By M.A. Sumanthiran –
M.A. Sumanthiran
The Tamil National Alliance has achieved a resounding victory at the 2015 General Election, successfully overcoming the challenges and fierce opposition it faced.
For the second time this year, the Tamil People have shown a clear intention to strengthen the hand of the Tamil National Alliance. They have done so keeping intact the goal of their long term political struggle, and with hope that their lives will be restored. Our People’s clear recognition of the crucial nature of this election, and their overwhelming response in casting their vote and thus ensuring the victory of the Tamil National Alliance, once again reflects to the world the great political wisdom of the Tamil People. Let me take this opportunity to first humbly express my heartfelt thanks to all those who voted for us.
Let me also express my heartfelt thanks to all the people of my native Jaffna who placed their trust in me and cast the 58,043 preferential votes I received from the Jaffna electoral division. This victory is just the beginning for us.
My humble and affectionate thanks to all the Provincial Council Members and Local Council Members of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi who stood by me and gave of their time and energy, working tirelessly for my victory, expecting nothing in return. I will need your continued help and cooperation in the future as well.
This victory also belongs to the youth who campaigned for me, going from door to door, introducing me to people who did not know about me, and clarifying the doubts and questions concerning my political stance. Their clear thinking and political understanding gives me great hope for the future of Tamil politics. I am also aware of youth who have a part in this victory by way of their work via facebook. My thanks to you as well.
I see my victory as the victory of my politics. I had decided that if I contested and lost this election, I would withdraw from the political arena. The People have chosen me despite the overwhelming false allegations and propaganda that targeted me. This strongly reflects their faith and dedication to my political stance – the politics of soft power. This victory is a victory for soft power. This victory is a victory for our future. This victory is the victory of our youth.
The Tamil People cannot experience any more loss. We cannot continue to lose our youth in devastating numbers in the future. Now is the time to move forwards, with dignity, towards what has been achieved as a result of our suffering. Emotional speeches and empty rhetoric will only weaken us politically and will never result in a solution dawning.
I bow to the decree of the Tamil People. I will serve according to the mandate given. I will work tirelessly to reach a solution to the National problem and at the same time make a concrete contribution towards solving the day to day problems of our People, and strengthening our youth.
Your participation as a People does not end with your vote. You play an important role in providing me with direction and in strengthening our politics.
Let us decide our destiny.
*M. A. Sumanthiran – Member of Parliament for the District of Jaffna
Colombo man / August 22, 2015
The election result shows that TNA has got 16 seats out of 225 seats in parliament.
So please fall in line with the political reality.
And cooperate in building a better Sri Lanka.
Let the Global Tamils who are not sensitive to the hopes and aspirations of the local Tamils govern their own countries where ever they are domiciled.
Aryubowan, wanakkam
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Native Vedda / August 22, 2015
Colombo man
“And cooperate in building a better Sri Lanka.”
Do you know you need two to tango and two hands to clap?
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Leelawathie / August 23, 2015
Already now they have started to work on the promises. I heard Prez and few turned up in the north to work on that yesterday – making every arragements to some hundred villagers being given chance to go back to their previous areas.
The current rulers would see every right thing to do by discussing with them. They would stay away from taking actions if possible thorugh discussions.
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Nihal Perera / August 22, 2015
It is time that TNA and its pro-LTTE elements stop fooling Tamil population in SL. You have misled Tamils by promising a pie-in-the-sky dream of an Eelam, which will never happen in Sri Lanka, and poisoning them with anti-Sinhalese propaganda with the help of your pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora outfits like BTF,etc. So stop the charade and accept the reality. Tamils are better off in a united Sri Lanka where every citizen has the freedom to choose, live, work,and worship once faith, regardless of their ethnicity. Do not try to divide people using your racist slogans like Tamil land, grivences, self-determination, bullshit. Tamils are better off in SL than any other place, especially compare to neibouring India. So get real..
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Native Vedda / August 22, 2015
Nihal Perera
“So stop the charade and accept the reality.”
