By Colombo Telegraph –
Early this morning at around 4.45, three armed men came to the Uthayan Newspaper office at Kasturiar Road in Jaffna and having fired shots in the air entered the premises. They fired inside the premises also and chased away the employees, none of whom were fortunately injured.
Thereafter they poured fuel and burnt the main printing machine and the stacks of newspaper that were there. The printing machine has been damaged beyond repair. This is the sixth in a long series of attacks on Uthayan in recent times, in the heavily militarized environs of the Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts. Uthayan belongs to TNA Jaffna Parliamentarian, E Saravanapavan.
“Within a couple of hours of this attack, the Director General of the Media Centre for National Security stated that ‘investigations’ have revealed that this is an inside job done in order to tarnish the government’s image.This is astonishing, nay, very revealing indeed!” says TNA.
Native Vedda / April 13, 2013
Rambler
must be celebrating aluth avruthu with this good news Sri Lanka.
Were you there when this great event took place?
Let us hear from David Blacker, Malinda, Dayan…..
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran over to you.
Is this one of VP’s long term strategy? Was S J V Chelva directing the arsonists?
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 13, 2013
Native Vedda,
As I have commented elsewhere, the Udhayan is a trashy newspaper. However, as long as the people buy it, it has a legitimacy to exist. Considering the impending PC elections, the Halloween season has come to the north. All sorts of political elements, their masters , stooges and paid goons will be going around with their trick-o-treat bags to create the right climate for the elections. It is going to be quite a spectacle.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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Native Vedda / April 13, 2013
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
As you say it is up to the readership to decide whether to sustain such organs or to fold it. After all free market still alive and kicking in Sri Lanka.
It is a question of what the state and its institutions doing to uphold law and order.
You should take up this matter with the clan if you are invited to discuss everything that is good about Sri Lanka.
The seeds being sown in a fertile ground for another round of bloodshed, not just in North East but all over the island.
In about 30 years we be typing the same stuff that we have been commenting on in the past 30 years, who is wrong and how this happened, another LLRC and so on.
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hada / April 13, 2013
Very strange how everything was so very very quite in the northern from from 2009 to Feb 2013.. Until UNHCR started and all kind of allegations came across SL. from INT LTTE supporters.. BUt the Ground Reality was very different.. Yet during the march session.. the BBS and these kinds of attacks in the North especially have suddenly come across.. So who really Benefits fro Thugs of the BBS and these attacks in the NORTH TNA Thugs or GOSL Thugs???
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 13, 2013
Native Veddah,
I have been saying for many years now, the fundamental problem in Sri Lanka is bad governance. It has got worse by the year since independence. Now, the pace is accelerating by the day. However, we have been chasing after palliatives for the symptoms, without jag nosing the main disease.
Dr.RN
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Native Vedda / April 13, 2013
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
What is the disease?
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Dev / April 13, 2013
Sounds like you are happy???
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 13, 2013
No. Sad and bemused!
All what I did not want to happen and anticipated would come to pass if the wrong path was taken, are beginning to unfold.
Dr. Rajasingham Narendran
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Jay / April 13, 2013
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
Could you please elaborate trashy nature of Uthayan news paper and it’s readers and compare it with contemporaries like Divaina, Island, The Nation justifying state terrorism, want lifeless 13th amendment torn apart, LLRC to be scrapped, no credible investigation into alleged violation of human rights, blood relations of SL tamil the diaspora all are LTTE rump, aliens has no right to toe a political line, there are human rights violation in other countries too therefore its ok for us to kill tamils here, we have china in our hand poo poo to india, these are some of daily news items considered forward looking, peace building, resourceful news papers in sri lanka
On the contary after the war Uthayan newspaper unmasked the ill motive of GOSL covert and overt actions in the north and it was able to look over the shoulder to point finger at culprits. Most of the uthayan’s criticism then proved to be correct by now. I was disturbed that Dr.RN acquiesce such high profile crimes against formation of opinion and press freedom (One of the key principle of democracy) by simply dismissing it as fire crackers of Halloween season. This stand just reminded me in 80’s LTTE was decimating other groups by branding them as trashes and clean up is necessary. I hope Uthayan is having a backup system to resume operations sooner than later.
Every one has the right to speak their mind, doesn’t matter how slanted it is. UNP rightly said LTTE terrorism replaced with state terrorism. Uthayan a newspaper survived state and non state brutality keeps it’s head high.
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Dev / April 13, 2013
If you look into the background of Rajasingham Narendran you will find many an interesting tale !
He was part of the “diaspora” group that was shipped in to “laud” the government ! He is just doing what he was expected to do….a google search will find you a video of this !
