WikLeaks: Balassoriya And Jayantha Were Rajapaksa Supporters

By ColomboTelegraph -July 3, 2012 

“When reminded that both individuals had supported Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 2005 campaign for the presidency, Rambukwella laughed and speculated that the Defense Secretary might have summoned the two to thank them. ‘It shows that the gratitude for the duo has not been forgotten even after two years.’” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

Gotabhaya, Balasooriya and Jayantha

“Embassy considers the journalists’ accounts of the Defense Secretary’s thinly veiled threats credible, and consistent with previous reported behavior by Gothabaya Rajapaksa. President Chandrika Kumaratunga appointed the two Lake House media workers to their positions at the head of the Working Journalists Association, an organization created by an Act of Parliament. They are both Sinhalese and considered close to the ruling SLFP; the same applies to Nation editor Allahakoon.” the Embassy further informed.

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database dated June 2, 2008. The cable is classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” and written by theUS Ambassador to Colombo Robert Blake. The cable details the media suppression situation just after the abduction and beating of defense journalist Keith Noyahr. The cable also details a meeting Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and two media workers Sanath Balasooriya and Poddala Jayantha has had with.

Under the subheading “Government spokesmen don’t see a problem” the ambassador Blake wrote “At a regularly scheduled military affairs briefing on May 29, Director of the Media Hulugalle reacted to sharp questioning by reporters by saying thatLakeHouse journalists had no right to question government policies or get involved in protests. He defended Defense Secretary Rajapaksa’s summoning of the media workers and claimed that it had no connection to the Noyahr abduction. Government Defense spokesman Rambukwella agreed that ‘the workers of a state institution cannot express ideas against state policies and they cannot engage in politics.’ When reminded that both individuals had supported Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 2005 campaign for the presidency, Rambukwella laughed and speculated that the Defense Secretary might have summoned the two to thank them. ‘It shows that the gratitude for the duo has not been forgotten even after two years.’ Media Minister (and Government Spokesman) Anura Priyadarshana Yapa later contradicted Hulugalle at a briefing following the weekly cabinet meeting, noting that Lake House employees did enjoy both trade union rights and the right of free speech. The government has yet to resolve discrepancy between his position and Hulugalle’s. Yapa reportedly counseled Balasuriya and Jayantha to keep a low profile. Referring to their administrative work atLakeHouse, he said, ‘Don’t worry about your pensions. Look after your lives!’”

“DCM raised the issue of the Noyahr abduction and its aftermath with Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona on May 28. Kohona said the attack on Noyahr ‘puzzled’ the GSL because there is ‘no obvious villain.’ He said three police units have been deployed to investigate, but have made little progress. He commented that Noyahr was not particularly critical of anyone and that he couldn’t imagine who would want to hurt him. DCM pointed out that Noyahr had written an article critical of the Army Commander recently and added that Noyahr was reluctant to give a statement about his attackers because he feared retaliation against his family. Kohona dismissed this as a ‘poor excuse,’ adding that ‘if someone wanted to attack his family, they would have done it already.’ DCM emphasized that other journalists are frightened by the attacks on journalists and some are looking to leave the country because they fear for their lives. Kohona laughed and said they were just looking for any excuse to leave. He described the attacks on journalists as an ‘unnecessary distraction,’ saying the GSL doesn’t need any additional problems to deal with and certainly wouldn’t be behind the attacks. He added that the killing of Tamil journalist P. Devakumar inJaffnaon May 28 was likely the work of “other groups” operating in the area.

Placing a comment Blake wrote “Embassy considers the journalists’ accounts of the Defense Secretary’s thinly veiled threats credible, and consistent with previous reported behavior by Gothabaya Rajapaksa. President Chandrika Kumaratunga appointed the twoLakeHousemedia workers to their positions at the head of the Working Journalists Association, an organization created by an Act of Parliament. They are both Sinhalese and considered close to the ruling SLFP; the same applies to Nation editor Allahakoon. The groups responsible for following, surveilling, threatening and, in the case of Keith Noyahr, abducting and beating journalists, are widely believed to be linked to the Defense Ministry. The current wave of intimidation against journalists appears to be part of a ‘plumbing’ operation to discover the source of leaks to media about military information, and particularly stories critical of the Army Commander. Fonseka is unpopular among the senior army officer corps and reviled by his fellow service commanders, particularly Navy Commander Karannagoda. Several of them have been talking to the media about Fonseka and Gothabaya’s conduct of the war. With the government vulnerable on several fronts, but especially inflation, it is essential to the President’s domestic political strategy that the Sinhalese public perceive the government as winning the war against the Tamil Tigers. Fonseka, who has made himself politically indispensable to the Rajapaksa administration, is expected to gain an extension of his term beyond the normal retirement age. (He would otherwise have to leave in September 2008.) In this context, Gothabaya Rajapaksa finds any criticism of Fonseka and the army’s war effort intolerable and will go to great lengths to shut it down. Our sources have alerted us that the Defense Ministry will push for onerous war censorship and criminal defamation legislation soon.”

Read from the paragraph 12 in the cable below for further details;

Posts related to this cable;

WikiLeaks:‘There Will Be No Investigation, No One Will Be Able To Find Out What Happened To Keith’ – Gota

WikiLeaks: Large Numbers Of Military Personnel “Revered Fonseka Like A God” – Gota

WikiLeaks: Gota Angry With Editors Lalith Allahakkon And Iqbal Athas