UN Human Rights Commissioner Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is pressuring the Sri Lankan government over the fate of hundreds of detained and thousands of missing Tamils.
During high level discussions, Al Hussein has paid special focus over the fate of the some 4000 Tamil civilians who went missing during the war, Tamil prisoners who are detained without formal charges, as well as the release of land back to the civilians which is still under military control. Some 300 Tamil political prisoners arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act continue to languish in jails, with no formal charges.
Speaking to reporters soon after his meeting with the Northern Province Governor H.M.G.S. Palihakkara on Sunday, the UN Human Rights Chief said, “the discussions focused on the challenges the province faces as well as plans and achievements in connection with this region. We are seeking more information in terms of those detained and those missing,” he said.
Al Hussein added that these issues, along with the issue of land will be taken up during his discussions with the highest officials of the State. Al Hussein will wrap up his four day tour after meeting President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Meanwhile, during a meeting with Al Hussein, Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, has impressed upon the need to determine the fate of the missing Tamil civilians, who have been missing for years. Wigneswaran had also handed over a list containing the names of several thousand Tamils who had gone missing.
During his tour to Jaffna, the UN Human Rights Commissioner had also met relatives of those who went missing during the war. Subsequent to his visit to the North, Al Hussein travelled to Trincomalee where he met with the Eastern Province Chief Minister Nazeer Ahamed and the Governor of the Eastern Province Austin Fernando.
On Monday, he visited Kandy, where he paid a courtesy call on the Mahanayakes of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters, and upon his return to Colombo, Al Hussein met with Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi, in the presence of Chief of Defence Staff, Commanders of the Army and Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Navy. (By Munza Mushtaq © CT)
Analyst / February 9, 2016
I wonder ALLEGEDLY how many KIDNEYS ,CORNEAL GRAFTS AND OTHER BODY PARTS WERE REMOVED AND SOLD INTERNATIONALLY FROM THE TAMIL PRISONERS ??
God only knows and God is there to punish those were involved in this trade during and after the war.
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Tamil from the north / February 9, 2016
Analyst, I am not sure how far it is true, but I heard that this dirty douche bag Gota, harvested organs from soldiers who were MIA. I hope he rots in hell.
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lal / February 9, 2016
No decent person/s would have wanted anything to do with Terrorists let alone have their body parts inserted into their bodies. The so called missing would have left in boats and hiding among the diaspora. Soon they will surface in Sri Lanka as deportees, body parts all intact.
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Paul / February 9, 2016
Who are the terrorists the racist Sinhalese Sri Lankan armed forces and the Sinhalese establishment and population that from the time of independence, systematically committed genocide and war crimes on the island’s Tamil population or the Tamil population that finally got fed up with this state sponsored Sinhalese violence against them and fought back? If the Tamils are terrorists Sinhalese like you and the Rajapakse their supporters and the armed forces are bigger terrorists and war criminals. This is why the UN was forced to intervene.
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lal / February 10, 2016
Terrorist Tamils killed innocent Sinhalese and Muslims and harmed the Sri Lankan economy for thirty years. If you think you can justify Tamil Terrorist babarism then you have no right to complain about the treatment you got from the armed forces of Sri Lanka. People get what they deserve! Look where Chelva, Ponna and Sundas have taken you. Jokers from UN, US will come and go but mad dogs will continue to bark at the moon.
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jansee / February 11, 2016
lal:
It is almost 6 years since the war ended. SL got independence in 1948 and the LTTE emerged in the late 70s/early 80s. That’s some 20 years since independence. Even if you have half-a-brain, you can see that neither 6 years since the war ended nor the some 20 years since independence was a “paradise”. The bare truth is Sinhala politicians had been wreaking havoc in their race to reach the top. What was once the envy of asia became quite a banana republic.
What did SWRD do for political expedience? He bashed the Tamils. That has been the route all sinhala politicians have taken to reach the top. What has happened since the war ended? More loans and a lot more corruption. The utter disregard for law and order and with Buddhist monks even going to the extent of showering their grace on you with their dicks. Dare you say that this happened because of the minorities? The truth is you people are a bunch of rascals, warped with twisted minds more than enough to elect rascals and barbarians to high positions that they can go on to raping and murdering even tourists. This stigma is being played out on and on. Politicians of the same party have been slinging their guns, playing out the wild wild west in plain daylight. Do you really have the balls to reign them in or glare your stupid ignorance by blaming the minorities for losing your balls. Has Buddhism taught you rascals anything at all?
