Melbourne demonstration against Prime Minster Ranil Wickremasinghe’s Anti-National Agenda
Posted on March 15th, 2017
SPUR (Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka Inc) Media Release / Letter to the Editor
14th March 2017.
Melbourne demonstration against Prime Minster Ranil Wickremasinghe’s Anti-National Agenda
The ‘Island’ newspaper article of 10 March 2017 entitled UNP makes light of UPFA question on Tamil Diaspora using internet to spread racism” has reported that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe stated in parliament that a group of Joint Opposition (JO) members had joined hands with LTTE cadres to stage a protest against him while he was in Australia when Deakin University conferred an honorary degree on him” and that the JO activists and LTTE extremists had protested against him and they were together shouting at him using public address systems”. The article also stated that the PM claimed that Because when I was in Australia some 20 persons, supporters of the Joint Opposition and the LTTE protested while I was coming from Deakin University. So, there are occasions these two groups work together”.
As organisers of the Melbourne Australia demonstration on Thursday 16th February 2017, we wish to categorically re-iterate that our event was not orchestrated by any political party or an external group. The rally, which was attended by large number of patriotic Sri Lankans in spite of work and family commitments, called for the following:
- Protect the Unitary status of Sri Lanka and Reject the ‘Federalist’ Constitutional changes that have been proposed to appease Tamil separatist and foreign powers by weakening the Central Government and granting extensive powers to ethnically demarcated provinces.
- Review and Change the proposed Economic and Technical Co-operation Agreement (ETCA) with India such that Sri Lankan workers and investments are protected.
- Stop the sale of Sri Lanka’s assets and resources to foreigners.
- End the witch hunt of Sri Lankan war heroes and the persecution of intelligence officials.
- End the harassment of political opponents and the manipulation of democracy and the judiciary through political intervention.
- Stop protecting the disgraced former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and the others responsible for the biggest robbery of public funds in Sri Lankan history through the bond scam.
- End the harassment of media personnel.
At no stage did our demonstration or banners refer to an award made to Mr Wickremasinghe by Deakin University, but they did highlight his past record of appeasing Tamil separatist forces.
We also wish to point out that, at a completely different location, a handful of people carrying an LTTE flag made a token protest against Mr Wickremasinghe who is seen by many Tamil separatists as their natural ally. There is a strong suspicion that some of his supporters may have connived with this group to cause confusion among the media and public in order to dilute the impact of the main protest.
Given the above facts, Mr Wickremasinghe must explain to his parliamentary colleagues, the media and the people of Sri Lanka as to why his unsubstantiated statement differs so much from reality.
Ranjith Soysa
(Spokesperson)
On behalf of the organizing committee of
Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka -VIC Inc.
Surakimu Lanka Melbourne Ekamuthuwa Inc.
Global Sri Lanka Forum (GSLF)
Ps. We also send herewith a photograph of the demonstration which questions the basic IQ of the Prime Minister.
March 15th, 2017 at 5:29 pm
The most important issue in this saga is who conferred this Doctorate on Hon PM Ranil Wickramasinghe.
Deakin University has been part of the Indian Empire and has been engaged in Indian imperialist activities since it started. There was one Indian colonial parasite from Fiji Purusoththama Bilimoria working there from the beginning. He was a guy who had close contact with Gandhi Administration with his room adorned with India, including Indira.
This man used his position to promote pro Indian and anti Indian colonies activities like Fiji and Ceylon.
Then an Indian IT company Infosys I think, was going to set up an IT campus costing almost a billion dollars. The States Labour politicians used this in their propaganda like our VW factory.
One Indian vermin Professor Sandeep Gopalan the head of law faculty of Deakin from Manchester UK seems to be the Master Mind behind Ranil’s Doctorate.
Then there are other pro Indian and anti Sinhala like Damien Kingsbury working there.
So you can see how the Indian Empire and Indian Imperialists are operating.
We have to thank Ranil for what he said with Hon. P M Turnbull. He said ‘Come back” to Indian colonial parasites who are seeking asylum in Australia. That upset the Human Rights entrepreneurs and Indian Colonial Parasites who have settled in Australia.
They with the Socialists of staged the other demonstration.
March 15th, 2017 at 5:46 pm
Sri Lanka: Deliver on promises first, and then welcome refugees back
Lionel Bopage.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has urged Sri Lankans held in immigration detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru to come home. “Come back. All is forgiven,” he said in Canberra on February 15 after talks with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Even though they had broken the law in trying to flee to Australia he insisted they would not face prosecution if they returned.
