28 March, 2024

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The Issue Of Missing Persons & PTA

By Mangala Samaraweera – 

Mangala Samaraweera - Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mangala Samaraweera – Minister of Foreign Affairs

“The Government has taken steps to have a new draft law formulated by the eminent members of the National Law Commission and this has recently been handed over to the Ministry of Justice. We want to make sure that the draft legislation also is in line. We want to repeal the PTA but replace it with new legislation in keeping with international best practise.”

The Honourable Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Sampanthan has raised several important questions in this adjournment motion debated today but due to time restraints, I will speak out first on the matter of families of the disappeared and the missing.

Mr. Chairman,

The issue of missing persons is one that is very close to my heart. In fact way back in 1989, I along with Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa at that time were the core joint conveners of the Mothers Front Movement which was formed to deal with the missing people in the South during that era. In fact over the years, I have personally fought for the rights of the families of the missing, the pain and anguish of parents who have lost their children both in the North and the South, wives who have lost their husbands, sisters and brothers who have lost their siblings, is the same everywhere. In fact human grief has no colour, no race, no caste, no religion. Since the new government assumed office in September following the general election, we signed as Hon. Sampanthan said earlier, the Convention against Enforced Disappearances. Actually I believe on the Human Rights Day on the 10th of December last year with the clear objective to ensure that the white van culture and the years and years of enforced disappearances that took place all over the country would be confined to the history books (and) would be a thing of the past. This we are determined to achieve through firm action. In fact we are now in the process of drafting the legislation and hopefully within the next two months, the legislation will also be brought here to the house. No other government has taken this step for long years despite repeated calls to take action in this regard. We took the first step of signing the convention and I said we are now proceeding to work on enabling the legislation and I can assure the house that the work is currently underway to give legislative effect to the provisions of this convention hopefully within the next two months. As a measure of immediate relief to the families of the missing, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the issuance of Certificates of Absence in September, 2015. It is a matter of regret that the legislative amendment that is required to give effect to the issuance of this certificate has still not reached Parliament but my colleague, the Hon. Minister of Justice, has assured us that it will be done so in the very near future. However this matter is being closely followed by the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation and I’m hopeful that this much needed and much awaited piece of legislation would soon be passed enabling the families of missing persons to obtain Certificates of Absence. Just recently the ICRC also completed as you know, a needs assessment of the families of the missing and this was shared with the government late last month. ONUR and my ministry with a host of other line agencies are in the process of studying this to identify and address pressing issues of the families of the missing. I pledge that we will expedite action to explore what interim relief can be provided to the families of the missing. I urge the Honourable Members of the Parliament to also join the Government in assisting this task by suggesting measures that can be taken. In the meantime as I have mentioned before, the Government has worked on a concept note together with the ICRC for the establishment of an Office of Missing Persons by statute which will carry out its work on the basis of the families’ right to know.

Honourable Speaker,

This House is very well aware of the many commissions of the past that were established to look into missing person issues. There were several in the past including the current one which we intend on winding up that was appointed by the previous administration. This House is aware that these commissions were all established on an ad-hoc basis and in a hurry with no consultations locally or with experts outside who are knowledgeable on these issues. As a result, the commissions have been plagued with problems and shortcomings and the families of the missing have had little or no relief. In fact we want to ensure that we avoid these mistakes of the past, neither do we wish to establish mechanisms just to please the international community or to meet various deadlines. As Hon. Bimal Rathanayake very correctly said, we are meeting our commitments to the long suffering people of this country not because of international pressure, not to appease the international community but because our Government, the Government of President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe sincerely believe that we must address the past, we must come to terms with our past if we are to move forward boldly as a nation. I know very well however that for the family members who suffer daily, for those who grieve each day, is a nightmare. Any delay in the part of the authorities even if such a delay is to ensure that they are better served is no solace to them. However I urge you to bear with us a little longer, perhaps until the end of this month or before, allowing us time to consult experts to ensure that before we go to Cabinet to seek approval to establish this permanent office, we get things right at least this time. In fact at the moment we have also a team in South Africa, a technical team, who is also looking at the various aspects of the South African Truth Commission. Of course, I personally believe that while there are many things that we can learn from South Africa, what we finally decide for Sri Lanka must be uniquely Sri Lankan, addressing the needs of our own country and this Government is determined to what is right by the victims and the families of the missing.