All right, you want them to convert to Sinhala/Buddhism.
What is your message to the Sinhala/Buddhists?
Do you want the Sinhala/Buddhists to kick the minorities out of the island if they don’t convert to Sinhala/Buddhism or if they refuse to accept tyranny of the majority?
For instant if some government politicians and armed forces burnt down their much loved library do you expect the minorities to shut up and accept as if it was their national duty and continue as no wrong has been committed against their culture, education, history, heritage, ….?
I think the minorities should shut and put up with what is given to them. They should not ask for more like Oliver Twist in Charles Dicken’s novel.
What do you think?
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Raman / August 22, 2015
Mr.Colombo Man
Please listen. Global Tamils are not foreigners. They are the people who were chased away by the Sinhala-Buddhist thugs by the pogroms of 1958,1977 and 1983. They are also the civilian people who managed to escape from the aerial bombing and army atrocities unfolded by your government for the last 30 years.
They are our mouth piece because we Tamils do not have free speech in your country. You no what happened to the Tamils like Taraki Sivaram, Raviraj,Joseph Pararajasingham and many others who tried to represent Tamil views publicly. That is why we need out Tamil brothers who were chased away and now living in other countries to speak for us. Only they can tell our plight without the fear of white van abductions. I know you are worried that our global Tamils are exposing the Sinhala-Buddhist agenda to the rest of the world.
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The Rogue Ayer / August 23, 2015
Raman,
“Please listen. Global Tamils are not foreigners. They are the people who were chased away by the Sinhala-Buddhist thugs by the pogroms of 1958,1977 and 1983. They are also the civilian people who managed to escape from the aerial bombing and army atrocities unfolded by your government for the last 30 years.”
Just to remind you of the many Tamils who were killed or chased away by other Tamils like the LTTE and other militant groups.
Try to be objective.
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The Rogue Ayer / August 23, 2015
According to the Sunday Island the TNA might nominate two women from their National List. This move would be very welcome considering the lack of women MPs.
Using my solar powered calculator it looks like there might be three Tamil women MPs soon. Mrs Maheswaran from the UNP and the two from TNA.
“There are only a dozen or so women in the new parliament, but the TNA is expected to nominate two women from their national list which could increase female representation in the 225-member assembly.”
http://island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=130437
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DemoCrazy / August 23, 2015
Cool down Rogue Ayer. We need the National list Carrots to shut up the mouths of a few who have started spilling the beans on the shenanigans which went on during the preferential vote counting process. Yes democracy TNA style is business as usual when it comes to fraudulent behaviour.
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The Rogue Ayer / August 23, 2015
DemoCrazy,
I wrote that the TNA might nominate two females.
I am sure that Dr ex Professor ITAK vice president Sittambalam and EPRLF Suresh P. will fight very hard to be nominated instead of any females or males. How “clean” ans suitable these guys are for the new era of good governance is an interesting question.
Despite spending a lot of money and trashing walls, painting roads etc to the maximum Uthayan Sara almost lost his seat. Cannot blame the voters. I have not heard of Sara doing anything in the Parliament since 2010.
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DemoCrazy / August 24, 2015
Rogue Ayer,
Check this video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=308qF-yWUus
The above is Uthayan Sara entering the vote counting Booth and the watch/listen/observe the reaction of the other candidate waiting outside. Is it legal to do what he did?. What was he doing there?. And interestingly the Vaddukoddai vote counting centre is the source of dispute over preferential vote shenanigans
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The Rogue Ayer / August 25, 2015
DemoCrazy,
“The above is Uthayan Sara entering the vote counting Booth and the watch/listen/observe the reaction of the other candidate waiting outside. Is it legal to do what he did?. What was he doing there?. And interestingly the Vaddukoddai vote counting centre is the source of dispute over preferential vote shenanigans.”
Does the video show Sara entering the Vaddukoddai vote counting centre? Any more information on the dispute? Does Vaddukoddai area support Sara more than the other areas?