As for Uthayan, well the readers will decide what to believe and what not to, if the paper is not credible then it will go out of business -it is the consumer that should decide the future Mr. Rajasingham Narendran, not the likes of you !
If the likes of you were to decide then what is the difference between you and Prabakaran who thought he could decide for us all Tamils what is best ???
You are simply the other side of the same coin as the LTTE !
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 16, 2013
Pray tell us what is good for the Tamils? We are eagerly awaiting your reply as a comment or better an article. I have stated my position in many an article I have written.
Dr.RN
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Park / April 13, 2013
This has happened in peace times with all the soldiers in Jaffna are vigilant. It shows the Secretary of Defense is incapable of protecting civilian organizations even during peace times, so its time for him to resign and give way to another person who can manage and stop such attacks against civilian institutions.
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Lanka liar / April 14, 2013
He says not to read this news paper. Dogtors thoughts. Please isten to him. Nice thing said about the stooges and paid goons. You should be having the list of their names. And who is No. 1 there?
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hada / April 13, 2013
QUESTION: WHO REALLY BENEFITS FROM THIS ATTACK???????????
GOSL Thugs OR TNA and their wider network of Thugs.. Fact that all political parties here has their own Thugs..
BUT WHO REALLY BENEFITS FROM THIS ATTACK???????????
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Lankan / April 13, 2013
The ruling party is the one that benefits as the provincial council elections have to be held soon and the only anti government media in Jaffna is the Uthayan. So the government wants it silenced. If not why cannot they protect Uthayan with all the 24 hour security in Jaffna.
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nada / April 14, 2013
Friend I dont think you have been to the North then if you seriously think that there is only one ‘anti government media in Jaffna is the Uthayan’.. Ever remember the then TULF.. remember them when similar acts like these happened in Jaffna how everything was blamed on GOSL and security forces and the meek TULF politicians in colombo and tamil nadu were crying out when the security forces were doing to silence the so called tamil press. all along it was the TULF and directing these acts courtesy of the ‘BOYS’ and today the TNA is no different.. Problem we all suffer in sri Lanka that all political parties Tamil, sinhala, and muslim have their own armed Thugs. but like i said when i see these acts and compare the style it takes one back to the TULF days and the boys.. all for their own propaganda as you have said the elections are very close and the TNA needs votes.. so how will a unpopular party get these votes to play the old violence and race card.. This is Sri Lankan politics infected all parties.
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jay / April 14, 2013
Whats your point? Do you mean TNA send boys to burn down Uthayan? It is reported armed men strom the building , chased out all employees and burned down printing facilities. Do you know TNA doesn’t have members even to arrange chairs for their meetings. TNA’s political stand purely coceptual, ideological and acceptablity, on this base TNA realized thumping victories in the north and east
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Namalie Rajapaksa / April 13, 2013
@Native Vedda
Mr.Blocker only worries about Muslims in Colombo being harassed by the BBS. A tiny incident like the burning of the Uthayan Newspaper office will not give him and his defence secretary boss any sleepless nights.
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Native Vedda / April 13, 2013
Namalie Rajapaksa
So this is not the “Moment of Destiny” is it?
Have you noticed David Blacker is mute on Matale Massacres? Perhaps he is still looking for evidence.
Could you find out from Channel 4 if it had any Video evidence implicating the state and its institutions which might bring Blacker back into active service.
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Siva / April 13, 2013
Tamil New Year Gift to Eelam Tamils by the Racist Sinhala-Buddhists is burning down the voice of Tamil freedom of Speech.
No Wonder the Eelam Tamils want Internal Self Governing authority to be implemented in North & East as their voices are being Stifled by the racist Sinhalese.
Last week attack on the same paper failed to deter Udhayan from doing its service to Eelam Tamils & this Cowardly attack also will not be able to scare the cries of Freedom being voiced by Eelam Tamils.
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Rambler / April 14, 2013
Native Vedda
Society of Professional Journalists
Code of Ethics
Seek Truth and Report It
Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
Minimize Harm
Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.
Act Independently
Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public’s right to know.
Be Accountable
Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other.
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Native Vedda / April 14, 2013
Rambler
Thanks for educating me in Journalistic ethics.
Could you recommend a few news outlet/journal which comply with all those attributes you seek in its reporting, especially published in this island.
In an free market society customers are said to exercise consumer sovereignty. It is their money and are free to consume anything they want to. No one is forcing the readership to buy Uthayan.
In a “free market society” entry and exit of media is not determined by the state or its cronies but by its readership. Therefore Rambler and Dr.Rajasingham Narendran are free to invest in alternative news paper/journal for their own good and assumed good of the people.
