“Although the GSL has consistently denied supporting Karuna, on April 16 the Associated Press’ South Asia Bureau Chief Matthew Rosenberg (strictly protect) allowed PolOff to listen to tapes of his interview with Gotabaya. The Defense Secretary was effusive in his praise for Karuna and the benefits the GSL has obtained from Karuna’s rise.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

Gota and Karuna

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable is classified as “SECRET” and discuses Sri Lanka’s paramilitary operations. The cable was written by the Ambassador Robert O. Blake on May 18, 2007.

Also, on April 16, Gotabaya personally telephoned editor of the Daily Mirror Champika Liyanarachchi and told her that Karuna was so upset by an article about the suffering of IDPs in the East that he thought Karuna would kill both her and the article’s author, referring to her as a “prostitute” (ref A). Liyanarachchi called Karuna, who assured her that he would not kill her and expressed displeasure that Gothabaya was using his name while threatening people.

Read the relevant part of the cable below;

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 06 COLOMBO 000728 

SIPDIS 

SIPDIS 

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
MCC FOR S GROFF, D TETER, D NASSIRY AND E BURKE 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/18/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: GSL COMPLICITY IN PARAMILITARY
FACTIONS' HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES 

REF: A. COLOMBO 591
     ¶B. COLOMBO 561
     ¶C. COLOMBO 463
     ¶D. COLOMBO 460
     ¶E. 2006 COLOMBO 2056
     ¶F. 2006 COLOMBO 1896
     ¶G. 2005 COLOMBO 2157
     ¶H. 2004 COLOMBO 1219 

Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b, d) 

¶1.  (S) SUMMARY:  Allegations of government complicity in
crimes committed by organized paramilitary groups have
mounted in the last year.  Paramilitaries such as the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-breakaway Karuna
group and Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) have helped
the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) to fight the LTTE, to
kidnap suspected LTTE collaborators, and to give the GSL a
measure of deniability.  The GSL, which denies any links to
paramilitary groups, has recently touted its efforts to
improve its human rights record, such as the re-publication
of procedures on arrests and detentions and the appointment
of a "One-Man Commission" to investigate reported
disappearances (ref C).  However, these efforts so far appear
aimed more at improving Sri Lanka's image abroad and have yet
to produce concrete improvements in the human rights
situation.  Outside the capital, the incidence of human
rights abuses has continued, including extrajudicial
killings, abductions, child trafficking, extortion, and
prostitution.  President Rajapaksa's government, strapped for
cash, has cut direct payments to paramilitaries initiated by
former President Kumaratunga and instead turns a blind eye to
extortion and kidnapping for ransom by EPDP and Karuna.
While many of the charges against the government have been
made in public fora, a growing number of trusted Embassy
contacts, often at personal risk, have described in detail
the extent of the GSL's involvement with paramilitary groups.
 END SUMMARY.

¶12.  (S) Although the GSL has consistently denied supporting
Karuna, on April 16 the Associated Press' South Asia Bureau
Chief Matthew Rosenberg (strictly protect) allowed PolOff to
listen to tapes of his interview with Gothabaya. The Defense
Secretary was effusive in his praise for Karuna and the 

SIPDIS
benefits the GSL has obtained from Karuna's rise.  Also, on
April 16, Gothabaya personally telephoned editor of the Daily
Mirror Champika Liyanarachchi and told her that Karuna was so
upset by an article about the suffering of IDPs in the East
that he thought Karuna would kill both her and the article's
author, referring to her as a "prostitute" (ref A).
Liyanarachchi called Karuna, who assured her that he would
not kill her and expressed displeasure that Gothabaya was
using his name while threatening people. 

COLOMBO 00000728  004 OF 006

BLAKE

Related posts to this cable;

WkiLeaks: Gota Authorized Paramilitary Operations – Sri Ranga

WikiLealks: Major General Chandrasiri Confided MOD Instruction To US

WikiLeaks: EPDP Sold Jaffna Children: Girls To Prostitution Rings And Boys To Slavery

WikiLeaks: Pararajasingham And Raviraj Killings; Karuna And Douglas Killing MPs – EPDP Vigneswaran To US