For the profusion of lies Poojith says of AAWA, any other government would have packed him home un- ceremonially !

(Lanka-e-news - 04.Aug.2017, 7.55 PM)  IGP Poojith Jayasundara recently made an   announcement in Jaffna that ‘Terrorism is not fully over  and in much the same way as  the LTTE organization was launched so   there are attempts of a revival. Hence this must be halted.’  In addition the IGP made a serious allegation that the leader of the AAWA group is a member of the LTTE organization . 

Sadly , by these irresponsible utterances the most responsible IGP , the highest in the hierarchy of the police has proved he is an accomplished liar and an evil   soothsayer…..

The war in Jaffna  was concluded about 20 years ago. According to what Rajapakses claim, they  completely annihilated the LTTE in May 2009.

The age range of all the so called AAWA suspects who were taken into custody recently are between 17 and 30 years, and a majority of them are between 17 and 22 years of age. The two suspects who were taken into custody on the 3 rd allegedly for attacking the police are each as young as 19 years of age .

That means when the Jaffna war concluded 20 years ago,  they were not even born and when Rajapakses ended that war , these suspects should have been about 11 years old. Hence the IGP koloma’ s (eccentric) allegations that AAWA had connections with the LTTE based on these facts  to say the least are  most  nonsensical . Though eccentric IGP cannot understand this , even a fool with even  an iota of grey matter would confirm this. 

It is following the killing of two innocent University students in Jaffna by the police there arose a spate of crimes attributed to AAWA . Again after Judge Ilencheliyan ‘s incident , there were reports of several crimes supposedly committed by AAWA.

In the circumstances going by these manipulations and allegations  , it is very evident these are sly maneuvers to halt the forces being evacuated from Jaffna , and to portray to the people that because of the good governance government , the LTTE which was destroyed by the Rajapkses is being resurrected.  Some are even engaged in attempts to show that because of these prevailing  threats to the security in Jaffna  , the forces should be retained  there .  Their  ultimate and ulterior motive  of course is to hamper and hinder the proposed new constitution which aims at a political solution incorporating devolution of powers. 

A most sane and sensible Minister Rajitha Senaratne nevertheless made a most intriguing statement at the recent media briefing  held to announce cabinet decisions . He said ‘ I know it is those in the previous government who created the AAWA,’ implying that it were the Rajapakses . 

Concealing  all those truths and treacheries, now,  it is the present IGP of all people who has  come forward to hatch conspiracies against the good governance government. If Poojith Koloma had made these nonsensical reckless allegations under another government he would have not only lost his stars and stripes but also seen stars – sent home un-ceremonially ! Thanks to the democratic climate promoted by the present government that  he is not only able to survive but even thrive  despite all his lies, incompetence , eccentricities and recklessness. 

---------------------------
by     (2017-08-04 15:05:09)

SRI LANKA: Innocent man fired on by Police in broad daylight at Mawanella

2 August 2017 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial attempt to kill Mr. Bodhipakshage Manjula Prabath Wijewardana a residence of Aranayaka in Kegalle. He was waiting on the road, in front of the Mayurapada Central College in Mawanella Town at 10:30 a.m. on 13 June 2017. Unexpectedly, the Police directly fired at him shooting him in the leg and causing him to fall down. Police transported the victim by police jeep to the Mawanella Base Hospital where he was admitted for emergency treatment. No investigation has yet been carried out regarding the attempt on his life. The Police claim they were in the process of arresting Manjula.

CASE NARRATIVE:

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information about the case of Mr. Bodhipakshage Manjula Prabath Wijewardana of Nisansala, Arama, Aranayaka in the Kegalle District.

At 10:30 a.m. on 13 June 2017, Manjula was waiting on the main road, in front of the Mayurapada Central College in the Town of Mawanella. Without warning several police officers appeared in front of him, took aim and directly fired at him. Manjula’s left leg was hit and he fell to the ground. Later he was brought by police jeep and admitted to the Mawanella Base Hospital for emergency treatment.
                           
Before the shooting, Manjula was not aware that the police officers were going to arrest him. He was not ordered by the police to obey their orders. Manjula did not know of any reasons why the Police would abruptly, without warning, directly shoot at him. He was not given any reason for his arrest or shown an arrest warrant. Police failed to produce any evidence that they tried to arrest him in a peaceful manner. Manjula respectfully states that he never tried to escape from being arrested by the Police.

