Sri Lanka ranked 137 out of 156 countries listed the World Happiness Report for 2013, compiled by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the lowest ranking for any South Asian country listed on the index.
Sri Lanka is in the bottom 20 countries on the index, ranking below Mali, Uganda, the Palestinian Territories, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Haiti.
Denmark leads the index, with the US coming in at #17 and the United Kingdom at #22.
Sri Lanka ranks below India (#111), Bangladesh (#108), Nepal (#135) in the South Asian region. The island is ranked with several Sub-Saharan African nations and Eastern European nations that are widely considered to be in dire straits.
Read the World Happiness Report for 2013 here
RajasH / September 11, 2013
I am not surprised. If they have done a survery of NE of Sri Lanka as a seperate Tamil Eelam, Tamil Eelam would be on the top of the ranking. Reading the comments made, since the defeat of LTTE , by the regime and the army generals stationed in NE they claim the Tamil people in the NE are very very hapy, so happy that they invite the army to all their civil functions, private birthday parties, wedding, schools sports events etc etc The army go with their video cameras and record the events for free, have drinks and the Tamil girls and women invite them to have sex with them. The Tamils dont give a hoot for TNA and are happy with the armny interferring with elctions etc.
May be rest of Sri Lanka is missing something, deploy the army all over and you will notice the difference.
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Desperate_SL / September 11, 2013
Imagine, if many in SL would behave in this way ?
This article is bit funny, how can you just say that people like Sugathapala are happy ? There should be other parameters or scales to measure the happiness of a man … ?????????
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RajasH / September 11, 2013
Happiness is not always money and material wealth. This guy Sugathapala is happy with himslef so whats wrong?
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Thiru / September 11, 2013
I am disappointed that in the island where Buddhists are supposed to follow Buddha’s teachings people are unhappy.
Buddha, the enlightened one said, “Desire is the cause of unhappiness”.
Corollary:
The desire of the Sinhalese extremist elite to subjugate the Tamils, Muslims and Christians is the cause of unhappiness; unhappiness to the oppressors and the oppressed!
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Dinuk / September 12, 2013
It seems that people are NOT fooled by the show of democracy and the BEAUTIFICATION of the city of Colombo after all – as their unhappiness shows. People in fact know that institutions are rotted and regime cronies without QUALIFICATION ethics, morals or principles are running the country into the ground. THe corruption of the Rajapassa brothers, sons and family have spread like a virus through Sri Lankan culture, politics and economics and ALL INSTITUTIONS and BEAUTIFICATION cannot hide the PUTRIFICATION of the body politic .
The newly painted Colombo Town Hall – all “beautified” while files are burnt to hide corruption and unqualified political agents hired, and works hold protests is a good example of the facade of beautification to cover the ROT and corruption that is the hall mark of the Rajapassa dictatorship and the equally rotten UNP opposition. BUT people know the truth and the shit will hit the fan and Rajapassa and Ranil will have to get out!
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Ben / September 11, 2013
You may be right.
but for me, I would be very happy, if we could have a good regime in the country, for the betterment of our people. Always, becoming very unhappy seeing how the rulers abuse the nation again and again. And not seeing any wayout of current problems, it makes me further sick.
This s how I feel looking at the issues being out of the country, sitting on the west. If we know that current rulers would win any elections using all tricks further manipulating all the numbers… leaving us so helpless.. people like me wont easily be happy in that regard.
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Kapila / September 11, 2013
Sri Lankans know that their country is rotten at the core because the leaders and regime is corrupt to the core and lacks values, ethics and principles. Hence the unhappiness manifest also in the number of people from all walks of life who are desperate to immigrate given the sense that there is NO FUTURE as long as the current regime and rotten political culture continutes and affects all sectors of life in the country..
THis is a good wake up call to the Sinhalaly modayas living on fake Buddhist nationalism to look into their own unhappiness with themselves and their leaders and stop blaming the minorities, the international community and everyone else for their misery and unhappiness.
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John / September 11, 2013
Before 2009 May Sri Lanka would have been the last.
At least now we are at 20
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Amarasiri / September 11, 2013
Rajesh,
“Sri Lanka ranked 137 out of 156 countries listed the World Happiness Report for 2013”
What happened to the Dhamma Deepaya, of Sinhala Theravada Buddhism?
Why? Is Sri Lanka not a Resplendent Island anymore?
