President Thwarts The Diaspora Protest
By Faraz Shauketaly
200 Protestors at Heathrow miss the Presidential entourage
President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived at London Heathrow Airport approximately two hours later than scheduled and dissappointed a number of LTTE-supporters who had gathered to protest.
The waiting protestors – numbering about 200 people – laid in wait for the Sri Lankan presidential entourage in the arrivals hall at Terminal 4 Heathrow. The President and his entourage were of course afforded VIP treatment as befits a Head of State and exited away from the hustle and bustle.
The Police and airport security tried their best to quieten the absolute din that the LTTE supporters were making inside the arrivals area. An arriving passenger said, “it is disgraceful. Passengers coming off a flight can do without all this rubbish. The Police should move them away.” A London mini-cab driver said, “they are breaking the law. They cannot simply loiter here let alone have protests. The Police should come down hard on this sort of thing.” A Sri Lankan family who had come to meet a relative said, “look at this! It shows doesn’t it that most of these protesters are supporters of the LTTE. Look at how many of their flags they have brought. All this about peace is a sham. With peace in our country they should all go home.” Priya added that she and her husband were both born in Britain and Britain was their home. A student from Trincomalee said, “it is important for us to protest. President Rajapaksa must be held to account for what happened in the war.” Was it because the LTTE lost I wondered. “Not at all both sides must be investigated.”
The President is expected to be in Britain for six days on what is essentially a private visit. He will address the prestigious Oxford Union Society on December 2nd – the same day that Sir Ranulph Fiennes the acclaimed explorer will also address the Union. The First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and some others are due to arrive in London today. (FS)
If it’s a private trip did he take one whole Sri Lankan aircraft and is this despot going to pay for this so called private trip ?
Bananas in pajamas. show some respect to the Prez of SL..havnt your mother taught you well?? (or do u have one?)
“show some respect to the Prez of SL..havnt your mother taught you well?? ”
You mean like the respect the Prez of SL showed to the General who won the war? My mother always told me to give respect only to those that deserve it and give it also.
So Chanaka, in the name of General, you approve the LTTE and their protests… How ironic..
Chanaka,
Is your mother alive?
my reply is for Banana Republic – I forgot to mention
He’s president of SL!! What are you suggesting? Taking economy class?
Our President is Shahanshah (King of all Kings) ….so he was given right royal treatment which he richly deserves !!!!!!!
He appear for the world as a leader from the most prestigious democractic country from the third world. Who talk about trip about obama or some other leaders travelling arrangement. what ever said elseone, he as a head of the state in sri lanka , in his diplomatic or private trip, he has privilage to utilise any traveling arrangement from here. Dont worry, Sri Lankan people will tolarate.
Agreed. I am also ready to pay for MR’s trip. He made my country safe. I’ll sacrifice many things in return. We have to have long memories and be grateful rather than being selfish.
We can all see that MR is suffering from a complex as if he does not fit in and not upto the international mark as a leader.
Going to visit Oxford does not mean that you come out as a qualified Oxford graduate. Also believe the Oxford union society to be addressed is Sri Lankan influenced..Alll this for a cheap shot and publicity…as if to show that the president has nothing else to do…..Plenty in our opinion, when the country is nose diving into chaos and more desperation.
This president takes the cake..
Motta Rahla,
Are you really a Sinhalese or even a Sri Lankan? Any man who puts down the man who provided the people of Sri Lanka the freedom to walk the streets with no fear of being bombed to death is a traitor!Who says an Oxford graduate is better than a graduate from a university in Sri Lanka? You really should get your colonial era mentality reshifted to one that of the 21st century.
Your comment well suits your name, Motta Rahla. Not everyone who goes to Oxford comes out with a degree. There are ministers, clergy, union reps, clerks, cooks, cleaners etc also going to Oxford union for various tasks and has nothing to do with Oxford degree. MR is not going there to study Motta Rahla.
your name well suited you.
“nose diving into chaos”????
I haven’t seen a more peaceful time in decades!! not to mention the development!!
LTTE supporting British Terrorists can do whatever they do but in Sri Lanka, it is none other than President Rajapakse is spending billions of SL Rs to develop areas that Tamils live. So these Tamils who live on dolls and fake passports, crendtials and involved in credit card scams, I have one thing to say ‘get lost and Sri Lanka is much better without those terrorists and criminals’
“LTTE supporting British Terrorists can do whatever they do but in Sri Lanka, it is none other than President Rajapakse is spending billions of SL Rs to develop areas that Tamils live. ”
President is spending billions of SL Rs? Where did you get that number from? I agree he has swindled billions of SL Rs for his personal swiss account, but don’t tell me he is spending billions on development. The recent budget shows hundreds of millions on defence for the north – that is not development.
I am happy even if MR takes billions of money for his private purposes after what he did to the country. Lives cannot be accounted by dollars and he saved millions of lives at risk. Try to calculate the value of that and you will be ashamed of your penny pinching comment.
Any democratic activities are not supposed to be condemned. White Van abduction, extra jucicial killings, and suppression of freedom of speech should be condemned, and must punish those commited or orderd the crime against humanity. Bloking out medida from war area to accormodate crime committment during the war, and not dare to face an international inquiry is an indicaiton that the accused is behind the crime committed during and after the war.