A Police Communiqué was issued, stating that Manjula escaped being arrested by the Police. They never produced any independent evidence that there was a legally issued arrest warrant against him. No facts were submitted showing that Manjula tried to run away and prevent the officers from arresting him.


The family members of Manjula maintain that the Police attempted to extra-judicially kill their relative. This is another indication of the faulty Policing System in Sri Lanka. It extra-judicially kills innocent suspects under the guise of crime prevention.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

The Asian Human Rights Commission has reported numerous cases of arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and extrajudicial killings of citizens at the hands of the Sri Lankan police. Under international and local law, these are illegal actions. They have been taking place daily at police stations all over Sri Lanka. It is common knowledge that the Police use torture as an instrument to terrorize innocent people, harass the general public and instill fear. Presently, the Police are implementing a policy of ‘elimination with extreme persuasion’ or in plain language--murdering suspected criminals. They arrest and kill people without their ever being produced in a Court of Law.

Needless to say, there is a lack of protection for those lawyers willing to take up cases against abusive Police Officers and State Authorities. This means that the Law continues to be employed as a tool by the authorities to control the population. By undermining society’s respect for the Law and allowing impunity to go on unabated, a long-term, psychological and financial burden is placed on the shoulders of victims, their families and society in general.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the Authorities listed below expressing your concern about this case. Kindly request an immediate investigation into allegations of an attempted extra-judicial killing by the Police. Prosecution of those proven to be responsible under Criminal Law is imperative. The officers involved should also be subject to an internal investigation for breach of Police Departmental Orders. The AHRC will write a separate letter to the Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions in this regard.

Ex-PS Chairman gets 5 years RI for accepting bribe

Lakmal Sooriyagoda-Friday, August 4, 2017

Former Rambewa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman was yesterday sentenced to 5-years-rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court after he was found guilty to soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs.100,000 from a youth engaging in agriculture, who sought foreign employment in Korea in 2007.

High Court judge Gihan Kulatunga further ordered the accused Ranil Madawa Kamal Nilame (42) to pay a fine of Rs.40,000 on other counts. The accused was found guilty to three counts.

The Director General of Commission to Investigate Allegations Against Bribery and Corruption had filed indictments against the former PS chairman for soliciting a bribe from a 24-year-old youth who was seeking employment in Korea.

The former Chairman had solicited a sum of Rs. 100,000 from the youth to issue an application form for foreign employment to Korea under the Government’s foreign employment scheme.

The former Chairman was arrested on or around June 21, 2007 while accepting money from the youth at the Rambewa Pradeshiya Sabha premises.

Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption’s Deputy Director General Ganga Heiyanthuduwa appeared for the prosecution.

Israeli police confirm Netanyahu is suspect in fraud investigation

Court document reveals for first time that prime minister is subject of inquiries into alleged ‘fraud, breach of trust and bribes’

Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the allegations against the prime minister were part of ‘a campaign to change the government’. Photograph: Amir Cohen/AP

Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem-Friday 4 August 2017

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been named as a suspect in two investigations into allegations of “fraud, breach of trust and bribes” as his former chief of staff had signed a deal with prosecutors to testify against him.

The suspicions against Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing, were revealed in a court application by detectives on Thursday seeking a gag order on reporting details of negotiations with Ari Harow, the former chief of staff, to become a state witness.

The negotiations were concluded on Friday with Harow signing a deal in which he agreed to testify in the two cases.

The confirmation of the seriousness of the allegations comes on the day after his wife, Sara, was again interviewed by police in a separate case relating to claims for household costs in the prime minister’s residence.

While the scope of the investigations in the so-called cases 1000 and 2000 – the first about gifts from wealthy benefactors and the second over attempts to sway media coverage – have long been known, it is the first time Netanyahu has been publicly designated as a suspect.

Netanyahu’s office denied the accusations and said investigators were trying to bring down his government. “We completely reject the unfounded claims made against the prime minister. The campaign to change the government is under way, but it is destined to fail, for a simple reason: there won’t be anything because there was nothing,” a statement said.

It comes as a third high-profile corruption investigation – case 3000 – has focused on allegations of bribery within his inner circle over a deal to buy submarines from Germany.