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Ajith / February 9, 2016
I wonder what happened to those thousands of Sinhalese who were disappeared during 1989-90 in the hands of the military. Do you think those missing Sinhalese are those left in boats and hiding as Sinhalese Daispora in the western Nation?
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Native Vedda / February 10, 2016
lal loo
“No decent person/s would have wanted anything to do with Terrorists let alone have their body parts inserted into their bodies.”
Where were you when MR was colluding with JVP and defending its terrorist acts in late 1980s and early 90s? He went all the way to Geneva.
Watch this clip and learn about double standards :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs8KHEpTuR8
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jansee / February 11, 2016
lal:
If you are as convinced as you say, perhaps you have a dossier on them?? Fool as you ought to be, may be your assistance may have solved this lingering problem long time ago and save the blistering headache the govt has been facing all this while. How selfish of you?
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mahinda / February 9, 2016
We should look into the True and Real Cases, The rest are In The west with Fake names etc, Oce they get the Residence Visa we will see them soon, as we see now how the Dead and Disappeared in the Late 80’s and 90’s arrive very much Alive and well.. Still One must be Very Careful using Western Methods to fight and win wars.
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Rodney / February 10, 2016
True. True
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taraki / February 9, 2016
There is also the story of the LTTE draining the blood of captured Sinhalese policemen. The LTTE were very short of blood supplies. So you see these stories work both ways.
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Analyst / February 9, 2016
@ Taraki
Blood should be used on another human directly while the Blood temperature remains the same , Body Parts are used and preserved after Killing a human .(Prisoner)
Prisoners were killed for their Body parts for ONES financial GAINS. these are Human rights violation and a chargeable act.
Who was giving orders to kill to obtain body parts?.
It was a lucrative business for some as the Kidneys were in short supply in the world for dying CHRONIC kidney Patients . Srilanka topped as the supplier to these people ready to pay any amount of money.
Where did all the kidneys came from to sell to the world ? Fell from the skies of BODHI SRILANKA?
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Native Vedda / February 9, 2016
taraki
“There is also the story of the LTTE draining the blood of captured Sinhalese policemen.”
I also heard a story that there was a Dracula Prince of Darkness which lived in Vanni bunker, drank fresh human blood every morning, after noon and knight before it went bed. There is a possibility to what you say.
However I love stories.
Please let me know if you have more.
I also heard that Svendra Silva ate babies for breakfast.
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Rohan / February 10, 2016
//I also heard that Svendra Silva ate babies for breakfast. //
I also heard that Shavendra Silva had babies for snacks.
You are not talking about the baby of the Ex-Media Minister, who was hotel room surfing and landed in the bushes, and sued the hotel for not having a fool (ha!) proof windows.
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Rajash / February 9, 2016
“There is also the story of the LTTE draining the blood….”
Blood is not simply drained and then pumped in to another human like petrol.
If you have said that LTTE operated a state of the art medical facility and blood bank and asked the captured soldiers to donate blood , may be for money , then perhaps that is more acceptable version.
Have you not gone on the Sri Government sponsored war tourism to the NE and admire the ingenuity of the Tamils ?
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Nirmala N / February 10, 2016
Rajash
‘Have you not gone on the Sri Government sponsored war tourism to the NE and admire the ingenuity of the Tamils?’ — Why you make this statement. Do not dig the past. Remember we two went to see Mahinda in his lotus house given a free hand move about Sri Lanka.
Be careful others will harp on us. We are Lion Kings and must be always Lion Kings.
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Analyst / February 9, 2016
we need to be careful when we write or discuss about these Barbaric behaviours of the wartime soldiers and their leaders. For the law abiding citizens these acts of Barbarism unheard of. We also need to think of those in pain who have lost their loved ones and still waiting to be reunited.
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maalumiris / February 9, 2016
@Analyst
There is evidence that muslims and sinhalas were killed, “on order”, by the LTTE and their organs were traded on the international market in order to fund the organization
The organs were exported to India so that the surgeries could be done
That was the start of the Indian medical tourism phenomenon some years back.