This shows that Sri Lanka suffers from a Curse? What Curse?
1. The curse of Mahanama Mahawamsa Myths.
So Sri Lankans are reborn, in Sri Lanka, to be unhappy, collecting bad Kamma, and going down and down with every Rebirth, if you believe in that Myth along with the other Myths.. Men are reborn as women to be reborn to be raped by men and Monks, and the cycle continues, until all the men are reborn as women or animals.
This is the Sinhala Theraveda Buddhist “Nibbana” , “Nirvana” or Samsara or Rebirth.
Do you want to escape this cycle?
Get rid of the Buddhist Monks. Send them to India. They can have them ALL.
DeJa Vu.. Rebirth…
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gonbella / September 11, 2013
I wish GR had recruited Sugathapala appearing on the above video as head of BBS. Sugathapala is a real Buddhist compared to most of the saffron robed pretenders of the Gnanasara ilk. Sugathapala would have brought peace and happiness, instead of divisiveness and terror to the people of Sri Lanka.
So Hon Mister Gotabhaya Rajapaksa you have again failed the people of Sri Lanka and failed miserably.
Hon GR and Gnanasara and all other fundamentalists and religionistas please listen to what this man says –
“You see we live for a short time. We have come to this life as a sort of stop over. There is no use in holding anger, vengeance and jealousy with anyone in this stop over. Be happy with everyone, smile and have fun and die that way.”
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DeSelva / September 11, 2013
what happened to the arrack loving cricket mad baila dancing Sri Lankans clad in sarong frequenting the in the beautiful beaches of this serendib island?
Even the seas around the island are now violent, the serendibity is no longer when I visited the island last one can sense the mental partioning of the island. Even the professional Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim are not at ease with each other even thouh they work for the same organisation. Where there is mixed marriages I can detect disharmony.
The country is definitely destroying it self. The sinhal masses cant blame the LTTE any more
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Don Quixote / September 11, 2013
They went to Australia, they were also known as the burghers’!
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Bedrock Barney / September 11, 2013
What nonsense! Narcotics use is way up. Not only are Sri Lankans happy. They are also high!!!!
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RajasH / September 11, 2013
yes get high and forget
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justice / September 11, 2013
Happiness is relative.
Sugathapala appears healthy enough for his age,but thousands like him need screening for illnesses which can be prevented.
But our health services are not geared for this yet.
Health is Wealth is the old saying.
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HappyBunny / September 11, 2013
there are so may professions and menial jobs in the world, such as cleaners. hotel maids, nurses, bus drivers, garbage cleaners, etc etc
we get up in the morning and the world is fucntioning.
Thanks to so many of ordinary prople who do their jobs with a smile to make the world go around and take their problems home.
But this survey is about which country is more happiest. For a country to be happy the citizens of that country must feel part of that country
Sri Lanka is far from that
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Mahesh / September 11, 2013
These indexes are bulshits. See below for SL ranking in Global competitiveness. I personnally knows that this rankings basically depend on the SL institution involved in the field survey and the selection of survey sample. if you select a pro-government sample, results would be like GCI rankings in the below attachment. If it is otherwise, rankings would be like the WHR rankings in the article. This largely depends on the SL instituion and the funding body as well. They could manipulate it and they do. Really a shame.
http://www.ft.lk/2013/09/05/lanka-nudges-up-in-global-competitiveness-index/
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aratai / September 11, 2013
137 is better than 156.
:-)
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David / September 11, 2013
In next year count it will be the last, thanks Rajapassa brthel family. Distroy lanka.
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shankar / September 11, 2013
This is a western and tamil diaspora conspiracy to tarnish the image of srilanka.See how happy mahinda,gota and basil are.If the people that they are looking after are so unhappy how come these three are so happy with beaming smiles.Surely they would have felt the pressure and their smiles would have been wiped out of their faces.
Not only these three,the whole rajapakshe clan,legitimate and illegitimate including relatives,distant and not so distant,friends old as well as new ape minihas,are all very happy doing useful work for the development of the country as well as their own futures,which is okay because people are happy and they also are happy,so all are one big happy family of the island of srilanka,pearl of the indian ocean.Others are jealous of us,that is the root cause of these false reports,the green eyed monster is everywhere,part of human DNA.