And also Mr. Chairman,

As for the other, another important issue Hon. Sampanthan raised, the Prevention of Terrorism Act, I believe and I believe and know that our Government believes is that the PTA has no place in its current form in a democracy such as ours. I did say this in my address to the governing council of the Community of Democracies just last Wednesday in Geneva.

“The Government has taken steps to have a new draft law formulated by the eminent members of the National Law Commission and this has recently been handed over to the Ministry of Justice. We want to make sure that the draft legislation also is in line. We want to repeal the PTA but replace it with new legislation in keeping with international best practise.”

In fact the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, I urge you to know what our views are on this subject and we also agree with your argument and as you know we have been discussing with the various authorities involved in expediting the release of these prisoners as soon as possible. In fact the Government I agree has given repeated commitments to this very House to look into the question of detainees. Some who are on trial have been released on bail but there are some who continue in detention while on trial. The problem for those who are facing trial is that their cases have not been concluded as speedily as expected and continues to drag on. In fact I’m aware of the efforts, and we appreciate the efforts taken by the Honourable Leader of the Opposition here and some members of the Parliament of TNA to urge the detainees who have commenced a fast unto death, to discontinue its action and allowing us space to address this serious issue in a meaningful and sensible manner. Some have listened to reason and given up their fast while some still continue. The lives of each of these detainees, I say with all sincerity, matters a great deal to us. We are a Government that has pledged to uphold and promote and protect the human rights and dignity of all. We lost too many lives on all sides in all parts of our country for long years as a result of action of this nature and as a result of violent conflict. We cannot afford repetition. We don’t want to see repetition and we cannot lose any more lives in connection with the conflict that is long over and if we want to ensure non-recurrence, this is the moment in time, moment in history where we have to win everyone over. The hearts and minds, as President Sirisena constantly says, are more important than the bricks and mortars of development. I admit that there have been delays in addressing this important issue. It is against our collective conscience in this House to allow this situation to continue this way and we must as a Government make a special effort even at this late hour to address this issue expeditiously. In fact tomorrow some of our Ministers want to go and meet some of these detainees ourselves and speak to them and we have also asked the Minister of Justice to expedite this process and to get the Attorney General’s Department to take some action speedily in this regard.

There’s much more I would have liked to have said but due to restraints of time, I’d like to thank you again for allowing me to speak.

*Statement made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Parliament on Missing Persons on 08 March 2016

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  • 5
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    Mangala Samaraweera

    Today The Hindu reported:

    Prabhakaran was alive when Rajapaksa claimed victory: Fonseka

    COLOMBO, March 11, 2016

    T. RAMAKRISHNAN

    Minister for Regional Development and former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Sarath Fonseka told Parliament on Thursday that in May 2009, the then President Mahinda Rajpakasa had declared that the Eelam War-IV had been won even when chief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, V. Prabakaran, was alive.

    Mr. Fonseka said he came to know the death of the LTTE leader only after Mr. Rajapaksa informed the House about the end of the War.

    Mr. Fonseka reiterated his call for the involvement of of foreign observers in the investigation and maintained that the Army had conducted the War in accordance with the accepted standards. He also demanded into a proper investigation into the controversy surrounding the “White Flag killings”.

    Mangala Samaraweera

    We have known this for nearly 7 years from different sources. Now that the then army commander has confirmed it in the parliament, it has added an additional reason for a thorough investigation.

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      Native Vedda

      The question is why there is procrastination with this government on transitional justice.

      The new government has amended the constitution, appointed statutory bodies to investigate, making efforts to reform the constitution ……. in all, some progress in good governance..

      Where is the leadership to provide transitional justice. The government is gutless. Maxwell Paranagame is so parana, suitable for Mahinda is retained. He should have been kicked out way back in May 2015 for his political comments. He is another Sarath De Silva to torpedo a transparent,just and much awaited transitional justice.

      He is is retained despite his prejudicial comments. He has weakened his position by opening his jaws to the media.

