Thisuri Wanniarachchi
It was simply disgraceful listening to our members of the opposition speak in Nugegoda yesterday, but let’s get some facts straight.
First of all, let’s be real about crowd size. MR was President of this country for almost a decade. Don’t be awestruck by the fact that he can bring 5,000 people to a rally. I mean this was a man who got 6 million votes in 2010 and and 5 million in 2015, if he can’t bring a fraction of that down to a supermarket car park that’s not normal, so let’s chill about the numbers.
Secondly, this country is a democracy. That’s all we’ve got. That’s why it stung really hard when MR changed the democratic terms in our constitution to run for an extra term of Presidency. In political science, that’s called a constitutional coup. It happened in Congo, it happened in Burundi, it happened in Zimbabwe, and it happened in Sri Lanka in 2014. That’s what we went down in political science textbooks as, a country with constitutional coups. That shifts us from a democracy to an autocracy. We restored our democracy through the 19th amendment in 2015 so a President won’t have those executive powers to blackmail a parliament into a constitutional coup again. And now to hear Kumara Welgama say “We will make Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa the Prime Minister in 2017” is a threat to our democracy. MR ran for President and Prime Minister and lost both elections. Not just once, but twice. The people rejected him multiple times but he just won’t give up. MR has gone from a king and a savior to the creepy ex-boyfriend who keeps following you down the Nugegoda bus stand. We just want to be like, “dude, stop following us, just give up and go start a new life and take your loser friends with you.” We have to agree that despite the many decades of corruption in this country, the racism, the sexism, the homophobia, all we have had is the fact that we can vote every 4/6 years and choose our representatives. And for someone to threaten the core principle this country is held together by is disgraceful. And we must not take that lightly.
Thirdly, the homophobia. There were kids coming home from tuition classes yesterday, there were kids watching the news last night, who heard the classless words of these full grown adults yesterday. The fact that they think calling someone homosexual is an insult alone shows their miseducation. You want to call this government a homosexual government? Great. Then, that’s what it is. And guess what our homosexual government got us GSP+, a $1.5 billion IMF allocation, restored our diplomatic ties, gave MR and his JO friends the the freedom to protest and disrupt people’s daily life just to make a political statement, without being blocked by barricades, shot at or picked up later that night by a white van. So I’ll take a homosexual government any day over your Rajapaksa-Welgama-Weerawansa straight masculine macho government that put us $64 billion in debt, killed teenagers when they protested for clean water and changed the words in the constitution to their benefit.
I know you have frustrations with this current government, most of us do. Politics is frustrating. Think about it, for the first time in our history two of the largest parties in the country, that have for many decades shared completely opposing political views, built on opposite values and have run against and attacked each other are working together; of course it’s going to be frustrating. And if we are to grow, we have to be frustrated, we have to be angry, and we have to demand more. But don’t make the mistake of mixing up the frustration you have with the current government with the fear you felt of the previous one. There’s a big difference and we have to acknowledge that.
All this being said, yesterday made me incredibly proud. I realized that today our democracy is stronger than it ever was. My country is the kind of country that an opposition party with a minority of support can exercise their freedom of assembly, without being arrested, or obstructed. Tolerance is a key part of democracy and yesterday it shun brighter than ever, and we have (in the words of the JO) our homosexual government to thank for it.
Annesley Dias / January 28, 2017
Brilliant Article Thisuri. Its time for yahapalanya to put their words into action. One single Bond scam by Mahendran has turned JO thieves into innocent party.
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Samson Gunaratne / January 28, 2017
It is the greater mistake of the current govt not being able to promote what they have achieved while all the evil men make every effort to abuse the situation as they were experts in making black money into white valid currencies. At least one of the high profile incidents/crimes directly made by former VVIP family can send all the men into silence, but they have been waiting for a moment they could collect everything at once can not please the general public to this day.
Mahinda Rajaakshe has no whatsoever right to stand with the words ” when I regain power, I will confistcate all the assets”. HIghly revengeful man s and his acts we well watched at the time, real war hero former AC jailed for all the allegations made on him to that time. 3 long years, Sarath Fonseka was kept in dark in the prisonsas any average prisoners woudl go through it. However drug kin pins convicted murders – rapists of the former goverment are today though in jail but giving all the good treatments not to notice that they are in a prison. This is the greater change.