“They left Sri Lanka illegally. They are welcome to return to Sri Lanka and we won’t prosecute them, so they can come back to Sri Lanka, and we will have them, but remember, they broke the law in coming to Australia, attempting to come to Australia.”
Tamils from Sri Lanka, along with Iranians and Afghans, are the largest national groups among more than 2000 asylum seekers held in immigration detention on Nauru and Manus Island.
Sri Lankan commentator Lionel Bopage released this response to Wickremesinghe.
* * *
The current Prime-minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremsinghe’s comments on refugees fly in the face of the facts.
Despite the relaxation of the social and political environment under the new regime led by President Maithripala Sirisena and the Prime Minister, the repressive machinery and logistical approach of the governance system towards its political critics and opponents have not changed.
This is evident from a number of incidents that have taken place in Sri Lanka recently, giving the impression that the current regime may have started resorting to old repressive strategies and tactics. For example, the killing of two university students in Jaffna; continuing police torture island-wide; a lax approach to investigations of the criminal activities of the previous regime; continued repression of trade union and student protests; the abduction of the leader of the telecommunication trade union; and the creeping closure of the democratic space gained after the elections.
There is also evidence of several cases where the returning asylum seekers were arrested and subjected to ill treatment. Voices critical of the current regime are again being reinterpreted as supporting a separatist agenda. The reconciliation agenda of the current Sri Lankan regime and its efforts toward that end are yet to be demonstrated in practice, despite the rhetoric of its representatives at overseas forums such as the United Nations.
By his statement, Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister has concurred with the Australian regime’s repression of the asylum seekers and their off-shore detention in Nauru and Manus Island, while Australia’ refugee policy is being subjected to intense and severe criticism by the United Nations.
Until the impunity given to perpetrators of human rights abuses is rescinded, the organs of the state are reformed, the mindset of many working for the state who see dissent as unpatriotic is changed and the rule of law becomes paramount, then and only then can the prime minister welcome refugees safely back to the country.
Otherwise the current government will also be seen in the cold light of history like other previous governments — of 1970, 1977 and 1994, among others — who promised much in terms of good governance and reconciliation but in the end made democratic spaces in Sri Lanka even narrower.
While supportive of the current government’s reform and reconciliation agenda, I am at the same time sceptical, given the past history of the United National Party and other members of the coalition, including the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, as reflected in the government’s inability and or hesitance to deliver the reforms promised during the presidential and parliamentary elections, in any concrete manner.
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the government need to deliver their promises first, then welcome back refugees.
[Lionel Bopage was jailed twice and tortured for his role as a leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (People’s Liberation Front), a mass liberation movement in Sri Lanka in the 1970s and 1980s. He was eventually forced into political exile and now lives in Melbourne, where he continues to be an outspoken defender of the right of national self-determination for the Tamil people. His biography, The Lionel Bopage Story by Michael Colin Cooke, is available from Resistance Books.]
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March 16th, 2017 at 6:09 am
Bay Gal Karaya traitor chief die hard catholic token Buddhist Batalande Wadakaya pol pot r@nil wickramaSinhala
killer has no shame, no conscience, no patriotism. Not an iota of it. He wants to destroy Sri Lanka, Sinhalese race and Buddhism to please his ardent supporters traitor tamils, mussies, catholics and the catholic west.
He has the dubious distinction of being the first ever PM (pathala man?) to experience a protest abroad by his own people. Was he ashamed? Not a bit. He doesn’t want to admit his treachery, instead he tries to stick the blame to somebody else. That’s how pathetic this pathala man PM is. He has been fooling Sinhala modayas for a very very long time with the catholic run media in Sri Lanka which paints a rosy picture about the Wadakaya. Now people have
started to realise his treacherous, murderous agenda against the Sinhalese, Sri Lanka and Buddhism. Now the Bay
Gal Karaya traitor chief die hard catholic token Buddhist Batalande Wadakaya pol pot r@nil wickramaSinhalakiller
is in a downward spiral and going to be destroyed before long. Hope the traitor chief Batalande Wadakaya who
brought only misery for Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese and Buddhism will suffer immensely for the sins he cmmitted/still
committing.
March 16th, 2017 at 6:20 am
Any Sinhala modayas who still support the catholic-run UNPatriotic party, please click on any of the links below.