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Ben / September 12, 2013
Chameleon blood flow all those 3 siblings make them look like happy, in the reality, they are on a deceiving mode. They have that in their blood.
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Ben / September 12, 2013
Even pradesheeya Saba members are happy – even happier since Rajapakshes have placed them to maraud this nation. Some people are scared of loosing their own properties. Very recently, by listning to Radio I got to know that land grabs are now becoming usual to Rajapakshes acolytes. Decent people have been loosing their grounds while crime friendly idiots are being bred by Rajapakshe methodologies. This is unfortuantely, a country that have reached to this levels as we never expected before.
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Ben / September 12, 2013
MR —> his siblings —> His sons —-> His relatives —> His henchmen (like the ones similar to MERVIN mind sets – are on a mission of disaster towards nation and country.
CJ – and all others are placed to comfort them but not the people.
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Thrishantha / September 11, 2013
Direct evidence of what happens when people follow material development, neglecting human values, human rights, rule of law, and justice.
Direct evidence of what happens when the politicians choose paranoia and hatred as tools to stay in power.
Buddhism is one great religion that teaches people about what true happiness is and how to maintain a stable state of unconditioned happiness if the eightfold path is practiced. Instead of practicing Buddhism, when people go to use Buddhism to stay in power, or even give false hopes of defending Buddhism without practicing it, people end up in distress.
Just look at the common features of all those bottom lot. A lot of lessons can be learnt.
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Rev.Devil / September 11, 2013
I think this is very unfair !! The UN should do a survey to see the most happiest president in the world !!? Could there be anyone in the world to defeat our ALMIGHTY M R !!
……”You see we live for a very short time, we have come to this life as a sort of stop – over. There is no use in holding anger, vengeance and jealousy”. – Sugathapala seems advising someone in particular !!?
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Lapatiya / September 11, 2013
This can’t be true as this report compiled by UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. I am sure Wimal Pachawansa, Champika Ranawaka and all Deshapremi porawal will say that Madam Pillay has a hand on it. This is the best proof that there is unstoppable International conspiracy going on against our Sambudda Saasana Chakrawarthis Govt.
I can’t understand why these people will say that we are not happy nation compared to other countries. Our Sri Rohana Manaranajana will have at least 5 – 6 Elections every year and People will be getting free food, Arrack to Drink and Pocket money from the Politicians. Even during Presidential elections our Saddarmadveepa Chakrawarthi himself open “dansala” in Araliyagaha Mandiraya to give free food with Mathata thitha. So our people are very happy throughout the year.
In our country we have electronic media such as ITN, Rupawahini, Sirasa, Derana, and print media such as Dinamina, Daily news, Divaina, Lakbima, Mawbima and Radio Channels to make people laugh 24 hours a day. Then how they say that we are not a happy nation?
We have Wimal Weerawansa, Mervin Silva, Champika Ranawaka, Gaanu 5 Bebadu Nanasara, Gunadasa Amarasekara, Prof. Nalin De Silva and Lot of Deshapremees to make People always laugh. Then on what basis they that we are not a happy nation. People will laugh when our Saddarmadveepa Chakrawarthi ask from the Maha Nayaka’s “Mama Ekadipathiyekda Ape Hamuduruwane”
When there is no Major event in the country Sri Rohana Manaranjana will arrange some “Nadagam” to keep the people happy. 1. Gen. Fonseka Nadagama 2. Shirani Bandaranayaka Impeachment Nadagama 3. Museum theft Nadagama 3. Mohan Peiris Nadagama 4. Mervin Silva’s Marriage Proposal Nadagama 5. International Conspiracy Nadagama 6. War Crimes Nadagama 7. UN Ban Kee Moon Nadagama 8. Navi Pillay Nadagama etc. etc. for people’s fun.
Actually we are a happy nation and very happy with Sri Rohana Manaranjana’s govt. and almost all the people in the country reminds Sri Rohana Manaranjana’s Mother when they go to Market, listen to TV and when reading News Papers.
People in the north are also very happy because they are living with full security provided by the Govt.
I bet no country can compete with our country in Rape cases, Child abuses, nepotism, Crimes, Corrupted Politicians etc. etc.
Next time we should request UN that compiling of this kind of reports be given to Mr. Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary General of the commonwealth as he can get expert support from Mr. UKU.
I am sure our Aathal Sumane and Jim Softy will fully agree with me about my suggestion.