I believe, the current government must act today than tomorrow, with the high profile allegations where they can now catch the bulls by their horns. Sufficient even prima facies evidence are available in terms of Thadjudeen and other high cases, so that Namal or Yoshita or both could be sent to Jails in the near future. Yoshita the way he had been abusing the laws, while being in lanken forces, the lanken laws could have sent him to jail sessions by today. But the decency of the current men are overflowing not to treat them still considering former leader should earn some special credit to have mastered the end phase of the war – actually pardoning him and giving him some special place.
However, the abusive man seems to be not knowing the gravity that his is playing the BURING FIRE today – he has been rabbleroucing on and on –
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Sinchuappu / January 28, 2017
We are in 21st century – with the science and medicine being developed than those days, now the world is tending to allow the values of person regardless of their gender. Meaning no matter what it is – man to man, women to women or man to transgender or woman to transgender, they are giving the place the person than the appearance sexuality. So long the person has been fine, no matter it has been what kind of relationships they have been making each other. LGBT has been a human right issue on the west. Politicians largely consider it today than had been few years ago. Finally what matters is the person remains as person. Some senior politicians for example made homosexuality an open discussion seeing the gravity of discriminations that homosexuals have been facing. However, societies of lanken of regaionl nature with their reglioius stances seem hardly accepting it, since social stigmatizations and perceptions on homosexuals have been established in the society for such a long time. That will need more time than in the curret west- however, my wish is not to discriminate our lovelyones, just becase of their stances have been different from the conventional thoughts, that the parent generations have been used to.
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Dan Fernando / January 28, 2017
To lanken homosexual govt is worst than a tyranny such as of a Mahinda Rajaakshe. But for the west where human rights are placed above anything and everything, homosexual govt is more human and favourable. THat says everything.
Ideal would be – a democracy led country – no discriminations are permitted for any kind social categories. Now with science and medicine have been recognizing homosexuality would not be a failure falling on th psychology of a person, things seem to be changing drastically towards the promotion and recognition of equality to all gender related relationships.
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Jose maton / January 28, 2017
Do you work for the govt? Do you get paid by the government?
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suppa123 / January 28, 2017
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Amarasiri / January 29, 2017
Thisuri Wanniarachchi
RE: Thanks, Homosexual Government
1. “It was simply disgraceful listening to our members of the opposition speak in Nugegoda yesterday, but let’s get some facts straight.”
2. “First of all, let’s be real about crowd size. MR was President of this country for almost a decade. Don’t be awestruck by the fact that he can bring 5,000 people to a rally.”
3. “Secondly, this country is a democracy. That’s all we’ve got. That’s why it stung really hard when MR changed the democratic terms in our constitution to run for an extra term of Presidency.”
Thanks for the write up, that is succinct. 1, 2, 3 MaRa MaRa ChaTu MaRa AmaNa maRa HoRa MaRa DhuShana MaRa still trying to foll the Fools, Modayas and Mootals. Was able to get only 5,000 of them?
4. “The people rejected him multiple times but he just won’t give up. MR has gone from a king and a savior to the creepy ex-boyfriend who keeps following you down the Nugegoda bus stand.”
He is beig advised by Wimal Modawansa et al whose math saya 2/2 =0.
Somebody needs to tell them 2/2 = 5,000 or less.
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Amarasiri / January 29, 2017
Thisuri Wanniarachchi
RE: Thanks, Homosexual Government
https://youtu.be/T1r9NHfQI2M
The president says he threw out homosexuals and prostitutes.
He threw out Mahendran and appointed Commissary.
a etc..
What about the other appointments, pf crooks of MaRa…
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Justice & Fairplay / January 31, 2017
I agree with Annesley.
Ignore the insults Thisuri, for there will always be the gripers and the whingers for whom nothing is right other than their ‘side’. They cannot see the whole picture for they are inside the frame and tied by their ankles to one ideology only.
There are many things that can be done better for sure, but in assessing the ‘whole’ picture, you have displayed a maturity which will be the envy of those who now decry you so tastelessly.