These you can’t see in so called Buddhist Sri Lankan (on paper only) media. Why the catholic run UNPatriotics
dragged the BHEESHANA SAMAYA to kill over 50,000 Sinhalese. Why dragged the catholic tigers of tamil drealam’s
30 year long war and got them to murder over 100,000 Sinhalese. No drastic action even after Aranthalawa Bikku massacre, Sri Maha Bodhi attack, Sri Dalada Maligawa attack while catholic tigers never harmed a single priest or
damaged a single church. Ask yourself why catholic west, including staunchly catholic countries norway, us, uk,
france, germany, italy, argentina, brasil etc. etc all were die hard supporters of catholic tigers. Even archbishop
two three of south africa, convent educated sister jaya lalitha were die hard supporters. Wonder why? Catholic run
UNPatriotic party headed by traitor chief die hard catholic token Buddhist Batalande Wadakaya the Bay Gal Karaya
pol pot r@nil wickramaSinhalakiller gave half the country to his catholic buddy hitler mala paharan on a plate in
2005. Still no catholic country in Sri Lanka. So Batalande Wadakaya sent millennium city intelligent officers to
catholic tigers of tamil drealam’s bullet to expedite the cause. Sinhala modayas still revere the monster! Sinhalaya
called modayas for a reason of course.
http://ltte-christian-ties.blogspot.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV6_o9txURc
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2015/08/05/christianizing-of-sri-lanka-unps-betrayal-of-buddhism/
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2016/05/27/ranil-wickremasinghes-new-unp-3/
http://www.lankagrid.com/soma-thero/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_eJ1gX_fuU
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2016/09/26/ltte-terrorism-church-links-can-someone-explain-these-photos/
March 16th, 2017 at 6:46 am
All I could say is that people have a right to demonstrate peacefully with the permission of the government authorities as long as they comply by the rules.
March 16th, 2017 at 3:35 pm
Lionel Bopage was my well-liked batchmate in the eFac at Peradeniya University. We performed many Electrical Engineering experiments together. He was a very likeable individual. Thetefore, I was astonished and saddened when I learned of his leadership role in the JVP and condoned thier violent ways. Tortured or not, he should consider himself very fortunate to be still alive, being sn undeserving proponent of the torture and murder of innocents the JVP itself practiced on the altar of their Viplavaya!
I condemn without reservation both Lionel Bopage ‘s actions as a JVP leader who incited brainwashed Sinhala youths to violence rejecting the democratic path open to all citizens, and his apologies for the Tamil terrorists who resorted to even greater violence, presumably to achieve the “rights of the Tamil people” in Sri Lanka that never denied them equality rights.
The comments he makes even now demonstrate and prove that this particular JVP Kotiya has not changed his VIPLAVAKARA spots!
Nobody should attach any VALUE to the messages he conveys either in his books, or in his website statements now. They are without any moral and ethical authority that would benefit others and are quite similar to the wailings of the EELAMIST Tigers in Geneva.
Unfortunately, ONCE you are a JVP Viplavakaraya, you will ALWAYS be a JVP Viplavakaraya! The BRAIN IMPRINT is etched TOO DEEP; REHABILITATION is QUITE IMPOSSIBLE!
This is a LESSON we should keep in mind with regard to the so-called REHABILITATED cadre of the LTTE; they represent a CONTINUING THREAT to Sri Lanka.
March 16th, 2017 at 4:07 pm
Australia has already sent back 25 Indian Colonial Parasite asylum seekers from its detention centers as a result of Hon P M Ranil.
March 16th, 2017 at 8:49 pm
The YAMAPALANA ACTIVISTS back in GEAR agitating for “Maximum Devolution of Powers”!
Those who HELPED TO PRECIPITATE the CURRENT DISASTER want to COMPLETE THE DESTRUCTION!
These BUGGERS are NOT “Civil Society”, but the MOST UNCIVIL in our SOCIETY because they are PRECIPITATING the DISMANTLING of our Motherland under the PRE-TEXTUAL COVER of “Yahap[alanaya”.
Note that NONE OF THEM are TAMILS, but SINHALESE!
“The new movement called for the abolition of the executive presidency, electoral reforms and power sharing arrangement.