As long as any media “informs, educates, and entertain” its readership, its survival is guaranteed. In Uthayan’s case its proprietors are perhaps keen on entertaining its readership than informing or educating them.
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jay / April 13, 2013
Unabated violence against Uthayan newspaper proves without any doubt orders coming from top of the state to silence anti government democratic voices, intimidagion & terrorizing is expected to continue untill Jaffna peninsula stripped off media and bury the truth. But people of Jaffna the most brave wont be shacken, they will tell you loud & clear to whom they support & reject, I feel sorry for government they scored a goal for TNA
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Native Vedda / April 13, 2013
jay
“I feel sorry for government they scored a goal for TNA”
They are capable of scoring their own goal.
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Jay / April 13, 2013
yes, may be, their goal is to mute or close down uthayan, however uthayan a brilliant surviver without compromise will emerge again
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Lanka / April 13, 2013
Did the effing investigators ever apprehend the culprits? Will the law of the land take its course? No! Because both the Police and the Attorney General’s Depart are in the hands of the ruling family. With the legitimate Chief Justice having been illegally impeached and replaced with a spineless stooge, that will not happen.
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Senguttuvan / April 13, 2013
One wonders how, if it is an inside job, shots were fired in the area in an office-premises always in the news – and at that time of dawn while the entire area was cramming with army/Police personnel. Surely, the trio could not have jay-walked from the scene. They would have used mobikes or other vehicles.
It is anarchy there in the North before the so-called Elections, which itself, is in doubt – despite all the brouhaha. What sins have the people of the area committed in their previous births to be inflicted such tension, mental pain and constant fear?
Senguttuvan
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Native Vedda / April 13, 2013
Senguttuvan
Where is Hattrusinghe?
Where is Chandrasiri?
Where are the 40,000 army personnel?
Where are the members of Police force?
The present SSP might consider noting down few unrelated facts to write a book in his retirement.
Where is Douglas Devanada the self appointed leader of down trodden?
Where are those former Sinhala/Buddhist terrorist Somawansa and Weerawansa who believe in their own version of One Nation?
Where is Vasu?
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 13, 2013
Senguttuwan,
Your comment is based on the assumption that the place is crammed with the army and police at 5.00 am. It is not so. This give room for mischief makers from many quarter to play their dirty games. No one is exempt. No one can be presumed innocent.
Dr.RN
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Dev / April 13, 2013
Money Talks, Bullshit Walks !
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JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA / April 13, 2013
R N;
5.00 AM police and army gone for their rounds on Toilets and,
As earlier advises from higher ups in colombo,
Douglas’s goons accomplishes the mission.
So any body wants to make a noise????????????.
Be careful “I AM INCHARGE OF the WHITE VANS SQUAD” with blessings of Sxxt Eating Pig.
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Lanka liar / April 14, 2013
Very good spokesperson for the Sri Lankan army. Who pays him for that?
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 16, 2013
No you are wrong. I am doing a service to the Tamils and the peoples of Sri Lanka absolutely free if charge. This may surprise the likes of you. At least you have the honesty to call yourself a Lier.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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Senguttuvan / April 13, 2013
Naren,
I have stayed with Sara at Kasturiar Road and know something about
the sorroundings.
Senguttuvan
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Dev / April 13, 2013
I agree with you, I literally got back from the Peninsula last week and there is no way that this was anyone else other than our democratically elected govt who lest we forget Rajasingham Narendran lauded !
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 16, 2013
You indeed know very little! Every single player- the UPFA, EPDP , TNA, Police and Army are capable of doing such things. There are also various LTTE goons working for all the parties named above.The owners of the now defunct Shabra Finance , are the present owners of Udhayan. How many remember Shabra Finance and how it ruined thousands of lives?
Dr.RN
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Native Vedda / April 13, 2013
Senguttuvan
My elders tell me EPDP command and control centre is situated on Kasturiar Road.
Am I missing something here?
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 16, 2013
Native Veddah,
The EPDP is headquartered at Stanley Rd, in the heart of Jaffna city, in a stolen building. Many comments here indicate ignorance of realities in Jaffna. The armed forces are not a highly visible or concentrated presence any more, during the day or night. This does not preclude the operatives of the armed forces or police instigating mischief. What should be understand that there are many hands stirring the witches brew. No one is beyond suspicion.
Jay,
I consider Uthayan trash, become it does not differentiate between facts and comment. It also slants, exaggerates and dwells only on the negative. It may be a gospel to other!
Senguttuwan,
Have you stayed at Kasturiar Rd. in the past year?