      I know the the outcome of his investigation. It will be Sarath De Silva justice.

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      Terror supportive vedda,
      Who cares whether that mass murderer was alive or dead when the war was declared won??
      The important thing is once that low life was dead suicide murder of innocent Sri Lankans ended, Tamil youth and children could have an education and people are free to go about in peace without being blown into pieces.
      Thorough investigation??? Not in your life!

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        Nuisance the Stupid I

        Welcome back.

        What is the difference between you and a knife?

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          Five thumbs down so far to my post indicate still there are Tamil terror supporters among us. Another reason why our troups should not be removed from the north and east.

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      Dear Native,

      Fonny the FM is the one who reported seeing Nadesan carrying the White Flag and coming to surrender.

      Although Fonny was in Beijing, enjoying Peking Duck Pancakes…

      So why an inquiry, wasting our Tax Payer money when the Yahapalanaya can’t even pay for the imports for the Elite nowadays?.

      Besides it is Fonny’s own Soldiers who were accepting the surrendees.

      And FM Mangalan says he knew it all the way.

      Of course he should ..Don’t you think so ?…

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      NV,
      Rohana Wijeweera was murdered while in captivity by the Gov. Did we or our fathers cared? Mangala talking about Mothers Front Movement, but did we see real voice agaist thousands of Sinhalese bodies floated in rivers? Common voice I heard was general public justification of all these Police, STF, Goni Billa brutal murders of their own sons. If we realised and stood up agaist those injustice in the past, those murders of Timil minority would have been much less…

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      What if the stories circulated at that time were true and VP was in army custody at the Panagoda camp?

      Dr.RN

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        Dr.Rajasingham Narendran

        “What if the stories circulated at that time were true and VP was in army custody at the Panagoda camp?”.

        Just after the war had ended I heard VP surrendered to the army and was tortured and later killed, from five different sources.

        The orders to kill him must have come from high up in the hierarchy. If it was true and justifiable, then those who gave orders should have the courage to own up and say as to why they did what they did, argue their case of Justifiable Homicide.

        Well torture and murder are part of Sri Lankan culture.

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          Stupid vedda
          Do you know what happened to Bin Laden? Terrorphillics like you should be happy that you got to see the body of that low life!

          It is absured that the SL government is talking reconciliation with Tamils when majority of them like you are still supporting terrorists.

          • 0
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            The discussion in VP and not on Bin Laden. If VP was in custody at the time declared victory, the claim was justified. However, the obvious question how did MR know that the LTTE leadership was totally decimated to the point that it could not regroup? Did the government know more than we know, even almost six years after victory was declared?

            Dr.RN

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              RN,
              I am disappointed that you can’t link the connection between BL and VP. I thought you are smarter than that. Let me explain to you why I brought up BL. For 2 reasons. First, BL and VP were both brutal terrorists, though BL killed only a few thousands while VP suicide murdered over 100,000 innocent civilians. Now, both had identical endings before going to hell. In BL’s case no one even saw the body which was supposed to have been fed to the sharks. In VP’s case we at least saw the body. Now, how many individuals or entities asked for investigation of the circumstances and behind the scene actives of BL’s death? No one. The whole world knew what a cold blooded killer he was. Why do you want to investigate VP’s death? To bring justice to this mass killer??
              Next, the Tamil terror supporters like you and Vedda are begging and licking the boots of the US to bring “justice” to Tamil terrorist. What “justice” can the US bring after they did the same what SL did to it’s number one terrorist? I am surprized that you still haven’t learned the motives of the west! Do you think their actions are for the love of a bunch of Tamils?
              Let me give you an idea, if you want the GOSL to investigate ask them to investigate and punish the diaspora who funded the terror war including all Tamil “LTTE” leaders who are instigating violence from abroad and also Adele Balasingham who introduce cyanide capsules to child soldiers and is responsible for wiping out a whole generation of Tamils.

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            Dumb nonsense should be some one that cannot chew gum and walk the same time. Does not realize that until a proper investigation is done and those that abused power and murdered people in cold blood are brought to justice there will never be real reconciliation.