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DemoCrazy / August 27, 2015
Rogue Aiyer,
Another TNA Candidate Arunthavapalan who was placed 5th across all polling booths on the preferential count was set to achieve the same at the Vaddukoodai booth. Accroding to Jaffna sources and media reports when Sara got wind of this news he went to the above polling booth (in the Video – the Vaddukoddai one where the preferential vote count was going on) as recordded by the media which camped there. After the visit a recount was ordered and the recount resulted in Sara coming 5th and Arunthavapalan 6th. As a result Arunthavapalan lost. The margin was 791 votes and one wondered how such a large amount could be the result of miscount. Added to that the Vaddukoddai booth registered a perfect Total preferntial vote count of 35600!.
Angered by their candidate losing to Sara the supporters revealed what actually happened. The supporters and affiliated organisations released public statements demanding that their candidate be given a National List seat. But that did not happen. And the supporters are apparently now angry at the Thamil Arasu Kadchi hierarchy for not doing so.
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The Rogue Ayer / August 28, 2015
DemoCrazy,
Thanks.
I have never liked Sara.
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DemoCrazy / August 23, 2015
Well done Mr. MAS. Give my Wink Wink to Uthayan Sara. Yes we know all the games MAS!. We know.
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Sathees / August 23, 2015
Great!! Good luck!I am quite optimistic about ur balanced view!Keep it up for a great country!
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Arthur / August 23, 2015
There is widespread allegation that preferential votes in Jaffna district had been heavily rigged.Election of M.A.Sumanthiran and Saravanabavan is said to have been manipulated.Election day has passed but judgment day is looming.Lets wait and see.
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Mallaiyuran / August 24, 2015
The election is over. TNA’s results are considered victory for it. Rather than it is its victory, TPNF’s failure makes TNA victorious. TNA wanted 20 seats. After 65 years of democratic and armed struggle, not just having achieved nothing, but had lost their provinces to iron fist handed occupation of army had let the Tamils to express their election fatigue and weary of struggle to restore their right, in this election. Disappointingly, the poor turn out of Tamils to booths have given only 16 seats. Whatever has happened, it is not going minuscule TNA’s job. A solution has to be sought before the entire North-East turned into low cast Sinhala Buddhist, just the way the Amparai, Trincomalee, putthalam and negombo turned into, but just few years ago. For 65 years of losing their employments, education status, properties, life, freedom to openly tell their Tamil names and never ending rapes of their women, forced disappearance of male members, tortures, Forced loss of self-esteem by slavery for illegal jobs, cultural corruptions and moral corruptions by short cut money making methods of drug and alcohol sale by occupying army has to be stopped not continuing any more. That is a mountainous job, that is, a successive losing of 65 years has to be turned around.
The election in the south has created a mixed up situation. None of them have won the election. This is for the advantage of Sinhala Intellectuals. In other words, New King halted the wipe out of SLFP like the time happened after the Sirimavo’s tyranny government in the 1970. At the last minute, he staged Old King to appeal the Sinhala Intellectuals and Sinhala Buddhists. The current SLFP’s MPs team remains as half of it bought out UNPyers by Old King during the last government. Understanding this composition, New King made sure that the 2015 election winners in “SLFP is not being only the bought out UNPyers” and causes a bankruptcy of opposition to UNP government. So, now, a part of the SLFP is going to government as straight crossing or through National government arrangement and other part will function as the oppositions, in case if there is any solution proposed to Tamils’ National question. As the game opening batsman, once again, the fraudulent talk of National government has started within the UNP and SLFP. This national government is not a “Two parties government”. It is a “Buffer Solution” to automatically adjust the government side number of the MPs to neutralize the Tamil question while advancing the Sinhala Intellectualism with 2/3 majority. Once more, it is not that they are going to drag the Tamil’s national question with the excuse of no single party has 2/3 majority, but like in the last National government, with the 99.99% support, they will have their constitution further tuned up of protecting the President, Prime Minister, cabinet and the parliament from voting pressures of Tamils. Neither of them needs the TNA to form a government or oppose the government.