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Native Vedda / February 10, 2016
maalumiris
“The organs were exported to India so that the surgeries could be done”
You are wrong again, in case you are not familiar with how organ transplant are being carried out let me give you one or related information.
Preservation and transportation of organs needed highly skilled medical practitioners, expensive plants, dedicated transport, electricity, medicine, saline, …… etc.
However, LTTE met its supply of organ quota not by harvesting from dead Sinhalese and Muslims but by catching them with nets and exporting them to Mumbai alive.
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Eusense / February 10, 2016
Is this the latest?? I am surprised you haven’t mentioned the billions SL gov. made selling these items! Look out, next will be all Tamils not only prisoners and those parts will be used to help the Sinhalese!!
Many separatists who write here come up with so many incidences of rape, torture, kidnappings etc. etc. and now body parts trade! But foe some reason none of your leaders in the north talk about these. I guess they are bust trying to carve out an elam for them to rule.
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Kanthigesu Nirmalan-Nathan. / February 9, 2016
Let’s hope he can drive home the importance of all outstanding issues which had to be faced by the administration to bring this festering ethnic problem to a close and concentrate on the real issue of nation building and rehabilitation.
People should be held accountable for their actions for what happened at Mullivaikal it is that simple.
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Native Vedda / February 9, 2016
Kanthigesu Nirmalan-Nathan.
“People should be held accountable for their actions for what happened at Mullivaikal it is that simple.”
Why not what happened before and after Mullivaikal? Why not outside Mullivaaikkal, through out the island from 5th April 1971 to 8 January 1915?
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Native Vedda / February 9, 2016
Kanthigesu Nirmalan-Nathan.
“People should be held accountable for their actions for what happened at Mullivaikal it is that simple.”
Why not what happened before and after Mullivaikal? Why not outside Mullivaaikkal, through out the island from 5th April 1971 to 8 January 2015?
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Shrikharan / February 10, 2016
Native Vedda
“Why not what happened before and after Mullivaikal? Why not outside Mullivaaikkal, through out the island from 5th April 1971 to 8 January 2015?”
People should be held accountable for their actions always long before Mullivaikal and long after January 2015. Accountability for ones actions started with the establishment of human rights and the judicial process, and will end only after human perishes from the earth.
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Real Peace / February 9, 2016
Sri Lanka is finished in the very near future, unless Al Hussein kidnaps MR, his brothers and children and locks them up in a room in the UN for at least 10 yrs!!
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Jim softy / February 9, 2016
He looks like a real gentlemen.
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Jim softy / February 9, 2016
He needs to help solve terrorism. the best way get all those LTTE financiers living overseas to Sri Lanka for prosecution.
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Patriot / February 9, 2016
4000 missing are the LTTE carders who died during the last stages of the war. LTTE was hiding behind a human shield sending forcibly civilians to the front line to face the army. Those who died at the front line were civilians forced to fight for LTTE. They were buried were ever they died. Now Prince should ask Sambandan and the TNA to shed light on these missing because TNA was the mouth piece of LTTE then.
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Marwan / February 9, 2016
There must be a reconciliation process, but going by what is being dished out, there is no genuine effort nor the desire to bring perpetrators of these so-called HR violators from both sides to justice. The missing will continue to remain missing, the dead are already done with, whilst the tug-a-war attitude between both communities is set to continue with no end in sight in the near future. Ultimately, it may be the international community who may have to intervene to put this matter to rest once and for all, by passing judgement in fairness to both parties and bring to justice the perpetrators. Otherwise we may never see an equitable settlement where both parties take fair share o9f the blame and resolve never to repeat it again. Mother Lanka is weeping for her sons and daughters.
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Peace Lover / February 9, 2016
He can talk all he wants as we have in our midst illustrious warriors like H L D Mahndapala who is about to renounce his Aussie citizenship and come back to the fight this UN kollas and he will be ably assisted by our very own sando hero K A Sumanasekera and his man Friday Ella Kolla and assisted by the noble Gnanasara!
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Pygmalion / February 9, 2016
Analyst.