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    More action, less talk Mr Samaraweera. Wondering around the world promising nice things is a recipe that Sri Lanka excels in. Under / not deliver is sadly the other recipe Sri Lanka specialises in. More delivery, less talk.

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    Bhahaha … I want human rights .. Bhua hahaha I want my mommy ….

    I don’t know really!

    Its like someone has to sing a lullaby to the donkey Tamils daily to keep the donkey shut up.

    Unless someone baby-sit the Tamil donkey and shove a milk bottle down the throat the donkey bray like there is no tomorrow ..

    What I find about the Tamils is lack of higher order values such as honesty and non-petty-ness.

    Tamils are so petty. We could not wean the Tamil from abusing their own children being used as cannon fodder for so many years.

    Yet here they are loving “human rights”! I think the concept commonly known as hypocrisy is missing from Tamil donkey vocabulary.

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      Vibushana: the donkey’s vocalization is actually more like “wee-snaw”, but many people still believe “hee haw” is correct. it is hee-haw or wee-snaw.

      Bhahaha …is more like your blah blah link language

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      Ba ha ha Vibhushana nose is not going deep enough into the Rajapaksa clan. Some brownnosers have no other way of survival. Pity on them.

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    Will such investigations cover 1987-89 period and mass graves and missing youth in the South too?

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      PinkLips

      “Will such investigations cover 1987-89 period and mass graves and missing youth in the South too?”

      The right question should be “Will such investigations cover the period from 5th April 1971 to January 2015.

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      It should have been from 1956 or even better 1948.
      Old King wanted to leave an opening to trap Chandrika and have him cleared with LLRC. He set the period like this nowhere date limits. When Ambassador Robert Blake felt the Old and Brother Prince had fooled him, he set the same date leave all other alone and catch these guy only.

      Just think; India came in 1987 just because it felt Tamils were humiliated. If a foreign country had a reason to get involved into the fight, certainly the treatment of Tamils were that bad. Just for a moment let leave 1938 aside, but what happened to the team wiped out the Krishanti family and Navali massacre? That is why the Inquiry should cover up all the violent incidents happened in Sri Lanka under the fake democratic governments.

      The problem of this date gained prominence because of the Sinhala Majorities foolish behaviour. They acted like even if they lose their noses they wanted create an obscene look on them to bring unlucky for Tamils. They stood up with the brother prince “zero casualty ” lies when UNHRC wanted to investigate. it seen he was the one did many of the mattara murders too. But the Sinhala Majority supported him on his lies. Even the Sinhala Cinema supporting actresses went to Geneva to prove the “zero casualty’ fib. None of them stood up in Geneva and told the diplomats “yes we want an inquiry, these government have even killed our kids; so please start from 1971”. That time the gentlemen like Pieris could not remember these things because they could not take away from their memory the wine and the women flowed at the Geneva hotels. Now some are just jealous, think the inquiry into the Mullivaikal’s war crime murders may take place. So they want to push the date back to 1971.

  • 11
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    Creating leaders, especially for Tamils is important as much as dealing with political prisoners, missing persons and PTA. I have completed six months living in Jaffna. Based on my findings still Indians and the Westerners are thinking for Tamils. It has been very disappointing reality to me. Tamils can have more freedom when they start to think for themselves. If we give them more than what they deserve, it will be used against innocent people. We can’t afford to let it happen again, especially after three decades of brutal civil war.

    They want more freedom and power so the foreign powers can take advantage of it. Those days LTTE’s camps were the darkest place; now days Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi’s offices, Uthayan newspaper office and Jaffna University are the darkest places, and the foreign powers’ propaganda machines to impose foreign interests. The West and India have got a firm grip on Tamil leaders. Tamils can’t think for themselves; therefore, I would not advocate for more power for Tamils, until they have a decent think tank and start to think for themselves.

    I feel sorry for those political prisoners. Because nobody is there to guide them. Therefore, releasing those political prisoners may backfire on the government; if they are released without a decent rehabilitation programme. The Tamil leaders must be blamed for those political prisoners’ suffering, not the government or the defense forces. Not only the Sri Lankan government, but the entire Asia must watch the Tamil leaders very carefully.