If you are indeed an intern, be proud of it, for the best of men and women have been interns someplace sometime, and if what you have delivered here is the work of an intern, wow, the mind boggles where would you be, when you are the final product!!!
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Sinhala_Man / January 28, 2017
Dear Thisuri Wanniarachchi,
Good for you to have spoken out on this subject. It is one which most avoid: some because they are just not interested in it; others because they feel that this is a private matter which shouldn’t become political; yet others because they don’t want to be branded as people who are advocates of something which could be thrown back at them.
However, the Opposition has got so nasty on this issue that I agree that we have to ask them to shut up and stop consenting adults from doing whatever they want to in private.
However, there’s the rub. Chamindra Weerawardhana writes very well. But when she/he posts that sort of picture on these sites, it provokes a negative gut reaction from many. Let me confess from me as well, but I know that it is an irrational reaction on my part, and I will continue to support liberalisation of these laws.
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Sinhala_Man / January 29, 2017
I’m sorry if there is some ambiguity that has crept in to the second paragraph.
I meant to say that the political Opposition should stop HARASSING consenting adults who are doing things in PRIVATE.
Why can’t we recognise that some things are just not our business? In this case the corrupt individuals who ran the country as they pleased for a decade will cotton on to anything that gives them political mileage.
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WonderingMan / January 28, 2017
Not sure being called homosexual is an insult but some leaders in GOVERNMENT are married and remain in the closet for some reason. Know why?
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Soma / January 28, 2017
How easy is it for you to forget the good done by MR. And for your info the two main parties have not got together. It’s just like Karu and 20 others joined MR.
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Silva / January 29, 2017
“How easy is it for you to forget the good done by MR.”
Read what she has written man,
MR has gone from a king and a saviour to the creepy ex-boyfriend who keeps following you down the Nugegoda bus stand.
No doubt everybody appreciated MR when he won the war against the terrorists (his first term from 2005 – 2010) but what did he do after winning the election in 2010 till he lost in 2015?
He along with his brothers and sons became a family of dictators. By white van abductions, attack on journalists and killing those who protested, they instilled fear in the minds of the people. By creating grease devils and by making use of thugs in robes, he threatened the minorities and made their lives miserable. He allowed all around him to rob the government/public funds and wasted millions on good for nothing projects and foreign travels. Took Chinese loans on high interest rates and spent lavishly or rather wasted it. The list goes on and on. The only good he did was getting rid of the LTTE, but later he became worse than the LTTE, abused the country.
When his second term was over, he did not retire like every other presidents, instead he was greedy and tried for the third and lost. Even after losing, he did not retire but tried again for PM and lost. He is still hanging on to gain power and the only reason is to make his son the next king and the JO is riding on his back due to his popularity among the fools who soon forgot his past, otherwise JO will be nowhere.
This government may also be bad but definitely not as bad as the previous.
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Chulantha / January 28, 2017
My sentiments exactly. We may question this government at every turn but nowhere in our minds is the thought of bringing back the hooligans of the past.
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Mohan Hapuarachchi / January 28, 2017
But past hooligans are already there in the government isn’t it
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chiv / January 28, 2017
Well said, thanks for calling a spade a spade without mincing words.This is nothing but a bunch of crooks, who are exploiting,cunning and selfish, willing to do what ever it takes to save them from their past misdeeds.
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Saro / January 28, 2017
Thisuri Wanniarachchi
“MR ran for President and Prime Minister and lost both elections. Not just once, but twice. The people rejected him multiple times but he just won’t give up. MR has gone from a king and a savior to the creepy ex-boyfriend who keeps following you down the Nugegoda bus stand. We just want to be like, “dude, stop following us, just give up and go start a new life and take your loser friends with you.”
You have said it eloquently and loudly. “A creepy ex-boyfriend”. He has no shame, he will keep following until shamed by the very people voted for him to get elected as president twice. He not only tasted political power but also allegedly made billions to be channeled in different ways including foreign banks through his sons, relatives and friends.
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Mohan Hapuarachchi / January 28, 2017
I hope we haven’t forgotten that RW lost 29 times.