The complication of the solution to Tamils exasperated further by the disagreement between the two major players on this issue. From Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s time, Regan’s administration designated Tamils as Mrs.Gandhi’s supporters and thus they are anti-American. Even as recently as last two months ago, when Secretary Kerry visited Sri Lanka, he discarded PM Camron and PM Modi’s examples and was not willing to visit north. He gave a speech that the Tamils’ liberation movement wiped out at Mullivaaikkaal was a happy moment to America. He sarcastically laughed at the CM CV’s presentation to him about the Tamils’ problems as an unpleasant home work for a primary level school kid. But the promise extracted as a condition to help in the war by Ambassador Black from Lankave government was, as like with all other promises, let to fly in the air by the Lankan government. Robert Blake informed the Congress as America has been cheated. India, after the demise of Mrs. Gandhi, started to see TN and TE as one single unit. They perceived any freedom to TE will automatically liberate TN too. They were not willing to see the example of Taiwan resisting the call from the main land to unite. The same case is with West Bengal-East Bengal situation. After the war, India’s help was not reciprocated by Lankave. A couple of times Manmohan Singh publicly accepted that as Lankave was not respecting their word, they were not able to do anything for Tamils. Disagreement between India and America went further; that India insisted Lankave implement its 13A (or 13+) as the solution. America stood for Lankave’s freedom to decide it on a negotiation with Tamils. Same case in the UNHRC too. In the last peer reviewing meeting, India refused to call any action on Lankave. India and America were going for continuous tug-of-war about Lankave on the war crime. America started UNHRC resolutions. India was reluctant to support and modified in favor of Lankave, or/and even opposed or played neutral. America works with UNP. India works with SLFP. India treats UNP as its enemy. SLFP treat America as its enemy. This was obvious in the last election too. America backed up UNP. India backed up the New King faction of SLFP under the leadership of New King. (China funded to Old King faction, but it was purely for a landing right in Lankave, not as a political policy setup.) This has been a blessing for Lankave’s Sinhala intellectual governments. They kept breaking the promises given to America and India the same way they broke the promises with Tamils. So, India and America, who came to Lankave with the name of helping Tamils, turned against the Tamils and punished them many folds more than Lankave.
From Mrs. Gandhi’s to Sonia Gandhi’s time India has been actively involved in TE Tamils problem. Noticing this, America has been, unlike other world democracies, disallowing the Tamil refugees entering its land. In contrast to America, Canada and England realized the real situation of Tamil in TE by analyzing the massive number of the iles of refugees who started to appeared in their countries from 1983. Not just India or America, nobody, even China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan….. can be missing to recognize that there is a ethnical conflict exists in Ceylon and an active political solution has been sought by Tamils from as early as 1917. Nations opposed the Lankave’s war. So, 20 Nations participated to suppress Tamils and wipe out the rebels. Three UN Special commissions have or panels have investigated the war of 2008-2009.
There are Tamil refugees all over the world. Rather than risk their life on the way and stay shut and droop in the foreign prisons, if possible, refugees would have opted to select “no fight with majority race” in their own country. So, there cannot be a suggestion of “go and co-exist without fighting with the Majority Race”.
The latest and the last of negotiations TNA attempted with Old King during period of 2010 to 2012, under the pressure of India, did not yield any fruit. At the start TNA allowed the Old Royals to come out with a solution. As nothing had come out, TNA, said to have, submitted a written proposal. After, practically passing two years of time, in 2012 January, Government withdrew from negations, one sided.
There was an agreement from Sinhala leaders to make Sir Pon Arunachalam as member of Western province for state council. Sinhala Intellectuals broke it and distanced them from Tamils. They broke the promise they gave to Soulbury. They broke two pacts with SJV. They broke the Pact with Rajiv. They broke the promise they gave to Ambassador Robert Blake. They broke the joint statement they gave out with UNSG in 2009 May. They broke the agreement they did with Indian Foreign Minister Krishna, Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for 13+.