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      Weren’t you the Tamil guy who was locked up in Australia for ‘mental illness’ and wrote to internet forums from the prison. One who had grandiose notions of Asians, including China and India, uniting to fight the West, and a website calling for such, but had no takers among the Indians and the Chinese, who themselves want to work with–if not ape–the West?

      So, first seek treatment for your bipolar disorder; in the manic phase of the disorder, the mind has delusions of grandeur.

      • 7
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        Whoever is smart and ready to pay the price will be a victim of your ruthless power. We all know what you have done to Bradley Manning and Julian Assange. We can imagine what you will do if you got hold of Edward Snowden. Assange and Manning who trusted your democracy and human rights ended inside the Ecuador embassy and prison in the US. But Snowden is free because he trusted Russians. Let’s not talk about what you had done to the Middle East, Vietnam, Native Americans, First Nations in Canada, Australian aboriginal people etc because it is too depressing. You think that you know about democracy and human rights. But smart people know that you only pretend to respect human rights to occupy moral high ground to rule others.

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          Oh Russia? Vladimir Putin, surrounded by murderers and rapists? And people like Ramzan Kadyrov?

          Just yesterday, the post-mortem of a Russian ex-aide of Putin who died at a hotel in Washington DC showed that he died of blunt force trauma, not of heart attack. The guy had been close to Putin and had taken the lead to suppress free media in Russia and established Russia Today, an English Language propaganda TV channel. But he had fallen afoul of those close to Putin, and escaped with a lot of money to the West, and purchased expensive properties.

          Putin had sent thugs to do the dirty work, just as he sent agents with radioactive materials to kill a former KGB agent in London.

          As I said, you should seek mental health treatment before commenting here.

          • 7
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            The readers know who should seek mental health treatment. I mentioned few things, but you only decided to talk about Russians. Because you couldn’t defend on others, you are clean bowled. By the Way Russians live in their own country, but Americans, Australians, Canadians and Kiwis live on others’ homeland which they took on genocide. People like us will continue to expose your doubles standards. Eventually, Your fall will come. Meantime carry-on in your dirty propaganda that Julian Assange is a rapist, Edward Snowden is a traitor, Bradley Manning is a gay and Antany Peter is mental. You are a fool and utter loser, if you think that you can continue to rule the world by joining with brutal Australians to give hardships to Antany Peter.

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              Hey, the internet is free and open; anyone can throw around accusations; such is your grandiosity that you have taken to comparing yourself to the likes of Snowden and Assange, when you are not known to anyone but to a few of us whose memories tend to keep trivia as well.

              My advice you to as a Tamil is this:
              1. There are many things in the world that we inherited that we cannot change, even with superhuman effort; so focus on the things that we can change. Empty rhetoric about anti-imperialism from you, or from more sober Marxists like Prof. Sivasekaram aka Sekara aka SJ will not take Tamils or Sri Lankans as a whole anywhere.

              2. As a Tamil, you are from a small community, and don’t exaggerate any power for that community to change things and influence world events.

              3. If you went to a Western country as a professional or a refugee, the task before you was to become a citizen of that country, accepting that country’s laws and constitution. It doesn’t mean you have to accept every value they hold or the past injustices committed within or by that country; most countries have such skeletons; but there is freedom of expression, and I too have openly expressed my criticism of my own adopted country and have never faced any retaliation. And for every Donald Trump, there is also a Bernie Sanders.

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                You are a Tamil [Edited out] Who adore and worship foreign powers. That is why you destroyed Sri Lanka. You have nothing after 30 years of brutal civil war. You must seek doctors’ help instead of telling me what to do. You don’t think for yourself, but the Westerners and Indians are thinking for you. Shame on you brainless Tamil madman.

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                Agnos,

                Please read your statement “Commparing yourself to the likes of Snowden and Assange, when you are not known to anyone but to a few of us whose memories tend to keep trivia as well”.

                How Tamils and others will get to know my knowledge, sacrifices and hardships when you are too busy listening to Indians and the Westerners to destroy your motherland and your fellow countrymen?

