Full transcript of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKItlvdEbo0 press conference by Ven. Angulugalle Siri Jinananda Thera, containing a number of lies about Sri Lankan human rights activists.

(Between 0.01 – 2.59 minutes)

The incident that happened yesterday... As the Collective of Parents of those were Disappeared and Killed, in the morning of that day, one mother called and asked us whether there is any inquiry/ a collecting evidence in Maradana area in Colombo. About disappeared children So we looked into it, and we found that our collective has no connection with it. But with the direction of American embassy and Archbishop of Mannar Rev. Rayappu Joesph, Fr. Sebamalei who is working for him (Rayappu Joseph), Nimalka Fernando, Brito Fernando, all those people got together and convened Mahaveer Families.

Mahaviru families are a handful of families, hope our Journalist friends know about this, don’t you?

Mahaveer Families are the families of LTTE members who have died, those who engaged in special tasks.

By gathering only the Mahaveer Families, these people have tried to collect wrong evidence against Sri Lankan State, as well as against the Three Government Armed Forces.

But what we wanted is to go there and to make a request that it is not only Tamil people in north who had disappeared, but also, people belonged to all three ethnic groups Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim including those from Colombo and other areas were among the disappeared. Thousands of our war heroes sacrificed their lives, as well as disappeared. Even today some parents live with tears in their eyes, in the belief that their children will return today or tomorrow. In such a context, without informing our organization which has a larger membership, these people have convened a minority group with the promise of paying money, even not in a public place, by reserving a private place, secretly, and a discussion was about to be held when we enter there. We went there and requested to call for witnesses on behalf all the people. Our organization has information. We have 3000-4000 members: the parents of those disappeared. We will bring those parents to present the facts. At that time, as the main organizer Brito Fernando was making strong verbal attacks on us, said that they will only appear for Mahaveer Families, only for those families from the North. If Sinhala people and other disappeared people need to tell something, they can tell it either to the President or somewhere else. They said we are not ready to appear on behalf of other people.

(Between 3.00 – 4.35 minutes)

After yesterday incident, we made a complaint at police. It was examined by the police to a certain extent. But the police and other government agencies misunderstand this that we went there and made a disruption there. No disruption was made. We made a request. After making that request, they became very angry and acted emotionally. When somebody acting emotionally, it is natural that arguments happen.

Except those things, there was no other disruption. We invited you today morning as there is an attempt to create a wrong view from number of places. Our main objective is to make this country, people, and everybody aware on what we went to do and what is happening. Mainly the problem here is yesterday, renting private institution, that is the “Collective Centre” ( - referring to the Centre for Society & Religion) Does our Ministry of External Affairs know about this event organized inside a rented private establishment and convening a large group of foreign diplomats. We have a question whether it is possible for American or any other embassy to act like this, without any participation or monitoring from any officer of our government?

(Between 4.36 – 5.46 minutes)

Now we’ll see who participated at this event. I think I don’t need to tell about Nimalka Fernando and Bito Fernando to media. Nimalka Fernando and Brito Fernando are well known, traitors in this country, NGO leaders. We don’t need to tell about that especially.

(showing a picture) Now here’s a priest 9father). Who is this priest? Acting emotionally, even trying to assault our monks, he is the main reason for the disruption happened there. This is one was referred by Brito Fernando to direct activities there. This person is Fr. Sathivel. He lives in Dematagoda area. He is a priest who was chased away even from Christian Church. He is father who has no place to stay, even having been chased away from Christian Church. What are the things done by such people in this place?

Do they actually want to listen to the grievances of innocent parents of whose children were disappeared?

Or otherwise, are they collecting information to be sent to the Geneva Conference against this country?

We have such a question when people like him are at places like this. We can assume of what they were trying to do from the characteristics of these people who were there.

(Between 5.47 – 6.57 minutes)

(showing a picture) Michael Huston (referring to Michael Honigstein, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission) this is representative, secretary on Politics of American Embassy. What is the special sadness this officer on politics in American Embassy has to convene handful of Mahaveer families only by spending their money and vehicles on it, to transport people from North using Embassy’s DPL vehicles, and then asking whether your children disappeared? What is the interest he has? American Embassy, British Embassy, Switzerland Embassy all these embassies who are staying in this country, they’ve sworn to protect democracy of this country, to protect this country and come here as Ambassadors. We need recognize these people as people who conspire to divide this country though. They are their official representatives. They are in such an activity.

