these killer supporters what they really deserve”
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I too appreciate Brigadier Priyankara Fernando for exposing his stupidity, a representative sample of the stupid people, Armed forces’ tolerance factor, and the country which denies ever committing war crimes, …………….
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The country needs him, more of him, …..
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John / February 7, 2018
Those fake asylum seeker-Kallathoni protesters are actually terrorists. The funny thing is the ‘supposed to be missing people’ are holding “WHERE ARE THE MISSING PEOPLE” placards.
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Hope those Kallathonies get the Mr. Fernando’s message.
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There is a another video where Mr.Fernando was trying to talk friendly to earlier the protester, but they were abusive toward the brigadier and talked about Tamil Nadu fishermen which is irrelevant.
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Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka / February 7, 2018
‘Tamil Solidarity’? Shouldn’t it be called Tiger Solidarity? or Tamil Fascist Solidarity? or Fascist Tamil Solidarity?
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Mallaiyuran / February 7, 2018
Whatever could it be called, but Tamils will be seeking answers for many questions from you. 1). You and Varathar together occupying Tamils’ land on behlaf Indian army. 2). 2009 Zero Casualty game and many more, you what Tamils means. This is the Last election for Old Royals. Sadly they were scared to go on their name so used GLP as their cannon fodder.
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