The application for the gag order, made to the Rishon Lezion magistrate’s court in central Israel, followed the confirmation by Israel’s attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, earlier on Thursday that talks were under way with Harow, a close confidant of Netanyahu, to testify in exchange for leniency.
Harow served as Netanyahu’s chief of staff for two years from 2008, when the politician was in opposition. He returned in 2014 to serve as the prime minister’s chief of staff, but resigned a year later amid allegations of corruption, which he denied.

Harow was accused of having used his ties to Netanyahu to advance his private interests. Police have recommended he be indicted for bribery and breach of trust, but Mandelblit has yet to file formal charges against him.

The gag order also affects case 1000, in which the prime minister and his wife are suspected of receiving illicit giftsfrom billionaire benefactors – most notably expensive cigars and champagne from the Israeli-born Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan. Netanyahu is the primary suspect in the case. The couple has denied any wrongdoing.

The investigations have begun to have an impact on Netanyahu’s rightwing Likud party, whose senior figures are sparring publicly over whether their leader can remain in office if he is indicted.

Likud officials have sharply criticised any suggestions Netanyahu may have to step down. “The prime minister does not need to resign, rather he needs to prove his innocence,” said Likud’s coalition chairman, David Bitan.

“There will be no indictment. But let’s say there will be: the charges would still be minor and the prime minister would be able both to function and to prove his innocence.”

Bitan has urged Likud supporters to rally in support of Netanyahu to counter weekly demonstrations against the slow progress of the investigation. Bitan said a rally on Saturday was designed “to protest the invalid and anti-democratic attempt by those on the left who want to topple the government in a an undemocratic fashion”.

“Fuck it, wipe out Gaza,” says spokesman for new EU campaign
Avishai Ivri, who stars in a promotional video produced by the EU embassy in Tel Aviv, advocates genocide of the Palestinians.

EU ambassador in Tel Aviv Lars Faaborg-Andersen (via Facebook)

Ali Abunimah and Dena Shunra-3 August 2017

The European Union has hired an Israeli who advocates genocidal violence against Palestinians as the face of a new promotional campaign.

Avishai Ivri appears in a video the EU embassy in Tel Aviv posted on its Facebook page last month.

“The European Union. You think it’s anti-Israel, right?” Ivri begins. “Let me surprise you.”

Ivri then rattles off trade and tourism statistics meant to convince Israeli viewers of just how much the European Union benefits Israel. He also boasts that the EU is a customer for Israel’s weapons industry, particularly drones.

The EU “are the best neighbors we have,” Ivri concludes.

Supporting genocide

Ivri was a writer for Latma, a defunct Israeli sketch show that reflected extreme right-wing and racist views, such as depicting migrants and refugees from African states as apes.

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

During Israel’s November 2012 attack on Gaza that killed 174 Palestinians, Ivri advocated even more extreme violence.

“Here’s a strategy that hasn’t been tried out yet: 1,000 Arabs killed for each one of our people killed,” he tweeted. “I think they owe us 5,000 from last week.”

Read More

China says India building up troops amid border stand off

Ben Blanchard-AUGUST 3, 2017

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday said India has been building up troops and repairing roads along its side of the border amid an increasingly tense stand-off in a remote frontier region beside the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.

The stand-off on a plateau next to the mountainous Indian state of Sikkim, which borders China, has ratcheted up tension between the neighbors, who share a 3,500-km (2,175-mile) frontier, large parts of which are disputed.

"It has already been more than a month since the incident, and India is still not only illegally remaining on Chinese territory, it is also repairing roads in the rear, stocking up supplies, massing a large number of armed personnel," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"This is certainly not for peace."

India has denied any such military buildup and, in a statement to parliament on Thursday evening, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj urged dialogue based on a written common understanding regarding the border intersection reached in 2012.

"India always believes that peace and tranquility in the India-China border is an important pre-requisite for smooth development of our bilateral relations," Swaraj said, according to a transcript of her remarks released by her office.

"We will continue to engage with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels to find a mutually acceptable solution."

Early in June, according to the Chinese interpretation of events, Indian guards crossed into China's Donglang region and obstructed work on a road on the plateau.

The two sides' troops then confronted each other close to a valley controlled by China that separates India from its close ally, Bhutan, and gives China access to the so-called Chicken's Neck, a thin strip of land connecting India and its remote northeastern regions.

India has said it warned China that construction of the road near their common border would have serious security implications.

