{"id":198423,"date":"2019-01-30T15:37:40","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T10:07:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=198423"},"modified":"2019-02-04T23:39:51","modified_gmt":"2019-02-04T18:09:51","slug":"president-sirisena-is-forcing-me-to-stay-in-qatar-ambasador-a-s-p-liyanage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/president-sirisena-is-forcing-me-to-stay-in-qatar-ambasador-a-s-p-liyanage\/","title":{"rendered":"President Sirisena Is Forcing Me To Stay In Qatar: Ambasador A.S.P Liyanage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sri Lankan Ambassador to Qatar A.S.P Liyanage<\/strong><\/a> whilst addressing the staff of Stafford Sri Lankan School in Doha complained that it is President Maithripala Sirisena who is forcing him to remain in Qatar.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>“I have tendered my resignation many times, but President Maithripala Sirisena is not accepting it”, Ambassador Liyanage is heard confessing in the audio recording whilst addressing the staff of Stafford Sri Lankan School Doha on the 24th of January 2019.<\/p>\n

The purpose of his hurried meeting took place, as Ambassador Liyanage who forcibly took over the school from its existing owners, had terminated yet another respected staff teacher of the school and instructed the school management to file an absconding case against her with the police authorities in Doha Qatar.<\/p>\n

The norm employed by Ambassador Liyanage is to instantly terminate any staff member of the school who does not tow his line and thereafter immediately file a case with the police indicating that the school staff member is absconding.<\/p>\n

This fabricated case is filed despite the terminated staff member still being in the accommodation provided by the school.<\/p>\n

The last time ambassador Liyanage resorted to such a thing, three lady teachers were kept in remand custody overnight. However for their fortune the police authorities understanding the predicament the lady teachers were put in decided to not lock them up behind bars, but rather house them in their office where they were permitted to have their food brought in by their family members and friends and also to sleep on the sofas overnight. The lady teachers subsequently submitted a letter to the police thanking them for their hospitality and kindness for the way they were treated when held overnight in remand custody.<\/p>\n

During his speech Ambassador Liyanage went on to lie to all staff present that the recently terminated Founder of the Scrabble Society and English Literature teacher was also in remand custody and that she will remain there for a week.<\/p>\n

He then went on to ridicule the profession of House Maids in his speech when he said “Thang oya teacher sathiyak hira gedara inna wela thiyenna hori thiyena gehenu saha House Maid samage” translated into English it means “Now this teacher will have to remain in custody with women who have sores on their bodies including puny House Maids”.<\/p>\n

However Colombo Telegraph can confirm that this particular teacher was never remanded or even detained by the police authorities despite Ambassador Liyanage making these false claims to further threaten staff of the school.<\/p>\n

She will be travelling to Colombo on Wednesday 30th January 2019 and will be dropped off at the Hamad International Airport by her friends and not deported as ridiculed by Ambassador Liyanage in his speech.<\/p>\n

In his speech the Ambassador continued to say that currently 122 school children have pending school fees and if they don’t pay their fees by the 10th of February 2019, they will not be permitted to continue with their studies.<\/p>\n

Ambassador Liyanage also emphasized that as an Ambassador he does have diplomatic immunity and is untouchable.<\/p>\n

“Dont be stupid trying to go against me in Qatar,” he continued to threaten the audience.<\/p>\n

What has saddened the Sri Lankan community in Doha is that this was a school founded in 2001 and ran as a community school serving the Sri Lankan expatriate community unhindered for many years. The school had been supportive in the past and never turned away a single child for their parents having difficulties in paying their school fees.<\/p>\n

Many Sri Lankans who were severely affected during the global financial crisis faced in 2008 and once again during the blockade Qatar faced and currently does since June 2017, are grateful to the Founder of the School Kumudu Fonseka and the former Board of Trustees, who did not let a single Sri Lankan student endow any difficulties in continuing their education.<\/p>\n

A long standing Sri Lankan parent speaking to Colombo Telegraph on condition of anonymity said “Ambassador Liyanage has destroyed this beautiful school that was serving us all this time. This is not a Sri Lankan Community School anymore. Since September 2018, especially after Ambassador Liyanage took over the school in a coup similar to what President Sirisena tried and failed in October 2016, he has enrolled over 400 African, Afghanistan and Pakistani children into this school. This is not a Sri Lankan Community School anymore. He has destroyed the values, cultures and beliefs that were instilled in this our only Sri Lankan School in Doha. Our children are now facing a cultural shock each time they go to school. Last year we had a student who got the best results in Economics in the whole world. We also had 11 students who did Bio Science with six of them going on to university to study medicine. We were so proud of this school but not anymore. Now he is busting all the school funds and pocketing commissions for illegal constructions being made to the school with no government approvals being obtained in doing so has compromised the safety standards in the premises. Even the security to look after school has been awarded to his daughter’s father in law’s security firm named Al Batheel who have lost many security contracts lately. They have employed many of their excess security cadre mainly made up of African nationals to man the school. Some of them even go on to intimidate the Sri Lankan community. It is strongly rumored that the Ambassador is now planning on gifting the school to his newly wedded daughter and son in law, as if this is an inherited family business.”<\/p>\n

Stated below are the names of Staff of Stafford Sri Lankan Doha School who were terminated for no apparent reason with some who were remanded by authorities on the instructions of Ambassador A.S.P Liyanage.<\/p>\n

1. Upali Jayasinghe – Former Principal<\/p>\n

2. Prashanthi Weerawardena Teacher<\/p>\n

3. Dilshani Perera – Teacher<\/p>\n

4. Aruni Colombage – Teacher<\/p>\n

5. Anuradha Amerasinghe – Teacher<\/p>\n

6. Subodha Ramanayake – Administrative Assistant<\/p>\n

7. Amila Obeysekara – I.T Administrator<\/p>\n

8. Sumith Sayakkara – Driver<\/p>\n

Editor’s note:<\/strong> This article was amended on the 4th of February 2019. The earlier version included the name Madushani Madawaarachchi – Teacher. She claimed that she had resigned on her own accord. “I would like to inform that I am not involved in this issue and my name should not be included in the list of employees specifically mentioned in that online article” she wrote. We apologize for the published error. However our reporter stands by the fact that many teachers have been verbally abused, harassed, threatened and terminated for no valid reason. Some teachers have also resigned due to the unbearable working conditions they have been put under.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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