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Das / January 28, 2017
I am surprised people forgotten the atrocities, murders of parliamentarians, Thaudeen , billions he robbed n took to Seychelles in just two years.What a life that was led by MR n he to 40 odd people to UN spending billions.He made the country bankrupt n he promoted racialism n he was a murderer n a thug.
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Gona / January 28, 2017
lol the government even brought in the US homeland department to find the loot of Mahinda but still could not find a dime but seems it’s blind followers have tracked the money to Seychelles. Why don’t you apply for the US homeland department child?
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Mohan / January 28, 2017
May be true, but at the same time people should not forget the time we had during 88 and 89 period.
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Redna / January 28, 2017
Thank you for a well laid out article. Rajapakse being the king of thieves is not about to relent in order to save his skin as well as those of his thieving friends. Glad that we got an independent statement to say that he could not muster a crowd of 5,000. Still I bet Geetha will say it is 2 million plus.
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Vishoo / January 28, 2017
So well written . Also I think you look very beautiful :)
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Mohan / January 28, 2017
May be the Beauty is true.
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Saro / January 28, 2017
An adult / two have the freedom to choose homosexuality in a free world without harming anyone else.
This can also be a way to control population explosion.
At the rate the world population is exploding by second one is forced to wonder where on earth they can find enough resources to meet the demand because the available land area is limited. Be realistic.
It’s also said that for children adopted by homosexual couple there is no role model. Look at heterosexual partners and the fathers who allow their children to get involved in all sorts of crimes including swindling others’ money and hoard in foreign banks and conspire with uncles in high position to murder competitors in sports.
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Mohan / January 28, 2017
Correct. But this country has more burning issues to be attend. Surely this should come to limelight at one point. But we should fix all the important issues first.
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Mohan Hapuarachchi / January 28, 2017
Correct. But this country has more burning issues to be attend. Surely this should come to limelight at one point. But we should fix all the important issues first.
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Raj / January 28, 2017
Wonderfully described. Thank you Thisuri……
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Nelun / January 28, 2017
Excellent article.Isn’t it good that we have thinking sensible journalists,who can put forward facts as they should be seen?I hope some of the other Media personnel report accurately instead of being ‘flowery’ and evasive.When our present PM was in power he was accused of being ‘partial’ to the President and criticized in the ‘ugliest’way possible.All he did was to bow to the peoples authority when they voted in the previous Government and worked (no one thought he did) without causing trouble, to set up an entirely new Government at the correct time, at an election,with help from all the others who saw the gloomy future, which Sri Lanka seemed to be heading for.Nothing is perfect but this is a step in the right direction for much needed change.
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Dhushan Ekanayake / January 28, 2017
Well said Thisuri. Hope our wonderful country will always choose the path of democracy. And people like you are an integral part of this process. Keep it up.
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Patriot / January 28, 2017
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Liberal One / January 28, 2017
I went through the article like three times and still could not understand the fear the writer is trying to instill. Seriously was she working for one of those tiger cells in Colombo? That was the only kind that had to fear the white vans.
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Logic / January 28, 2017
Actually to my knowledge, I believe her father was a war hero and ranking member of the army. I think calling her a member of a tiger cell is the most ignorant thing to say.
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The Realistic One / January 28, 2017
After 3 times if you can’t understand something so simple maybe you should stop commenting on it. Clearly you have no idea what your talking about.
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Freddie / January 28, 2017
According to this “intelligent” woman running for presidency for 2 times is democratic but 3 times is a “constitutional coup”. Logic anyone? She seriously needs to brush up her IQ and work a little on logical thinking before calling ordinary Sri Lankans idiots.
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The Realistic One / January 28, 2017
Look who is taking about logic. Seems like you didn’t understand what she was trying to say. Its not about the number. Its about him changing the constitution of his own benefit disregarding everything and everyone.
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Jehan / January 28, 2017
Typical UNP logic. According to the writer JR changing the constitution and becoming an executive president without an election is democratic but MR running for presidency for the 3rd time is a coup.
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Hesh / January 28, 2017
The government was claiming that only 18000 attended the rally while its cohorts are now claiming that only 5000 attended. Panic anyone?