                You have also mentioned that you have openly expressed your criticism of your own adopted country and have never faced any retaliation. Why do you think Edward Snowden is hiding in Russia? I am smart, so please think before you write. By the way can you please provide details of your criticism? I bet you got nothing other than talking about war crimes in Sri Lanka, but you have failed to acknowledge that the diaspora’s money made the civil war brutal. Literally, your money pushed the Sri Lankan government to go this far. Therefore, blame yourself first. I don’t think you would agree with me, because you don’t have the knowledge, neither ready to sacrifice as I do. It’s easier for you to let the foreigners think for yourself, and enjoy their benefits and perks, but I won’t let you to betray the innocent people. Every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take. I’ll be watching you very carefully.

                You said that you are a Tamil, but I act as I believed you. I am well aware you could be anyone. I wouldn’t surprise if you are a Westerner or an Indian. I know how much the West and India have been using the media to shape the local, national and foreign policies to fit their needs.

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        Agnos

        “Weren’t you the Tamil guy who was locked up in Australia for ‘mental illness’

        According to some wise people all men and women are mad, the difference is in the degree of madness.

        All are MAD because they aspire to and work hard for Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).

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          You can say whatever you want. But the truth is I have exposed and humiliated the White man more than any other Asian. Due this I have faced lots of hardships. The White man even stopped me from attending my mother’s funeral. But I don’t regret it whatsoever. My mother is very proud of me, because I didn’t kill my fellow countryman neither supported the killers nor fooled by foreign powers in the name of Eelam. I have achieved few things in my life. I have a business degree from Australia, I have read more than 300 books to develop my knowledge, I lived in four continents and traveled to more than 25 countries. However, my biggest achievement is I’ve chosen to be single than marrying a Tamil. The worse thing I could ever do for Sri Lanka, Asia and the world is reproducing a Tamil.

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          Native Vedda,

          You can say whatever you want. But the truth is I have exposed and humiliated the White man more than any other Asian. Due this I have faced lots of hardships. The White man even stopped me from attending my mother’s funeral. But I don’t regret it whatsoever. My mother was very proud of me, because I didn’t kill my fellow countryman neither supported the killers nor fooled by foreign powers in the name of Eelam. I have achieved few things in my life. I have a business degree from Australia, I have read more than 300 books to develop my knowledge, I lived in four continents and traveled to more than 25 countries. However, my biggest achievement is I’ve chosen to be single than marrying a Tamil. The worse thing I could ever do for Sri Lanka, Asia and the world is reproducing a Tamil.

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          Native Vedda,

          You can say whatever you want. But the truth is I have exposed and humiliated the White man more than any other Asian. Due this I have faced lots of hardships. The White man even stopped me from attending my mother’s funeral. But I don’t regret it whatsoever. My mother was very proud of me, because I didn’t kill my fellow countryman neither supported the killers nor fooled by foreign powers in the name of Eelam. I have achieved few things in my life. I have a business degree from Australia, I have read more than 300 books to develop my knowledge, I lived in four continents and traveled to more than 25 countries. However, my biggest achievement is I’ve chosen to be single than marrying a Tamil. The worst thing I could ever do for Sri Lanka, Asia and the world is reproducing a Tamil.

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      I also would like to stress the ​importance of allowing diaspora to contest an election by amending the constitution. It will unite the people otherwise it will continue to create division. The West is so powerful and knowledgeable, it can implement its strategy very skilfully. It doesn’t have to depend on diaspora. Plus every country has strict laws on transferring money into or out of the country. Therefore, no point in saying that politicians will take the money to the other country. If they do there are enough ways to recover.

      The government is worried about allowing diaspora to contest an election, but the West is already inside the country. The war is over and diaspora is a toothless tiger. Now the West can’t achieve that much through diaspora. Therefore, the West has been intruding as the leaders of human rights and development partners in order to impose its interests. So many NGOs are here than ever before. The West is throwing money through the NGOs to expand its soft power, especially to isolate China in order to dominate the Indian Ocean.

  • 3
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    Mangala Samaraweera is paying back humongous political donations he received from LTTE rump.

    Destroy the country and be a hero in your own right.

