The development and prosperity of a country depend on the percentage of countrymen who live by the greatest motto of " Country before Self".  It is the mindset difference of people between the developed countries and under developed countries. When people selflessly put aside their personal gains, individual gains and work towards the betterment of the country, the country will prosper and no other power will be able to hinder the development of such country.

What Sri Lanka needs today, is that more and more people adhere this great motto, starting from politicians from all parties, media and general public to embrace this grate motto.

Sri Lanka had many people who put country before self, the history tells us about many people, in the recent past many people put "country before self", and some even sacrificed their lives, fighting terrorism. The country and countryman owes to the people who fought the war and who gave the political leadership to win the ruthless terrorism. We need to protect them from every external element who works for their own agenda or under influence of terrorist who still trying to bring down the country. We need to take action to protect the country, no matter how big or small the action is.

This writer had the privilege and honor associating with a group of people who believed in the motto "country before self" and gathered in front the US head office in Ney York, to protest the UN agenda to deprive our war heroes. This group comprised people from all religions, buddhist monks, supporters of MR and SF, including Tamils who loves the country. This group realized that UNSG Mr. Ban –Ki Moon’s idea of setting up a panel to monitor "political reconciliation, the treatment of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the setting up of an accountability process in Sri Lanka"  had nothing to do with Sarath Fonseka situation. UN had not made a request or an attempt to visit Sarath Fonseka, but setting this panel to fulfill the dreams of Terrorist sympathizers and the foreign powers who could not get MR to dance to their tune.(Please read the TamilNet articles about this subject http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=31324)

This group of True Sri Lankan devoted their time, efforts and money to prevent intruders getting in to Sri Lanka, the group believe, if our people can handle the most ruthless terrorist group in the world we can handle any situation. These efforts for "Country Before self" come with a big price. Their efforts for the country on a very cold 34F( 1.1C) day with rain and breeze,  were humiliated by two on-line news outlets namely www.lankaenews.com and www.lankatruth.com that carried fabricated news items to say that they participated in this protest for a lunch packet and for US$100 and the participation were only 16 people and later they group was given a party by UN ambassador Dr. Palitha Kohona.

These News outlets should "Practice what they preach", they should have credible news reports or at least verify the truth by looking at the photos they published. According to them only 16 were participated but about 86 people were participated which was higher that any anti LTTE event before. The pictures they published showed more that 16 people. These people were never paid and $100 would not have been a proper compensation for the trouble these people took from the bad weather condition.

Dr. Kohona must have hosted a party for his friends, which is has the freedom and his entitlement. The write participated in the protest but was nether paid $100 or invited for the "payback" party.

Being a true Sri Lankan, Dr. Kohona must have agreed with the protest and greeted them in his mind, but never participated in any form in this protest or gratified the participants. Though Dr. Kohona loves to get to know Sri Lankan and entertain them, humble enough to meet and talk to Sri Lankas but professional enough to not to participate in any form in events protests against the organization he is servings, even though the protest is totally legitimate and a true need.

We kindly request the owners and the editorial boards of these two news sites (Lankaenews.com & Lankatruth.com) to refrain from publishing news tarnishing the images of true Sri Lankans who put the country before self. Whatever you political affiliation, who funded you, whom you want to satisfied should not release you from media ethics of publishing true news to your viewers who expect the truth. If you want to live by the media ethics please investigate your reporter in NY, probably he/she is in a mission to damage your image. Please adhere "Country Before Self" motto and encourage everyone to live by it .