Others:
Uthayan being utter trash, does not imply that others are not equally or more trashy. Further, the Halloween season I referred to is about the tricks and treats that go with it. Halloween is not linked with fireworks! With the approaching PC elections we are about to see a whole series of these involving many parties. Many violent tricks will be tried to harvest votes!
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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justice / April 13, 2013
Uthayan exposes the daily oppression & persecution of tamils in jaffna in the north and problems faced by all tamils elsewhere.
It also exposes the corruption,nepotism & wastage of the provincial regime run by the Military Governer.
It also exposes the hypocrisy of those who are sycophants of the regime.
Thus the government is determined to crush it especially as elections are pending.
Who else other than the army,police or EPDP paramilitaries will dare come early morning,in helmets and armed,fire shots and cause damage in an office which is a short distance from an army camp.
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Robin / April 13, 2013
If mischief makers cannot be controlled in a city where the people to armed personnel ratio is 6:1, forget about security. No one can stop ithem. It is wise to use those army personnel in other endeavour such as controlling Malaria or farming. When Camel docs pretend to be social s ientists and advises the regime you cannot expect more.
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Piranha / April 13, 2013
This is clearly a military/paramilitary attack. No other party opposed to the government would dare carry out this audacious act and hope to escape without getting caught. It is a shame that the security guard at the Uthayan office did not shoot and kill the attacking bastards.
The attack on the Kilinochchi political meeting was filmed and the attackers caught and handed over to the police – one was a CID man- they were all released by the police immediately. This clearly shows who is trying to shut up the TNA and the free press in the North.
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sinhala friend / April 13, 2013
Burning libraries, burnings markets, shops co operative stores were very common 30 years before 2009. The Sinhalese criminals walked freely in Tamils home land. It was not only burning the buildings but also taking plenty of Tamil prisoner to be tortured , and of course celebrating by killing the prisoners and enucleating their eyes.
during the 30 years before 2009, Criminals used Kfir to massacre Tamilians in churches, schools and orphanges.
It is nothing new.
could tamilians find a way to defend themselves from these criminals , just like 30 years before 2009?
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CHANAKYAN / April 13, 2013
When the Tamil daily EELANAADU was founded in the early sixties a senior journalist from that establishment sought the blessings and a message from Yoga Swamiyar of Columbuthurai, the most venerated Hindu sanniyasin. He said prophetically ” they will beat you up, they will burn you, but you proceed with your mission”. Twenty years later, around 1981 they happened literally with those engaged in the Press sustaining burn marks.Drawing inspiration from the sage they continued.
Uthayan too is following that tradition. Sufferance seems to be the badge of the Tamil journalistic tribe. What needs appraisal now is not the quality of journalism. Their courage and indomitable will are laudable.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 16, 2013
Eelanadu was of a much higher class! If Yoga Swami was around today, the words he would have uttered about Udhayan would have been very harsh to hear. The Swami was a prophet and was the only one who foresaw what would befall the Tamil community.
Dr.RN
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SinhalaOnly / April 13, 2013
Either the average Sinhalese is callous or apathetic to the suffering of Tamils.
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Pro Bono Publico / April 13, 2013
Well when the govt is insecure these types of things have been happening right along since the 1980’s
@ Dr Narendran,Uthayan is not trashy and fares far better compared with the Nation or the Island newspapers!
Over to Leela and Hela the ponna patriots for their comments to whitewash this attack!
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shankar / April 13, 2013
UN would have noted this.One more nail in the coffin for Srilanka.
Now there will be behind the scene meetings in western nations to think what is the best permanent solutions for tamils.probably they might start to discuss a cyprus style solution with India or a east Timor/south sudan style referendum solution with Nato/Un troops in srilanka.They all must be getting fed up with all this shit from tiny srilanka.The west takes its time to make decisions but when they do that it,no reversals or anything come what may,it will continue to the finish line however long it takes.
The all brawn no brain stupid fools who are doing these things,not allowing democracy to work by burning the organs of free speech,using violence to disrupt political meetings are only aiding and abetting the eelamists.The tamils were led by a 5th grade all brawn no brain that got them into a soup and now the sinhalese are too led by a similar bunch determined to get the tamils out of the soup.
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john / April 14, 2013
Uthayan get to the World Wide Web, to the Cyberspace like the CT, these goons wouldn’t be able to touch you. It’s free for all. It’s easy and you could do your job from any corner of the world. Be in Facebook, Twitter and WordPress. You could get your citizen journalists to upload their videos and reports from their hand held devices.