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    Dimwit

    “Mangala Samaraweera is paying back humongous political donations he received from LTTE rump. “

    Were you the conduit?

  • 0
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    How about Isaipriya and Balachandran, Mr. Samaraweera, Are they missing too?

  • 0
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    Minister,
    PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop building these houses:

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      Pl stop MinisterSwaminathan from buildingsteel houses in the North.

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        Steel houses and tin fences!

        To hasten climate change !!

        Sorry, they’re beginning to give the war-ravaged something after so many tear !!!

        Hon Minister, please tell the other Hon members of the cabinet that it’s better to leave those people under the trees rather than entice them to a slow … er… health risk…… (I nearly said ethnocide)

  • 0
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    Those detained under the PTA for periods of up to 15 years without any trial request early judicial process.

    Opposition Leader Sampanthan divulged the reason why no trials are being held – police officers who should prosecute are reluctant to do so, presumably because they have no evidence for conviction.

    The minister should request the Minister of Justice to expedite the trials – if there is no evidence the prisoners should be released.
    Saying that “trials of some have not been concluded speedily” is useless.
    This bluff is unacceptable in a democracy.

  • 0
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    Mr. Mangala Samaraweera:

    What happened to the $ 18 Billion that you found just before the elecgion, some where in the world, hidden by Rajapakses ?

  • 0
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    Manlaga did not wanted to say in the joint statement he leased in Washington that the government has already accepted America’s offer to help them find accountability and reconciliation with Tamils. That is an offer gave by State Secretary John Kerry when he was in Colombo. When last time Magala went to Washington, he re-offered it. In the presentation, Assistant Secretary Biswal reminded him about their offer. Mangala, even by accident, did not say anything about that. There was no answer from Malaga for the three times repetition of the same offer by American officials. All what he tried to show off to IC is the Old King is not allowing their government to do anything good. There (Washington) he released an statement saying he was pursuing reconciliation and development only. Now he is discounting even the bricks and mortar and saying the New King does not want them. What a comedy is that?

    He is not talking about releasing the falsely imprisoned people under PTA. All his talk is about just lent a little bit for the removal of PTA and circumvent all the same prisoners under a new one and keep the same prisons with the approval of IC approved PTA.

    After all these, if somebody believe Mangala, all one can say about those people is the God has revenged some people to have this kind of ultra faith on actual thieves, after so many experiences. Oh God! I beg you please bless them for once for the sin you have made to them!

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    Is there an accurate count of the missing military personnel and what action has been taken to compensate their families?

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    Yahapalanaya govt’s style reconciliation

    Why Matara voters are this dumb ?

    The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera today charged that there was an ongoing conspiracy by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and several other personnel to chase out Sinhalese from their native lands in the North and East with the intention of re-merging the two provinces.

    The Northern Province and the Eastern Province were merged into one contiguous Northeastern Province with the implementation of the 13th Amendment. Later in was again divided into two provinces.

    The initiative was launched from March 4. The Northern Provincial Council and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is backing this move to chase Sinhalese people away and preventing the resettlement of them, the Ven. Thera said.

    No support was given for the development of the Sinhalese Education Zones in Vavuniya and Weli Oya areas, and no appointments were made to the existing teacher vacancies, he said.

    No appointments had also been made to the State sectors in the Northern Province, while taking steps to transfer the existing State workers conspiringly, he charged.

    There is an ongoing process of resettling Tamils in lands which were taken from the Sinhalese people forcibly. The TNA had forcibly stopped building houses in Kokilai Sinhala fishing village. Kokilai, Sampath Nuwara and Weli Oya are ancient lands of the Sinhalese, Gnanasara Thera said.

    The Ven. Thera was referring to the houses that were being rebuilt by the Government in these areas.
    There are about 325 fishing families, who are permanent residents of the Kokilai village without proper houses. The money given to reconstruct 65 houses that were given by late Ranasinghe Premadasa had been used to resettle Tamils in that village, the Thera said.

    A 50 acre block of the Kok Eliya land , which was the only Sinhala village in Vavuniya had been bulldozed by a member of TNA (Sinnamon), who had been a leader of the LTTE pistol gang and taken steps to resettle Tamils in that village, he said.

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