(Between 6.58 – 7.29 minutes)

Also there was Ppubudu Jagoda. We don’t have pictures of him at the moment. He is a member of the “Peratugami” Party. (Referring to Frontline Socialist Party). This is a party which appeared for LTTE since its inception. It was born for LTTE. What are they who were born for the LTTE and Tamil diaspora doing here? Did they come here to listen to the grievances of innocent parents?

(Between 7.29 – 8.41 minutes)

(showing a picture) Then here’s a bald headed person, who does not have hair, a bald headed one. Who is this? This person is Rukshan Fernando, known also as Ruki Fernando. This person is a person who protected LTTE members in the past. In the recent past when new LTTE was said to have commenced, this was the person who supplied protection for LTTE members in relevant areas. Then there was this person at the event.

All of these people, in the entire past, officers from American Embassy, then Brito Fernando, Nimalka Fernando, Peratugami Party, these people... there were a large number of persons activists like this. All of these people have acted in the past, to destroy this country and to divide this country. They were the people who worked against the sovereignty of this country.

(Between 8.42 – 10.37)

Even though we don’t have a religious division, we must remember about this Archbishop Rayappu Joseph. This is the main Christian Religious leader who has been supplying all his support to LTTE for entire last three decades. It is not important whether this person is Christian or not, this person has supported LTTE for last three decades. Not only that, in the last Geneva conference, he submitted a report against armed forces of this country, and the government with the collaboration of about 51 Christian religious leaders. We know about that. Even this government knows about that. All these activities are coordinated and people were sent and directed by this Archbishop Rayappu Joseph and his assistant Fr. Sebamale. Then what all of these people are doing? So we after facing a three decades long war, after sacrificing 66,000 of lives by war hero (Ranaviru) Children, it was with much difficulty we protected this country. The country protected in such a manner, after betraying the lives of Ranaviru Children, after betraying this country, if someone tries to take this country to the devastation, we don’t approve it.

Yesterday, Nimalka Fernando stated to media, ‘Aney, We are so much peaceful. We brought people from North and had a peaceful discussion and it was disrupted so on... first thing we ask is, if such a discussion was conducted with the permission, if it is not illegal, the relevant police must know about it. Relevant police does not know until we go there. The police in the relevant area, OIC, the intelligence unit didn’t have any idea until we arrive there that there is something like this happening in the “Collective Centre” ( - referring to the Centre for Society & Religion)

(Between 10.38 – 15.26 minutes)

Then yesterday, Police media spokesman made a statement that two monks from Kaduwela and Maradana have come with group of other people and disrupted this event. We are asking from Police media spokesman whether he knew what happened there and made the statement, whether he knew whether we disrupted. It does not matter whether media spokesman or any other person, or it can be even your media organizations, when something is stated it has to be done transparently, openly and correctly. Otherwise considering a small piece of information supplied by one person, if the wrong statements were made it might cause a damage to entire country. Even with dislike, we have to mention something about Police Department. Recently, weaknesses of Police and government media on certain incidents became a reason to bring disgrace to our country. Yesterday incident was not given in the government media. The officers in Police department did not act properly. When we went to make a complaint that something against the country is happening, the head of the Various Complaints division said that they cannot accept the complaint. They said they cannot accept a complaint against these people. It was only afterwards that we were able to make the relevant officers aware and to make the complaint. Why is the Police Department silent when a discussion against this country is held in a secret place, secretly with the participation of foreign representatives? Why Intelligence Units, including CID and TID connected to Police are silent about this? When these people have conspiracies like this all over the country and ultimately giving statements relevant to the Council, then it will be useless to say ‘Oh! Accusations have come against us!

Resolutions come against us! Now we have nothing to do”. Then Ministry of External Affairs. We ask whether the External Affairs Minister and his followers are sleeping. Because it’s their duty to monitor when such things like this happen in the country. There was no government officer at that place. There was nobody from the Foreign Ministry. But half of the American embassy were there. American embassy with three vehicles, half of the people were there. Because they go to their target. Political section decides whom to make the leader of this country and how this country should exist, how to separate this country.