It was not single a man’s (SJV) decision to go for Federal Government in 1949 or Self-determination in in 1976. These solutions evolved in time from the response of Sinhala Intellectual Governments, through 50:50 and other proposals. Two pacts by SJV on Power sharing through “Federal Government “, Indian Government’s 13A and 13+, Chandrika-Neelan constitution (- destroyed by Ranil’s’ UNP), all party recommendation by Professor Tissa Vitharana and the TNA’s proposal during the last negotiations have not gone anywhere. The progressive ethnic cleansing and genocide actions taken by Sinhala governments are multi-pronged like “1. Organizing and conducting periodical pogroms, 2. repeated promise breakings (as afore said), 3.dividing and subduing the Tamils by state laws like Indian Pakistani citizenship acts, Sinhala Only, Standardization, nationalization of Tamil schools 4. From 1961 bring Jaffna and other Tamils area under military rule, 5.continuous engineering of split into Tamil society, Tamils political parties, and in their social structure, 6. Forceful control over Tamils lands’, natural resources & forceful Sinhala colonization 7.denial of government jobs, 8. Overtly and shamelessly blowing up of anti-Tamil feeling to win the election,9. Denial of sharing the common constitution to Tamils by refusal to implement 13A and implementing 6A, 10.denial of Justice by refusal to impartial War-Crime, Genocide investigation and denial to return Tamil refuges in India and other nations ….. . .
75% of the Island people are majority race. None of the other races can reach proper 10% in the parliament. Buying and selling MPs, irrelevant of Tamils problems, long existed in Lankave’s parliament culture. JR tried halt it; but failed. By this short cut method, never there was a problem of getting 2/3 to solve Majorities’ wishes in Lanakve like Changes of two anti-Tamil, pro-Buddhist constitutions, 20 amendments with special highlight of 6th A & 18A, Divinukuma to marginalize the 13A, impeachment of oppositions leader, two Impeachments and two summary dismissals of Supreme Court Chief Justices , (there were dismissals even without voting)….. There was never a problem in the parliament to have 2/3 to do their matters, but not even simple majority can be obtained to attend Tamils matters.
Now it is pretended SLFP has lost the election. UNP said to be has won. It might have been only a drama to defuse the International Inquiry of Old King. We do not know the truth of it. But it does not make any change. They both are Sinhala Intellectuals parties.
UNP government disenfranchised the Tamils who were living in the upcountry for a century through couple of Generations and tried to deport them, claiming upcountry is Sinhala land. But, they forcefully settled Sinhala families in the Tamil North and East starting with Kanthalai project and recognized these families as legal land owners. The TGTE, which is asking for the Separate country, has declared that the new country will have all there Languages as official Languages, like Singapore. Tamil never showed fear of other communities living in the middle. But that kind of tolerance is not with the other two communities. Sinhalese, from 1948, has been devising methods to send away Tamils from south. The Muslims, who are claiming that they are living together with Sinhalese are asking separating unit in East.
UNP suppressed Sarania’s Murder case. UNP suppressed Vidya’s murder case. UNP suppressed Prageeth Eknaligoda muder case. Wasim Thagudeen and Lasantha cases are still limping after promises of up to New King.
UNP has been claiming it broke the LTTE by splitting them. Ranil went to New York and made a failed demand to UNSG Ban-Ki-Moon of not to act on UNEP’s report. UNP backed off from signing the ICC accord or the Rome Convention. After many mothers of lost children fell on his leg and begged, Ranil refused to release any one in the custody. In his twenty years of UNP leadership, Ranil had refused negotiate with TNA. Ranil, when he went to North last April, he told a principal to shut up his mouth and sit down when the principal wanted to tell the problems in his school. When he went to North, he ordered the extremely extravagant building that was started building on the captured land by Old king, to change as 5 star hotels to be used by Sinhala parliamentarians, but refused to release any of the captured lands to Tamils. This is one of his worst thing in the world, not seen anywhere, and even the West Bank Colonization of Israel is not comparable, because Israel is settling some other people on Muslims’ lands, but not building 5 star hotels. In the last election, after TNA fledge its support for UNP’s common candidate, Mangala and Ranil publicly promised that there will be not any agreement with TNA, specifically no inquiry of internal or external on any leader, commander or on a soldier and including other on matters like, releasing lands and withdrawal of army, a solution beyond 13A. Now Ranil’s new position is devolution only at village level. H has backed off from his agreement at Oslo.