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Lalith / January 28, 2017
If Ranil is employing bond scam money to prop up his governments popularity he might better recruit more creative people than this. This is just naive exaggeration.
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Daya / January 28, 2017
If calling someone a heterosexual isn’t an insult I wonder how calling someone a homosexual is an insult. Coming out of the closet might help without hating the ordinary people of the country.
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Libtard / January 28, 2017
Yeah your government got us the GSP+ but managed to drag down exports of the country by 10% in just 2 years. You should have mumbled only about dictators, white vans and golden horses.
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Buwa / January 28, 2017
Looks like this out of touch colombo based elitist doesn’t know that half the opposition is haunted by the FCID but the moment someone decides to join Ranils jumbo cabinet the FCID goes away. Oh and yes 10 university union activists are also in custody for trying to exercise the glorious democratic rights your government gave.
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Saman / January 28, 2017
Nice article.
Only point which doesn’t make sense is “how does a third term makes it’s a constitutional coup?”, does it make a country such as Australia categorized in the same sense as the countries mentioned in the article; I think it’s not the number of terms but the intentions of the individual that determines the classification. Robert Menzies and John Howard had 16 and 12 years as Prime Minister with four year terms. The point on third term constitutional coup is a non existence.
Well written about homophobia.
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Greg / January 28, 2017
The democracy where the president, the prime minister, the opposition leader and the chief opposition whip is chosen from the same political alliance. I’m sure even the Congo didnt do this.
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Think Big / January 28, 2017
Dear writer, what your government doesn’t tell you and what you can’t research for yourself is this. The total imports that goes through the GSP+ scheme is Euro 5 billion. Total EU exports stand at Euro 2 trillion. So 5 / 2000 * 100 is 0.25%. Do you think we should let foreigners dictate terms to us so we can have a preferential trade advantage for 0.25% of imports? Have some self esteem. A population will self esteem will do more good to this country than GSP+
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Saro / January 29, 2017
Think Big but small in fact.
“Sri Lanka is a major beneficiary of the trading opportunities offered by GSP+. In 2008, EU imports from Sri Lanka under GSP+ totalled EUR 1.24 billion. The most important import products benefiting from these trade preferences were t-shirts and other clothing items, as well as fisheries products. After temporary withdrawal takes effect, EU imports from Sri Lanka will instead be subject to standard GSP preferential treatment, under which Sri Lanka would still enjoy preferential access to the EU market for its key export items such as clothing that is at least as generous as it presently enjoys in other major developed country markets.”
Most of the people affected were women employees in garment industries. Sri Lanka cannot afford to lose such a big market for our products. EU
Distortion of facts
“Do you think we should let foreigners dictate terms to us so we can have a preferential trade advantage for 0.25% of imports? “
To enter civilised nations Sri Lanka has to have a true democracy (Rajapakse was going down the slippery road to autocracy), press freedom, respect human rights, human treatment of detainees without torture, stop raping of women by police and military personnel, independent judiciary and stop bottom trawling of fish. They are few of the terms EU expected to follow for GSP+ concession.
They are beneficial to Sri Lankan citizens. Bottom trawling will make fish disappear. Impeachment of chief justice to toe in line with political leaders is suicidal.
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Anton J. Fernando / January 28, 2017
Ms Thisuri.
Absolutely brilliant, thanks for your courage and honesty.
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justice / January 28, 2017
What are you proud about?
Have you gone north and seen the military regime and how they have deprived citizens of their birthrights – homes, lands and livelihoods.
You live in the south, with ‘blinkers’ on, in your heart and mind & soul.
The latest atrocity is the merciless assault of Tamil fishermen who got stranded on Kachchativu due to running out of fuel for their boat, by the navy personnel.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=38565
Do visit the parts of your country under a merciless military regime and see how life goes on there.
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Paba / January 28, 2017
To the best of my knowledge,Prime Minister Wickremesinghe failed at a number of elections but he is still in politics. Why isn’t he (in the words of the writer) a “creepy ex-boyfriend” ?
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Rahula / January 28, 2017
If it was not for Chinese meddling the current government might have been able to do a better job in protecting the environment as was promised. The Chinese monkey on Sri Lanka’s back needs to be dealt with to have a real chance e at demo.
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