To decide such things these people join with these type of conspiracies. I think gentleman, now American embassy has made a media statement on this. These people have disrupted the event, has done an unnecessary thing. What we question from American Ambassador and the other officers is isn’t what you have done by convening a handful of Mahaveer family members an act against this country? Is there a right to an ambassador to convene the citizens of this country to secret places and to take statements secretly from the government and Armed forces. The problem is that they say to the government that we are having a discussion. But when they go, they do something entirely different. Through Skype, the statements of Mahaveer familes were broadcasted in Geneva and America. Not only those stories were broadcasted, these parents were brought promising them Rs. 200,000. But what did they said, when we went to the Police. J.C. Weliamuna at Transparency International is a person who betrays his sworn lawyer profession for things against the country. He came and told to the police that we were doing some work of Red Cross, we did not convene the people related to those disappeared. But we had all evidences including videos. When we first went there, they started threatening ‘you don’t come here. Get out from here’ etc.

They said, here we only discuss the things related to families of disappeared persons in north-east. We are not ready to talk about anyone. Also we don’t allow other discussions. But in the police they changed their appearance. Nimalka Fernando did not come to the Police. Only Brito Fernando came. He came and appeared like a dumb. Around 15 lawyers came. What these people did, even they tried to mislead the Police. We must say some basic things more importantly.

(Between 15.27 – 17.30 minutes)

First point,External Affairs Ministry – if there is any discussion happening between citizens of this country and the leadership of foreign diplomats, it must be observed by some External Affairs Officer of this country.

When such an observation has not happened, it is useless to later say to people this happened and that happened against us. So we urge the External Affairs Minister and Ministry’s Secretary ‘please do your duty without sleeping’. They have a big responsibility for the country, and country’s protection. During the war-time the wrong views about Sri Lanka were spread because of the weaknesses of the officers in External Affairs Ministry. We would like to remind them at least now they have to correct their weaknesses and to work correctly. Also we ask them to summon again the people who were brought yesterday to the

“Collective Centre” ( - referring to the Centre for Society & Religion) from The North, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya and all these areas, to question why they were brought. We ask to summon embassy officers in America and other countries and to question them what they did at that place. They even did not answer to the police in the first place. They don’t have an answer to be given. When we go to a place where a conspiracy is happening, and asked a correct question, they don’t have an answer to be given. They became dumb about why they did not inform to the Tamil, Muslim, Sinhala Disappeared persons’ association. When they were asked whether witnesses from other persons are not taken, they first became dumb. Secondly they said we only take witnesses from a selected small group of people. Yes, we know who the selected small group of people were. They were the members of Mahaveer families. They can control them as they wish. With the direction of Father, Archbishop Rayappu Joseph, those who were brought by Fr. Sebamalei were a group of innocent people from whom they can take statements against this country. So we remember it in that way.

(Between 17.31 – 17.57 minutes)

Also, at this time, members from Peratugami Party (Frontline Socialist Party), also there were representatives from all NGOs who are working against this country, also there were diplomats including staff of American embassy including all these people. Our Defense Ministry / Secretary must appoint a special committee to specially inquire what has been done by gathering all these traitors together at a time when there is a danger to the country.

(Between 17.58 – 20.00 minutes)

Next, we remember that all those people participated at this event were traitors, groups against this country. We did not do any disruption. What we wanted was that thousands of our children have disappeared. Even today those parents say ‘Oh Monk (Hamuduruwane), Oh sir, please find what happened to our child. We have been waiting for our children to come home without even giving an alms giving”.

There are number of people living like that with tears, war heroes (Rana Viru) families. When there are such people suffering all over the country, those who don’t hear the grievances of such people, we question why NGOs and diplomats select Mahaveer families. Also as the Dead and Missing Persons Parents Front, what we say is if there is any witness collected for Geneva investigation, such a taking of evidence only can be done by some persons appointed by UN according to a statement of the government, not according to us. Various Ambassadors, their representatives, or NGO staff have no permission to such an examination of evidence. Even in case of UN conducting doing it, they also must do it with an observation either from External Affairs Ministry and Defense Ministry. Without such an observation, it is not suitable as well as we must not allow anyone to conduct secret meetings in secret places about disappearances like this by offering bribes / money. About this the External Affairs Ministry, Defense Ministry....Especially what we have to say to the Police Department that says things like parrots after something has happened is your work....

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