WikiLeaks: Gothabaya Downplayed His Involvement In Media Intimidation – Blake

By Colombo Telegraph -October 25, 2012

“Gothabaya downplayed his involvement in media intimidation, claiming that recent reports of his threatening the Daily Mirror Editor were inaccurate (ref A). He admitted that he did call her, but “only as a friend, and only out of concern for her safety” after she wrote an article critical of Karuna. His intent, he said, was to warn her that if she continued to write negative things about Karuna, she would make an enemy of him. (In a subsequent meeting, the editor told Boucher that Gothabaya’s exchange with her was much more threatening than he implied.) Gothabaya added that because of the incident, the President has instructed him not to talk to the media in the future. He asserted that the Sri Lankan media is 100 percent anti-government and pro-opposition. Boucher warned that any appearance of threats against the media will earn Sri Lanka negative attention and that the Government should be careful about creating this perception.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

A Leaked “CONFIDENTIAL” US diplomatic cable, dated May 15, 2007, recounts the details of a meeting the US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher has had with Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gothabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo on May 10, 2007. The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database which is classified by the ambassador Robert O. Blake.

Related stories to this cable;

WikiLeaks: Mahinda Produced Upali Tennakoon To Justify His Claim

WikiLeaks: Gota Will Call And Threaten, Mahinda Will Then Follow Up By Saying Not To Worry – Lasantha Wickrematunge To US

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS IN VERSE;

“A CROOKED LITTLE TALE ”

(with apologies to mother goose)

THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN WHO DEVISED A CROOKED PLAN
WITH HIS CROOKED BROTHERS AND HIS THREE CROOKED SONS
THEY WORKED THE CROOKED PLAN THAT LEFT A CROOKED TRAIL
AND HE FOUND MORE CROOKED MEN IN A STRIFE DIVIDED LAND

AND SO THIS CROOKED CROWD THEY HELD A CROOKED POLL
AND FURTHER CROOKED CRONIES JOINED THIS CROOKED GROUP
THEY BUILT A CROOKED PORT AND A CROOKED CRICKET GROUNDS
WHERE LOTS OF CROOKED CHAPS MADE MINTS OF CROOKED CASH

THEY ALLOTTED CROOKED MEN TO EVERY CROOKED POST
AND BOUGHT SOME CROOKED OPPOSITION PAYING CROOKED CASH
THEY SPOKE WITH CROOKED TONGUES AND RELATED CROOKED TALES
AND THEY ALL THRIVED TOGETHER IN THAT CROOKED HOUSE OF FAME

SONIA - October 25, 2012
2:45 pm