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Marwan / September 11, 2013
Wow, that was really something to laugh about. Well entertained Lapatiya.
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Manoj / September 11, 2013
I don’t know why CT always posts negatives on Sri Lanka. When SL rank improved in the Global Competitiveness Index published by the World Economic Forum,they never posted it. CT is extremely bias and negates the right of knowing the positives of the country by the readers. Wrong media usage!!!
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shankar / September 11, 2013
manoj
Srilanka was ranked 52 in the 2011 global competitiveness report.In 2012 it slipped to 68.Then in 2013 it improved to 65.So you are saying that well done srilanka for slipping back 16 places and moving forward 3.
No wonder you must be late to work every day since you take 16 steps back then 3 steps forward then 16 back and 3 forward.Do you work from home.Typical of our country since independence,backwards and forwards.
mahinda started off well and country went forward.Then he lost his head a bit and surrounded himself with donkeys and yes men and went backwards at a rate.Then he managed to stop the reverse gear and moving now forward on 1st gear and the money and fuel is running out.
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Manoj / September 12, 2013
Dear Shankar,
Seems you don’t have much idea about the ins and outs of this report. GCI is compiled based on the executive opinion survey within the country and secondary data sources like world bank, IMF, UN etc. As I remember, the share of primary data collection (survey) to secondary data is 50:50. This index is developed under 12 pillars which falls under 3 sub categories as basic requirements, efficiency enhancers and innovation/sophistication factors.
But, What is the basis of comparing from 2011/12 to 2013/14? Why don’t you consider the fluctuation from 2006/07 to the latest? Please see below for rankings from the begining.
2006/07-81
2007/08-70
2008/09-77
2009/10-79
2010/11-62
2011/12-52
2012/13-68
2013/14-65
As the 2011/12 report says, Sri Lanka showed unusual improvement of ranking and the biggest of all countries) compared to the previous year. This might have been caused by the termination of war in 2009 and resultant sudden increase in the confidence of the Business Executives which reflected in the following 2 years. Otherwise, it would have followed the usual trend of improvement in GCI ranking.
If you draw a trendline for this ranking fluctuation, you will see the general trend of improvement in ranking even if you use methods like linear, exponential, logarithmic, polynomial, power, moving average or whatever. This improvement would expand more if you weight the ranking by number of countries participated in the index. Latest index features the all time highest number with 148 countries.
Anyway, I fully agree with your comment “mahinda started off well and country went forward.Then he lost his head a bit and surrounded himself with donkeys and yes men and went backwards at a rate.”
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shankar / September 12, 2013
Dear manoj
yep,you are right.I did not have those early figures.quite shocking to think that it was 81 in 2006/7.Shows the mess that was inherited from Chandrika.I think it became 52 in 2011/12 when the war was over and country was showing potential for a lot of foreign investment to come.Unfortunately mahinda started to listen too much to wimal,champika and gota and started to adopt a hardline attitude towards a political solution to the ethnic issue and the investors got skittish and went off to other countries,like vietnam,indonesia and philipines i think.Indonesia is one of the best performers and i think is ranked now as 40.Philipines under aquino has beaten us.
Our macroeconomic situation got very bad,because a good part of our income is spent now on repayment of loans and interest.Also our labour force is not very flexible and productive.Unless we attract FDI in a big way we can kiss goodbye to improvement in our rankings.Investors will want a political solution to the ethnic issue and a flexible work force and better management of the finances and inflation so that the macroeconomic environment is less risky for investment.
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Manoj / September 13, 2013
Exactly!!!
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Lapatiya / September 11, 2013
I think CT should consider the point raised by Manoj. CT should write articles about Giant development work of Saddarmadveepa Chakrawarthi’s Govt. At least once a week CT should carry articles about “Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksha International Port” , “Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksha International Airport”, Success of Mihin Air and Sri Lankan Air, Importance of Nelum Pokunu and Ranminithanna Tele Village, Highways, Uthuru Wasanthaya, Holding Elections every month, Rajapaksha style Democracy, War Victory, Media Freedom, Independent Judiciary etc. etc.
CT also should be Independent or un-biased like Lankacnews or Govt. Independent Electronic Media and use the Media correctly as suggested by Mr. Manoj.