Body Parts business,is far more lucrative than the Car Parts business.
There is a flourishing business where cars that meet with accidents,in Japan are cannibalised and the parts[which are generally in good condition] are brought down to Srilanka to service the needs at this end. The Japanese dont bother to repair their cars after an accident!
Those involved in this industry engage in this legally and therefore known.
But who is behind this Human Parts industry?
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Rajash / February 9, 2016
Ranil has admitted that all Tamils who surrendered are now dead except the few who are still in detention.
Ranil should disclose all facts he knows about how these Men,women and children met their death?
We’re they murdered? By whom? Who gave the order to kill them?
This is not only war crime but mass murder.
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Rohan / February 10, 2016
//Ranil has admitted that all Tamils who surrendered are now dead except the few who are still in detention.//
Even Gotabhaya did!!!
Interview this week… (Ceylon Today)
? Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said recently people who disappeared are dead. Are they?
A: Some of them are living in Canada and in the European Union.
? What about the rest?
A: Others are dead, I am sure.
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Nirmala N / February 10, 2016
Rajash
Don’t behave like a little boy raising your tempo unnecessarily.
Let us mature politics.
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Ranil Wijeyesekera / February 9, 2016
A amnesty is needed to encourage missing people to come forward. Not coming forward should be treated as a crime. A International census should also be held.
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Piyadasa Yalagala / February 9, 2016
Well here too, the Human Right Commissioner of Radd of Al Hussan having NO mandate or rights too, that the position is such authority that owing to objective condition of ‘war crime’ against Sri Lankan Security Forces.
HR outfit is no less than to interest of US and Indian push which that subjective moods and intentions of war conflicts has been superficial and transient merely a means by Tamil Terrorist and US separatism by which political hucksters will find, it easier make wrong deal on terms WAR CRIMES outwardly more decorous ,but in essence an opposed unitary character State Sri lanka to the interest of US, UK and Norway of western old imperial powers.
Consequently TNA, LTTE, diaspora and UNP not refraining from utilising UN HC even such superficial and infrequently conflicts of Tamil national issues; democratic forces must wage a stubborn struggle for anti-devolution and anti-federalism BY UNDERMINED for NATION SOVEREGNITY AND DEMOCRATIC AIM NOT ONLY AGAINST UNP LED RANIL .W.. & MS, CBK GOVERNMENT!
BUT ALSO AGAINST USA,UK NORWAY AND INDAIN-RAW.
THESE IS PRINCIPLE AIMS WHICH NATIONL FORCES MUST SET ITSELF IN CURRENT PARLIMENT.
WE HAVE QUITE CELEARLY UNO -HC ‘WAR CRIMINIAL RESOLUATION’ OF LAST GENEVA MEETING FORMULATED TO UNDERMINED NATION AND PEOPLE SOVEREGNITY OF ALL SRI LANKANS.
THE POLITICAL AIMS OF ‘WAR CRIMINAL’ CHARGES AGAINST SRI LANKAN IN PUBLIC AND PARLIMENT ARE;
1 TO EXPLAIN TO THE ALL NATIONALITIES AND PEOPLE THE UTTER USELESSENSS OF ‘WAR CRIME’ AS A MEANS OF ACHIEVING THE DEMAD OF SEPERATISM OF EEALM IS PARTITION OF ISLAND.
2 TO EXPLIAN TO PUBLIC THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF DEVELUTION OF POWER WILL NOT TO GAIN POLITICAL DEMOCRACY OF FREEDOM BY PARLIAMENTARY MEANS AS LONG AS, REAL POWER REMAINS IN THE HANDS OF US AND INDAIN, AS WELL AS TAMIL TERRORIST OF TNA AND ABSOLUT POWER INHAND OF UNP LEADERSHIP.
IN POLITICAL TERMS OF DEMOCRACY MAJORITY SRI LANKAN WILL LOST CONSTITUENAL POWER BASIS OF UNIVERSAL ,EQUAL AND DIRECT SUFFRAGE BY SERCET BALLOT.