Why only MR, all that list applies to LTTE and their supporters including Nediyavan, Rudrakumar, Any leader in UK who leads LTTE support groups, Indian prime minister, Norwegian ministers and prime ministers (for training and supporting to kill innocent people) etc etc. I will support you if the rule applies to all otherwise NO.
Also Hiraly, Bush, Blair etc are also must be lined up for war crimes since they also are suspected war criminals regarding Afganisthan and Iraq. Do that and I’ll support your claim.
Until the beginning of this year, pro-LTTEs were the largest group that sought assylum in the UK. In May 2009, before the end of the war, some 50,000 attended pro-LTTE protests. Yet they can nly gather 200 people today. It looks like the rest 49000+ got their passports sorted and couldn’t be bothered about the LTTE and their friends anymore.
Motta Rahla: developing countries like Sri Lanka, really should do better under an “elected dictatorship” More development work has been done by this government than any other since JR. Yes there are short comings but where isn’t there? Even the USA that great superpower has admitted to failures and torturing people to get confessions, as has Britain that bastion of democracy. Its not right but if you want everything to be right you will not find a single country on earth that has 100% everything in order. Not one. Look around you, take stock, shift the goal posts a little bit, give a little, take a little, and live life – it’s too damn short. If the people really are fed up with Mahinda Percy Rajapaksa, they will vote him out at the next opportunity – until then, trust in God and go in hope and peace.
Lokka,
You are dreaming. How can he be voted out with his absolute power, and every high official including the Commissioners of Election, Police. Public Service and head of the Armed forces are appointed by him???
I am a Tamil living in East Ham, and proud of my president, HE Mahinda Rajapaksha. He delivered peace to all in Sri Lanka, and brought hope for the Tamils. Welcome Your Excellency to UK. Dont worry about this bunch of loosers waving the terror flags. They don’t represent Tamils.
These asylum-seeking-hunger-striking-perpetually-protesting folks are a problem for the British tax payers.
NO MATTER WHICH COUNTRY WE CANT STOP DOG’S Barking !
IT’S NOT A BIG THING . ONLY POLICE DIDN’T TAKE ANY ACTION AGAINST THIS MAD DOG’S, Who disturbing to other passengers
ltte organisation has now become a money making machin for the COLLECTORS. they couldnt really cheat too much when prabbha annay was alive as he would have killed them for pilfering but now he is gone and no arms to fund, the collectors are on PAYBACK time. so the only way to counter that is for the President to make sweet the terms for returning expats – no tax, duty free imports, high interest rates on their forex and developing the north north east with their money… singapore watch out …. mahinda and co are about … helped by the casino king pin ravi, gamini senrath, ratharan thilak and his other men of affluence who were on Channel 4 for all to see .. at Dorchester
I really fill sad want i read all this commends made by some Sinhalese people
are you really a Sinhalese person. Even I’m not from sri lanka want i read the commend made by Chanaka. I Love sri lanka . If i ever get a chance to live in sri lanka i will .
dont forget he played out the funds from the Tsunami fund!!! I am a sinhalese (may be not a patriot because i am not supporting rajapaksa) but have to say MR is probably the most corrupted politician we ever had….! even the legal luminaries like Christy Weeramanthri condemened MR’s dicision to extend the presidential terms!!! sadly the srilankans can be deceived easily….
Its snowing heavily in London right now.This is non other than a vacation to feel and see Snow by the first family. Thse buggers now do what ever they feel like, Snow , sunshine, etc when ever they want …. hope they freeze out there so that we live in Sri lanka happily ever after !!!!!!!
They say people pelt stones at trees that bear fruit and not barren ones. The frustration and admission of defeat of the some of the losers against the president is quite evident. They can lament, roll down on the ground and bang their heads, but a solid mountain will not come down nevertherless.
A huge majoriry endorse his leadership and that’s what matters.
Having been involved with a global aid agency, I’m familiar with the terrorist issue in Sri Lanka and the brutally effective military campaign spearheaded by President Rajapaksa. Whether we in the West agree or not, these Sri Lankans showed us that even Human Rights have a value and they should be put in perspective when lives are at stake.
I don’t totally like the concept, but in the dangerous times we live, where terrorists such as the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) can wield significant fire power by way of using force multipliers such as suicide bombings, violation of a few people’s human rights will have to become an acceptable price to pay for the safety of the majority.
Currently Rajapaksa remains the most credible leader for Sri Lanka, where the majority percieve him as a true statesman who will not be cowed by external pressures when the nation’s interests are at stake. President Rajapaksa will do well to understand the expectations of his people and avoid making the mistake of attempting to create a North Korea style dictatorial dynasty. The very same Sri Lankans who admire their fearless president do not relish the thought of his fat offspring inheriting the mantle of the nation.
The ex ltte , ex Balasingham and its croonies using Britian to get the Sri Lankan President on war crimes is a joke.These clown are embrassing the Queen,British Government and the British people. I wonder what is the security doing? Thanks for the full support of the people of Sri Lanka and a capable Leadership that eventually ended 30 years of misery,I wonder whether the British knows that.
These are uneducated hooligans that make a meagre living by cleaning after the Brits. What should one expect from such a downtrodden crowd? They who cannot read or write do only understand a couple things in sign language: for “eat” and then “squat” for something else. It is good that they live up there than in SL. Also, There have been reports by the security detail that the arrival area at the airport stank of curry and gingili the whole time they were there – polluted air and the whole works. A damn SHAME. But Brits deserve that.