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Manoj / September 12, 2013
You haven’t got my point correctly Lapatiya. I am not praising the MR government. I am not encouraging publishing govaernment wasteful projects. But as an admirer of CT, I don’t want it to be like ITN/Rupavahini or any other bias media.
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Manoj / September 12, 2013
Even I didn’t mention CT to be pro-government. I just raised the point based on the report published by renowned World Economic Forum (WEF) which is no way related to the SL government. Don’t show your stupidity by shouting like a barking dog. Just try to understand the point. Be rational.
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Marwan / September 11, 2013
Real happiness comes from being content, satisfied and cheerful. Not when under threat of attack by rabid monks spreading hatred, arousing communal tension with an impotent police force and a biased government to boot with. SL deserves this rating. Only the big fat politicians are happy in this country. The common man is made to struggle to keep them happy.
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Hela / September 11, 2013
CT would have made a better contribution if it dicussed the key themes of the report and their applicability in Sri Lankan context rather than just providing some selective country placings.
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Jim softy / September 11, 2013
Statistics can be created.
Do you think that POLL – FIRMS do not create new trends even though those do not exist ?
Sri Lankan govt can select the factors and create new indices to promote what the country needs too. They can manipulate it by asking manipulated questions or by selecting the polling method.
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Point of View / September 12, 2013
Are you talking about our elections, Jim Softy ? Of course, you should know better !
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Jim softy / September 11, 2013
Just think, different businesses in the west publish research results saying the consumption of their product is healthy. All manipulated.
Probably, This article published by the CT talked only about LTTE – TAMILS who are crying out for the PEELAM.
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RajasH / September 12, 2013
You are hit the nail on the head and admitted that Sri Lanka will manipulate the the forth coming provincial council elections.
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San / September 11, 2013
This is a load of rubbish.We are the happiest and the luckiest .Only we have one family control the entire(almost) govt.
budget just for 20 percent commission.Many others get nothing. If the president is happy we are happy too.MR and the clan is happy so is the entire country.
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Truth / September 11, 2013
According to the Human Development Index (HDI) 2012 published by UNDP, the HDI rank of Sri Lanka is 92 while the HDI rank of India is 136. According to this World Happiness Report 2013 the rank of Sri Lanka is 137 while the rank of India is 111. The World Happiness Report is produced by three professors from Canada, UK & USA. Hence the credibility of the Human Development Index is very much higher than a report produced by three professors from countries with powerful Tamil lobbies.
It is a known fact that there is a strong correlation between the HDI rank and Happiness. Looking at the graphs, it is seen that the blue bar chart of Sri Lanka is very short (about 0.5) and even shorter than any other country with a lower Happiness Rank. In contrast the blue bar chart of India is more than four times longer at 2.25. The Blue bar chart is called Base Country (1.977) + residual. It looks as if there is a significant error in this figure, the source of which is not clearly explained in the report.
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Ajith / September 11, 2013
People in Sri Lanka is not happy because there are signs of dictatorship, there is no law and order, people cannot open their mouth, corruption is every where there is no trust between communities and the cost of living cannot be reached by 90% of the population. As long as the family that hold the whole nation under siege continue to hold the power this is going to be worse. People should unite to break the barriers.
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Safa / September 12, 2013
People are definitely not happy due to the economic conditions and poor law and order situation. Daily there are demonstrations and strikes about some issue or other. Rate of suicide has increased for males. Children are being abandoned because parents cant support them. Election has become like a carnival with politicians dancing the devil to entertain the crowd.
Simply praying will not help the situation unless the leaders and government implement wide ranging plans to reduce waste and corruption and to unite and develop the people and country. Security alone will not suffice to ensure the stability and growth of the country. People must be reconciled and united.
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Lanka Liar / September 12, 2013
Shall we blame the LTTE for this too.
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Hsitas / September 13, 2013
How can you be happy at someone else’s misery? The majoritans should realise this. By the way the Rajapakse clan should be above the Danish though.
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shankar / September 13, 2013
Punchisingho in the photo of the article looks very happy because he has a lot of betel leaves to chew.If the price of that goes sky high his smile will vanish,as long as it is cheap he will smile.
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Curious / September 15, 2013
What does the blue line in the charts represent. It says base country (1.977)+residual. Not defined anywhere in the UN report…
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shankar / September 15, 2013
why are you worried about that.You can see that punchisingho is not interested in all that crap as long as he has cheap betel leaves.
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