Comments on: What is the fuss over former LTTE members in Australia? http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/26/what-is-the-fuss-over-former-ltte-members-in-australia/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:20:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tom McLoughlin http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/26/what-is-the-fuss-over-former-ltte-members-in-australia/#comment-43044 Tom McLoughlin Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:51:10 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/26/what-is-the-fuss-over-former-ltte-members-in-australia/#comment-43044 Certainly my big media watching has shown a clear and present PR offensive on behalf of the Sri Lankan Govt this last 5 days: ABC tv news footage of soldiers marshalling Tamils to rice and bottled water stations. As if to say, what refugee camp oppression? Then last Saturday on Doogue RN was the elephant expert from the Sri Lankan tourism industry. Nice man, very sensitive. Nice fluffy story that. I even made a note on the back of my hand: Is Burson Marsteller (refer wikipedia) working for the Sri Lankan Govt? BM can be compared with Hill & Knowlton global spin doctors who cooked the story about Iraqi soldiers ripping prem babies from their medical cribs in Kuwait - just in case there was any doubt about US/coalition support for Iraq War no.1 (including Australia). It was a lie apparently. Just googled "Burson Marsteller Sri Lanka": "With this Genesis Burson-Marsteller now has exclusive presence in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. Christened the BMSAN (The Burson-Marsteller South Asia Network), the network offers a unique model of central planning with local insights and expertise in execution in respective markets. It is thus a compelling and a competitive proposition to companies with presence across these markets or those looking to enter these markets." Certainly my big media watching has shown a clear and present PR offensive on behalf of the Sri Lankan Govt this last 5 days:

ABC tv news footage of soldiers marshalling Tamils to rice and bottled water stations. As if to say, what refugee camp oppression?

Then last Saturday on Doogue RN was the elephant expert from the Sri Lankan tourism industry. Nice man, very sensitive. Nice fluffy story that.

I even made a note on the back of my hand: Is Burson Marsteller (refer wikipedia) working for the Sri Lankan Govt? BM can be compared with Hill & Knowlton global spin doctors who cooked the story about Iraqi soldiers ripping prem babies from their medical cribs in Kuwait - just in case there was any doubt about US/coalition support for Iraq War no.1 (including Australia). It was a lie apparently.

Just googled “Burson Marsteller Sri Lanka”:

“With this Genesis Burson-Marsteller now has exclusive presence in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. Christened the BMSAN (The Burson-Marsteller South Asia Network), the network offers a unique model of central planning with local insights and expertise in execution in respective markets. It is thus a compelling and a competitive proposition to companies with presence across these markets or those looking to enter these markets.”

]]> By: Perambalam Senthooran http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/26/what-is-the-fuss-over-former-ltte-members-in-australia/#comment-42866 Perambalam Senthooran Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:57:30 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/26/what-is-the-fuss-over-former-ltte-members-in-australia/#comment-42866 Good One Bruce. Thanks for bringing out the role of the Australian Government in supporting and assisting Srilankan government in their ethnic cleansing. Australian Government charged three tamil community workers with terrorism related cahrgesds knowing very well that they are never a threat to Australia but only to aid the Govrnment of Srilanka in their State Terrism. It was done on the specific request of the Govt of Srilanka. Good One Bruce. Thanks for bringing out the role of the Australian Government in supporting and assisting Srilankan government in their ethnic cleansing. Australian Government charged three tamil community workers with terrorism related cahrgesds knowing very well that they are never a threat to Australia but only to aid the Govrnment of Srilanka in their State Terrism. It was done on the specific request of the Govt of Srilanka.

]]> By: bugeyes http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/26/what-is-the-fuss-over-former-ltte-members-in-australia/#comment-42856 bugeyes Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:23:46 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/26/what-is-the-fuss-over-former-ltte-members-in-australia/#comment-42856 The Australian Government should give pause to taking the advice of anyone directly or indirectly associated with the Sri Lankan Government, particularly the questionably qualified and gormless Gunaratna, when it comes to refugees from this failed state. While it works on its 'final solution' to the Tamil problem in the north, there are many Sinhalese citizens who face similar threats to their human rights, simply because they hold the objective view that their government has gone too far: they see the reality of a despotic and ruthless military 'hipocrisy' at work, starving the country of funds which could be used for much-needed development, and willing to eliminate all opposition in maintaining its stranglehold....we have to wonder where it will all end, and how many innocent people on both 'sides' have to die before the Australian Government and the international community finally wake up to the tragedy they have stood by and allowed to unfold. As Bruce says, former LTTE combatants should not be compared to 'genuine' terrorists where their potential threat to Australians is concerned......and their supposed 'fearsome reputation', well cultivated by the Sri Lankan Government's PR department and swallowed by western media, is no excuse to hand them back to the true force of terror which is running rampant in that country. The Australian Government should give pause to taking the advice of anyone directly or indirectly associated with the Sri Lankan Government, particularly the questionably qualified and gormless Gunaratna, when it comes to refugees from this failed state.
While it works on its ‘final solution’ to the Tamil problem in the north, there are many Sinhalese citizens who face similar threats to their human rights, simply because they hold the objective view that their government has gone too far: they see the reality of a despotic and ruthless military ‘hipocrisy’ at work, starving the country of funds which could be used for much-needed development, and willing to eliminate all opposition in maintaining its stranglehold….we have to wonder where it will all end, and how many innocent people on both ‘sides’ have to die before the Australian Government and the international community finally wake up to the tragedy they have stood by and allowed to unfold.
As Bruce says, former LTTE combatants should not be compared to ‘genuine’ terrorists where their potential threat to Australians is concerned……and their supposed ‘fearsome reputation’, well cultivated by the Sri Lankan Government’s PR department and swallowed by western media, is no excuse to hand them back to the true force of terror which is running rampant in that country.

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