INDEED UN HUMAN RIGHT RESOLUTION PARTICULARLY IN ITS CONCLUDING MEANS FORMULATED ALSO VERY IMPORTANT SPECIAL TASK OF ‘WAR CRIME” IS PATITION OF ISLAND FOR TAMIL PUPPET REGIME IN NORTH-EAST BY US DOMINIATION TO BUILD THAT USA MILITARY BASE IN EAST PART OF SRI LANKA.
THAT IS POLITICAL AND MILITARY STARTEGY OF 21st CENTURY DOMINATION OF USA- INDIAN OCEAN BY THE PROPOSED PLAN OF USA PENTEGON ROAD MAP.
The ‘war crime’ sponsor US by in UN is a shameless and outrageous project of US domination and re-coloinilaztion of Island of Sri lanka.
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CountryFirst / February 9, 2016
Several Tamils who were on the missing lists have emerged in India and other countries..there is nothing to say that many have also gone off on the ships that trafficked people to Australia. What is at the bottom line is that no one really knows, and the search for these people can go on forever without any evidence being unearthed as to their whereabouts….like that Malysian Airlines 370. Nothing has been revealed by any of the investigations. Without evidence there is no proof…these allegations remain allegations.
Sri Lanka cannot come up with anything more than what nations that have been at war have had to deal with re their MIAs in order to find answer to the UNHRC and its NGO support grps, and the Media channels like C4 with their Photoshop evidence that cannot be proven one way or another as in any cinematographic presentation.
This is all a hue and cry by people still trying to make money via Eelam Wars.
It should be acknowledged that many on ALL sides of this war need to receive reparations, not only the North and the East. What was meant to go on for years longer by those who did not wish the “unwinnability” to end, were surprised that it was indeed brought to an end.
Is all this that no democratic country has been made to face, vengeance for that termination?
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Rajash / February 9, 2016
CountryFirst “Several Tamils who were on the missing lists have emerged in India and other countries”
Gotta used to say that people who were allegedly “white vanned” by his hit squad, have in fact eloped with their girl friends and left Sri Lanka for another country.
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Nirmala N / February 10, 2016
Rajash
Remember. LTTE’s Nediyavan emerged in Norway.
Pottu is hiding in India.
Mathivathani????? Poor lady.
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jansee / February 11, 2016
Nirmala N:
Was Nediyavan’s parents or his wife running around with placards claiming that he should be included in the missing list?
Thambirasa Thuraisingam (Ramesh) surrendered. He was seen to be interrogated and then later found dead. He is in the missing list. I know you people are angry with Gotabaya. He was the one who confirmed that Pottu Amman had nil chance of escaping. If you want to call him a liar, it is ok with me.
I salute your “poor lady” concern on Mathivathani. Hope you had extended the same pity to former President Chandrika, too.
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Native Vedda / February 10, 2016
CountryFirst
“Several Tamils who were on the missing lists have emerged in India and other countries..there is nothing to say that many have also gone off on the ships that trafficked people to Australia”
Could you provide the details of those Tamils who have emerged in India and other countries. Are you certain that those who emerged in India were Sri Lankan Tamils and Tamilnadu Tamil, because they all look the same?
How did the Tamils leave this island when Yoshitha Rajabakse and his Navy mates were paid to guard the shore? Or was it Namal’s shipping company which carried the Kallathonies to Australia? Among the people who landed in Australia, about 6000 were Sinhalese according to Australian Immigration.
Were you one of them?
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Ranil Wijeyesekera / February 9, 2016
How many sri Lankan soldiers including tamils missing in action.
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Eusense / February 10, 2016
According to the UN killed and missing were all innocent Tamil civilians. Now where are those >40,000 LTTE terrorists??
Why aren’t there a single parent who claim their children were LTTE terrorist?
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Burning Issue / February 10, 2016
Euse,
I cannot help but notice that you are getting a little hot under your collar! What is that making you feel like that?
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jansee / February 11, 2016
Eusense:
While UN reports have estimated the probable figures, their instant call is to call for a credible independent investigation to pin down the figure. You cheeky fellow, the UN resolution focuses on HOW the victims lost their lives and were war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed. Your govt co-sponsored the resolution based on this, and so what is your problem now?
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Rajash / February 10, 2016
Essenes “Why aren’t there a single parent who claim their children were LTTE terrorist? “
You idiot because the parents were also murdered by the Rajapkasas
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