Ven Dambara Amila,
Prof. Sarath Wijesooriya,
Saman Ratnapriya,
Sudarshana Gunawardena,
Lucien Bulathsinhala,
Gamini Viyangoda,
J.C. Weliamuna,
Brito Fernando and
Udeni Dissanayake
pressed the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government to fulfill its much publicized promises made in the run-up to presidential and parliamentary polls in January and August 2015, respectively.”
These are the PAID PUPPETS of the REGIME CHANGING foreign powers! MARK THEM WELL in INDELIBLE INK!
…………………………………
Yahapalana foot soldiers intensify campaign for new Constitution
Island.lk
March 16, 2017, 12:00 pm
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Civil society groups that campaigned for Maithripala Sirisena at the January 2015 presidential poll, have stepped up their campaign for a new constitution.
The project gets underway against the backdrop of members of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) reaching consensus as regards a new resolution to give space for Sri Lanka to introduce constitutional reforms and address accountability issues.
Twice President Chndrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera and Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka on Wednesday (March 15) joined the inaugural meeting called by the newly formed National Movement For A New Constitution at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI).
Convenor of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) Prof. Sarath Wijesooriya had called the Wednesday’s meeting on behalf of the new grouping.
The new movement called for the abolition of the executive presidency, electoral reforms and power sharing arrangement. Ven Dambara Amila, Prof. Sarath Wijesooriya, Saman Ratnapriya, Sudarshana Gunawardena, Lucien Bulathsinhala, Gamini Viyangoda, J.C. Weliamuna, Brito Fernando and Udeni Dissanayake pressed the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government to fulfill its much publicized promises made in the run-up to presidential and parliamentary polls in January and August 2015, respectively.
Ven. Amila underscored the responsibility on the part of the incumbent government to introduce a new constitution.
Activists carried off a bearded person out of the auditorium after he hooted after the arrival of Mrs Kumaratunga at the venue.
Political commentator Gamini Viyangoda explained that required constitutional reforms, including the abolition of the executive presidency couldn’t be realized without going for a referendum.
Referring to a recent statement made by State Highways Minister Dilan Perera, Viyangoda said that he, too, accepted the SLFPer’s assertion that the government faced certain defeat at a referendum. Viyangoda said that the people had been disgusted due to the failure on the part of the yahapalana government to keep its promises. Therefore, tangible action should be taken without further delay to punish those who had robbed the country during the previous administration, Viyangoda said.
Urging the government to go ahead with constitutional reforms, the civil society activist said that people with vested interests were hell-bent on sabotaging the process. Viyangoda said that the division of the country on ethnic lines could be averted only by devolving powers. Viyangoda asserted that division of the country could be averted through constitutional means, by empowering the Provinces, he asserted.
Viyangoda pointed out the absurdity in the notion that devolution of power was meant only for the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
The Supreme Court in late 2006 de-linked the Eastern Province from the North on a technical matter.
Referring to the civil war in America involving eleven Southern States calling themselves Confederate States of America, Viyangoda said that the following the crushing the separatist movement, devolution of powers wasn’t stopped. Viyangoda said that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, father of Indian constitution hadn’t been deterred by the breakup of the country at the independence to devolve powers. Viyangoda stressed that both the US and India had proved that devolution posed no threat to stability and unity.
Viyangoda cited Switzerland and Belgium as smaller countries which achieved success through devolution.
The civil society activist said that the Brexit and Colombia were examples that couldn’t be compared with Sri Lanka.
However, the referendum on constitutional reforms in Italy late last year is relevant to Sri Lanka. The then Italian Premier Renzi’s constitution reform plan had been rejected by voters as he wanted to strengthen the Center. The project was meant to strengthen central government and weaken the Senate, the upper house of parliament, Viyangoda explained.
“What we are pushing for is the entire opposite to what Italy wanted to do. We want maximum possible devolution of powers.”
Recently some members of the National Movement For A New Constitution met President Maithripla Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss ways and means of advancing what they called the yahapalana agenda.
March 17th, 2017 at 8:07 am
A jolly good response from Oz ! Thank you, Patriots !
RW is a proven UNPATRIOTIC person and ought not to be politics in Lanka.
Pres RS appointed him as Exec PM because ‘the west wants it so’ – said RS.
And to think Lanka is named an Independent & Democratic/Socialist Nation.
Strange times !
March 17th, 2017 at 10:19 am
I second that Fran Diaz, A jolly good response from Oz. Ranil Wickermasinghe is just bad news for Sri Lanka. He is quite old now. He should retire gracefully like his one time boss JR Jayawardena did in 1989.