TNA is a party/alliance put together by Leader Pirapaharan. It was done during the height of LTTE’s military victories. TNA was selected to run the democratic administration of the Tamil Eelam, once the LTTE finish securing the borders of the Tamil Eelam from Sri Lankan army. LTTE which has been relying on the power of the gun to secure the boarders of TE relied on the brain of the TNA to build the Tamil nation. But TNA was treated as front end of LTTE by others; that is, in others terms, ruthless terrorists’ advocates. Sampanthar, the current God Father of the Tamil Nation was categorized as a terrorist and Visa to Western World was refused. During those days, at Delhi, TNA waited for one month to meet the Indian Prime Minister and returned home without any positive sign from Indian PM. Diplomats treated the North and East as Pariah’s land and refused to visit. New King was the first one taught to India and the Western world that they should meet the TNA and think about the Tamils too. Manmohan Singh found out that India can wag its tails as long as it wants but get Lankave to agree with it will not work. But about 30 years ago, Mrs Gandhi, after freely allowing Kachativu to Lanka, prepared LTTE and her troops against Lankave. This is what going In America’s turn too. After Robert Blake accepting in congress that Lankave cheated, Secretary Kerry has compared Lankave as another victory for his policy like Myanmar. He barely understands the difference between Myanmar’s army enforced dictatorship and Sinhala Intellectuals, democratically elected, voluntary dictatorship enforced them to brutally control Tamils.
It is at this conditions TNA is going to walk into the Sinhala only Lankave’s parliament. The very first question on this circumstance is, “is there something the learned Tamils, interested groups and experienced negotiators can tell or do something for TNA that can ease their job?” Only a silly story I heard in my childhood is coming to my mind. One time a guru gave a clay pot to one of his disciple and told him “Child go and fetch some water in this pot; we have run out of water”. The boy has started two or three steps, the guru called him back and gave three knocks on his head and told him not to break the pot on his way. The confused small boy replied, yes sir I can take care of the pot; but I don’t understand why you gave me the knocks; it is really hurting; I don’t remember of doing anything wrong this time”. Guru explained, “Say, just for the shake of talk, my child, you had broken the pot on your way, what is the point of knocking you at that time? Wouldn’t the pot have been already broken anyway? That is why I have you the knocks now.” Like that caring gut, Tamil will be with TNA with their mind and heart. But the responsibility of archiving a protection against the aggressors further deteriorating the Tamils condition and rebuilding Tamils life from where it was left in 1948 is only with TNA. The pregnant woman can cry or scream, yet no body can give birth on her behalf. .
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The Rogue Ayer / August 25, 2015
Mallaiyuran,
“TNA is a party/alliance put together by Leader Pirapaharan. It was done during the height of LTTE’s military victories.”
Just when many had forgotten this fact you take it up. Thanks for the reminder.
Maybe one day the grandchildren of the TNA politicians will ask what the grandparents did during the war.
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Raman / August 24, 2015
Hey Arthur
I thought vote rigging is a science perfected in the South. Perhaps the northern MPs learnt it from the recent forced settlements of Southerners sent to the North.
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Raman / August 24, 2015
Hey Arthur
I thought vote rigging is a science perfected in your south.Perhaps northern MPs learnt it from the forced settlements of southerners sent to the north recently.
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Inspector Dirty Hari / August 24, 2015
Raman,
“I thought vote rigging is a science perfected in your south.Perhaps northern MPs learnt it from the forced settlements of southerners sent to the north recently.”
Mr Sumanthiran was born in Jaffna but has spent about 45 years in Colombo and overseas.
Forced settlements? Where? I thought they are volunteers who live on state hand outs.
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