FILE PHOTO: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping leave after a group picture during BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit in Benaulim, in the western state of Goa, India, October 16, 2016.

In a separate statement, China's Defence Ministry said China had shown goodwill and that its forces had exercised utmost restraint, but warned "restraint has a bottom line" and that India must dispel any illusions.

"No country should underestimate the Chinese military's confidence in and ability to fulfill its mission of safeguarding peace, and should not underestimate the Chinese military's determination and will to defend the country's sovereignty, security and development interests," it said.

Despite China's numerous diplomatic representations, its foreign ministry said, India has not only not withdrawn its troops but has also been making "unreasonable demands" and is not sincere about a resolution.

"If India really cherishes peace, it ought to immediately withdraw its personnel who have illegally crossed the border into the Indian side."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to visit China early in September for a summit of BRICS leaders.

Indian officials say about 300 soldiers from either side are facing each other about 150 meters (yards) apart on the plateau.

They have told Reuters that both sides' diplomats have quietly engaged to try to keep the stand-off from escalating, and that India's ambassador to Beijing is leading the effort to find a way for both sides to back down without loss of face.

Chinese state media have warned India of a fate worse than the defeat it suffered in a brief border war in 1962.

China's military has held live fire drills close to the disputed area, and state television on Friday said more exercises had been conducted recently, though did not give an exact location.

The official China Daily said in a Friday editorial that China was not in the mood for a fight, noting how the stand off has been "unusually restrained".

"However, if good manners do not work, in the end, it may be necessary to rethink our approach. Sometimes a head-on blow may work better than a thousand pleas in waking up a dreamer," the English-language paper added.

Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Douglas Busvine in NEW DELHI; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Michael Perry

Saudi bulldozers flatten Shia town as residents flee carnage

Hundreds of Shia Muslims in Awamiya are forced from their homes amid fighting and compulsory evictions

A screengrab appears to show bullet-ridden buildings demolished by bulldozers in Qatif (@AngryQatifi)

Alex MacDonald-Friday 4 August 2017 

The Saudi government has been forcibly relocating residents of the restive city of Awamiya as clashes continue between soldiers and militant groups in the old city.

Hundreds of people have fled or been evacuated from Awamiya since the beginning of the current troubles which have killed at least seven people, including two police officers. According to al-Hayat newspaper, the government received requests from residents and farmers around Awamiya to help them flee the violence.

However, activists say that residents have been driven out of their homes and their properties seized by private development companies, primarily in and around the historic Almosara district.

An image sent to Middle East Eye by an Awamiya activist showed a requisition order pinned to a house in the district of al-Shweikah, about 6km south of Almosara.

The order is apparently issued by the Albarahim private property developer, but it also contains a stamp from the National Joint Counterterrorism Command (NJCC), a body formed in 2003 following attacks by al-Qaeda militants in the country.

The document shows a list of requirements that residents can bring to the local authorities in order to be relocated.

Awamiya has long been a flashpoint for protests by Saudi's Shia minority - the influential cleric Nimr al-Nimr, who was executed by the Saudi government in 2016, came from the town and demonstrations and unrest has been frequent.

Al-Hayat quoted Falah al-Khalidi, the governor of Qatif province, as saying contracts had been signed "for a number of furnished apartments in the city of Dammam to shelter those interested in leaving neighbourhoods near Almosara".

However, according to social media reports and activists, many of those displaced have yet to be rehoused.

"What I see from the first day there is a collective punishment... there is a plan for forced displacement," said Ameen Nemer, a Saudi activist originally from Awamiya.

"It doesn't matter where these people will end up."

He told MEE that the depopulation and destruction of the town was ultimately politically motivated, rather than driven by development or terrorism.

"It has nothing to do with Almosara and development, it has to do with punishing this town for being vocal for calling for rights, calling for reforms since 2011."

Firing randomly

Confirming precise details about the situation in Qatif has long been difficult due to tight controls over media scrutiny imposed by the Saudi authorities.

Reuters reported earlier this year that foreign media could visit the area only if they accompanied by government officials, purportedly for safety reasons.

Information has largely come from either Saudi government press releases, local activists, or Shia-focused news sites.

Early today in #Mosawarah of #Awamia, #Qatif. #Awamiasiege #Saudi pic.twitter.com/JTaN98Mx0e

— Angry Qatifi (@AngryQatifi) August 2, 2017

Local activists accuse security forces of driving residents out of Awamiya by firing randomly towards homes and cars as they confront armed men in the area, charges Saudi Arabia denies.