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manisekaran / April 14, 2013
Shankar, you mark my word this day here, even if 100 years of time provided, nothing will improve in srilanka and in the minds of sinhalese, hatred is majority of Sinhalese inheritence
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PresiDunce Bean / April 15, 2013
@manisekaran
If more Sinhalese manage to read and speak English, are able to travel to western countries and see how majorities and minorities live and thrive together, maybe their belief in the Mahavamsa myth of Sri Lanka belonging only to the Sinhala Buddhists and covert hatred of minorities and silent support of groups like the BBS may die a slow death. But that certainly will take many many many years to happen.
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k m ratnasiri / April 14, 2013
little Gota from LA petrol shed to secretary for defense who ran away after JVP mass grave?
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Jayantha / April 18, 2013
So you mean a USA Gas station attendent can become a Secretary of Defense in Sri Lanka. I think you are correct.
It is similar to Grade five ….or no grade Kolla become the Minister of Social Affairs ….or a Fake lawyer become the CJ…..of a Charted Accountant become the Governor Central Bank……and an eight grade drop out become the Minister of Housing…..or Gamarala become the Minister of Education.
This is called Aischcharya in the whole universe. They say tourists are flocking to the Golden Beaches like no ending ants.
Come on Dude ……This is what happens when an Iguana is given the crown…..or a Gemba is given a pond.
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Wera / April 15, 2013
Orders always come from the top. No one would act in this manner if they did not expect state patronage and protection. The usual suspects in this case would be the ones appointed gate keepers of the north and Jafna in particular.
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Leela / April 16, 2013
I haven’t seen the scene but from all what I read, it’s an inside job alright. For one, none inside is injured or assaulted. For another, the damage is superficial or rather negligible in monetary terms. In fact production hadn’t stopped even for a day. So why do owners part burn their printing shop? If part burned, an impression of harassment against the paper by the government can be instilled in public mind and earn sympathy and thereby become popular and improve circulation. That’s an aged old trick. Why haven’t they burned in full? If burned in full, it would have brought an unbearable financial loss to the owners.
To show it is a government job one has to come up with a list of benefits the government gets by burning the paper. Dr. NR says the paper is a trash. The government knows in spite of whoever burns it, the accusing finger will be pointed at the army. So why the government should part burn thrash and get a bad name. If government wants to stop publishing the paper, it could have poured petrol and burned it completely and also drag the workers outside assault them and threaten them not to work there. But that hadn’t happen. Why? It’s not a government job.
That is my honest analysis.
Leela
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Peace Lover / April 16, 2013
such briliant analysis Leela i hope that one day you will be the head of scotland yard and solve a lot of problems
LEELA TO SCOTLAND YARD
APEY LEELA TO SCOTLAND YARD
APEY LEELA TO SCOTLAND YARD
JAYAWEWA JAYAWEWA JAYAWEWA JAYAWEWA
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Jayantha / April 18, 2013
leela,
If you read the news which say these crooks came in Two vans and a Jeep and two Motor bikes.
Only three went inside while others were guarding the building all were wearing covered halmets..
If real thives came, they either should have robbed the press and taken those machinery and cash, or should have demanded money from those workers, where nothing such had taken place.
All I could say is this is the difference between honest, hardworking enterpreneurs and absolute thug, crook, rogue,sons and thieves of uneducated, uncultured and uncivilised Jealours coward bast….ds.
THE ABSOLUTE MODAYAS ARE CALLING FOR EARLY INTERVENTION OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO DIVIDE OUR COUNTRY.
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Leela / April 18, 2013
Jayantha,
Do you know the story of the fox that saw a goat with large testis? He followed it with his saliva dropping for days and weeks and months and years but testis never dropped. Fox dropped dead for being dehydration in the end.
All of us would be dead by the time ‘INTERVENTION’ by ‘INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY’.
Leela
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ELMO / April 16, 2013
Wera, what you said hits the nail squarely on the head. When Orders come from the top, how could there be maintenence of law and order in the country?. All these criminal activities thrive with blessings from the triumvirate. They are directing traffic in every unlawful, illegal, murderous,psychopatic, ethnic cleansing, violent activity that goes on in SRI LANKA today. They are working to a diabolic plan and nothing will stop them from achieving that plan. The more the International Organisations endeavour to find this Govt accountable ,the more horrendous deeds will be perpetrated on the countries minorities. There will be only one climatic end to all this, and that will come soon .
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Senguttuvan / April 16, 2013
Ha! Ha! If I were to tell Dr Narendran I was there last year, the man will come out with “were you there last week, when the incident happened” ??? Whatever is happening to some of the learned in Tamil society. Are they oblivious others Tamils on the ground are watching and reading.
Senguttuvan
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 16, 2013
Please answer the question unambiguously? I promise you I will not enact the scenario you purpose .
Dr.RN
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