They said several houses and shops have been burned or damaged by the fighting.

Video posted online appears to shown much of the city reduced to rubble.

Much of the city has been left without electricity, water, rubbish collection or fire services. Private generators have been badly damaged by shooting and those remaining in the city face intense summer heat without air conditioning.

Although local committees have been set up to try to maintain some services, it is becoming increasing difficult for many residents to stay in the city.

Andrew Hammond, a consultant on Middle East politics, said that the emptying of Awamiya could be part of a strategy to enact demographic change in the disruptive Shia region of Saudi Arabia.

"It fits that pattern," he told MEE. "It's something that's happened in the Gulf, in Bahrain, it's something that's happened outside the Gulf in Israel-Palestine.

"I think it would make sense to analyse it in that way."

He added that the fighting also worked as a "useful diversion" from the political unrest in the Saudi palace following the supplanting of former crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef with the current king's youthful son Mohammed bin Salman.

"That's been more complex than I think they would have hoped for - I think there's been some resistance to it, there's nervousness about how much irritation there is with what happened to the extent that [bin Nayef] didn't leave the country in recent weeks when he was meant to leave the country," he explained.

"So I think there's this political tension in the country at the moment, and it's always this fight with the Shia that functions usefully for them in that sense."

Foreign arms controversy

Last week, Canada announced it would be investigating possible use of its equipment in the operations in Qatif, following a report in the Globe and Mail that light armoured vehicles sold by Canada to Saudi Arabia had been involved in the clashes.

A spokesman indicated that the Canadian foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, was "deeply concerned about this situation and has asked officials to review it immediately".

"If it is found that Canadian exports have been used to commit serious violations of human rights, the minister will take action," said spokesman John Babcock.

The controversial $13bn contract to supply Riyadh with light armoured vehicles was struck by the previous Conservative government in Canada.

Trudeau's Liberal government has had to defend this contract against criticism that it may have violated Canada's export control rules that bar arms exports to countries with a poor human rights record and that prohibit using these weapons against civilians.

Shia women hold placards bearing pictures of cleric Nimr al-Nimr during a protest on 8 January, 2016 in the eastern coastal city of Qatif (AFP)

Other governments, including the UK and US, have yet to comment on the situation in Qatif.

The UK government, one of Saudi's closest allies, has approved at least 194 export licences for arms and related equipment to Saudi Arabia since March 2015, worth more than $4.3bn. Among the products bought are guns, crowd control and anti-riot equipment.

The British Foreign Office refused to answer questions about the situation in Awamiya and whether there was any investigation into the use of British equipment.

A spokesman said: "The UK operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world and we keep our defence exports to Saudi Arabia under careful and continual review."

Leaked transcripts prove embarrassing for both Trump and Turnbull

By Emma Richards | 4th August 2017

LEAKED transcripts of United States President Donald Trump’s phone calls with world leaders are proving to be the latest indiscretion to leave the leader red-faced, calling into question his grasp on current affairs and the integrity of the White House.

This particular incident, along with highlighting the chaos that appears to reign supreme in the Oval Office, has also dragged Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull into the non-too-favourable spotlight.

The transcripts in question, leaked to The Washington Post, detail a phone conversation between Trump and Mexico’s President Pena Nieto, and one with Turnbull, that took place in January following Trump’s inauguration.

Josh Butler‏Verified account @JoshButler

Washington Post has the transcript of Trump's call with Turnbull about the refugee deal, and.... wow https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/you-cannot-say-that-to-the-press-trump-urged-mexican-president-to-end-his-public-defiance-on-border-wall-transcript-reveals/2017/08/03/0c2c0a4e-7610-11e7-8f39-eeb7d3a2d304_story.html …

 

8:19 AM - 3 Aug 2017

At the time, media speculation surrounded Trump’s call with Turnbull after The Post reported Trump had blasted Turnbull over a refugee deal reached under the Obama administration, reportedly calling it “the worst deal ever” and hanging up after just 25 minutes.

SEE ALSO: Australia: US refugee swap again in doubt as officials exit Nauru

Turnbull himself alluded to a disagreement during a radio interview after news of the conversation broke, and sources from Canberra appeared to confirm The Post’s version of events.

The White House stuck to their party line, with then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer describing the call as “cordial” and “respectful”. Trump himself claimed they “had a very nice call” and blamed the press for misreporting for their own agenda.

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump

Thank you to Prime Minister of Australia for telling the truth about our very civil conversation that FAKE NEWS media lied about. Very nice!

5:34 AM - 3 Feb 2017

Following the release of the transcripts on Thursday, the world need speculate no more. They lay out in black and white exactly how the call transpired, and highlight Trump’s confusion, lack of understanding, and the sometimes-brutal reality of each nations’ immigration policies.

In the call, Trump makes his opposition to refugees and asylum seekers clear, bragging he was “the world’s greatest person that does not want to let people into the country”. He displayed disdain for the deal to admit to the US refugees currently held on Manus Island and Nauru, declaring it a “stupid deal” that will make him “look terrible,” furious that abiding by the agreement could harm his image among voters.

Men shave, brush their teeth and prepare for the day at an Australian offshore processing refugee camp on the Island of Nauru. Source: AP

He also called into question the moral integrity of the asylum seekers being considered for resettlement.

“Does anybody know who these people are? Who are they? Where do they come from? Are they going to become the Boston bomber in five years? Or two years? Who are these people?” he said.

Turnbull is forced to repeatedly correct several points about the deal that Trump appeared to have misunderstood or was unfamiliar with, such as the numbers of refugees the US is to consider.

“We have our San Bernardino’s, we have had the World Trade Center come down because of people that should not have been in our country, and now we are supposed to take 2,000 (refugees),” Trump says, repeating several times throughout the conversation his mistakenly inflated number of people the US is required to take.“The obligation is for the US to look and examine and take up to and only if they so choose – 1,250 to 2,000,” Turnbull responds. 

“Every individual is subject to your vetting. You can decide to take them or to not take them after vetting.”

“You can decide to take 1,000 or 100. It is entirely up to you.”

Trump’s grasp of the Australia’s immigration policy also appears weak in the exchange.

When learning of the country’s “commitment to not allow people to arrive by boat”, Trump exclaimed, “That is a good idea. We should do that too. You are worse than I am.” – a point that, to many, has highlighted the severity of Australia’s unwavering approach to so-called ‘boat people’.

It is not just Trump, however, who exhibits his steelier side in this exchange. Turnbull has also received criticism for his efforts to convince Trump to stick to the deal.

SEE ALSO: Not so ‘off record’: Australia’s PM publicly mocks US President Donald Trump

In an attempt to assuage Trump’s concerns for US security, Turnbull repeatedly tries to assure the president those held on Australia’s offshore islands were “economic refugees”.

“They are basically economic refugees from Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. That is the vast bulk of them. They have been under our supervision for over three years now and we know exactly everything about them,” Turnbull said.

SEE ALSO: Australian foreign minister praised online for swipe at Trump

Refugee advocates hold placards and banners during a protest in central Sydney, Australia, in 2016, calling for the closure of the Australian detention centres in Nauru and Manus Island. Source: Reuters/David Gray

In fact, all the people being considered for resettlement in the US have undergone extensive refugee status determination and have been found to be genuine refugees who face a “well-founded fear of persecution” – as is the legal United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) definition.

“Economic refugees”, as Turnbull describes them, do not exist as economic hardship is not a criterion for refugee status.

Finding commonalities between the two countries’ immigration policies, Turnbull is candid about the discriminatory selection process for Australia’s resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

The government agreed to rehome 12,000 persons displaced through conflict. In the transcript, Turnbull is explicit in his country’s preference for Christians, despite them only making up 0.1 percent of the Iraqi population and less than 10 percent of Syria, as reported by The Guardian.

“This is exactly what we have done with the programme to bring in 12,000 Syrian refugees, 90 percent of which will be Christians. It will be quite deliberate and the position I have taken – I have been very open about it – is that it is a tragic fact of life that when the situation in the Middle East settles down – the people that are going to be most unlikely to have a continuing home are those Christian minorities.”

Despite Turnbull’s attempts at finding common ground and understanding, Trump ends the call abruptly, clearly not happy with the direction of the conversation.

In most instances, that would be the end of it. But with the leak of these transcripts, the world has been left a rather embarrassing and concerning insight into a conversation both leaders never imagined would see the light of day.