By Colombo Telegraph-
WikiLeaks:‘There Will Be No Investigation, No One Will Be Able To Find Out What Happened To Keith’ – Gota
Keith
“Rajapaksa reportedly went on to say that the investigation of the Noyahr incident would lead nowhere. ‘There will be no investigation. It will reach a certain point and stop. No one will be able to find out what happened.’ He castigated journalists in general for focusing attention on Sri Lanka’s human rights record. ‘Human rights mean nothing. We do not want to be bothered about it while we’re fighting a war. Because of the international campaign, we can’t arrest anyone. But I don’t care; I will do what I want. The military will campaign for criminal defamation laws to stop all this. The fundamental rights provisions of the Constitution have to be repealed.’”the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.
Secretary to the ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa made above remarks with Sanath Balasooriya and Poddala jayantha , the president and the secretary of Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association.
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 the US 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.
Related posts:
WikiLeaks: Large Numbers Of Military Personnel “Revered Fonseka Like A God” – Gota
Below we give the relevant part of the confidential cable;
VZCZCXRO8831 OO RUEHBI RUEHLMC DE RUEHLM #0528/01 1541314 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 021314Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8203 INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0926 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 7915 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 6090 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 4421 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 2072 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 4402 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3497 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 8526 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 5971 RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 0667 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2799 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 COLOMBO 000528 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2018 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PTER MOPS PREL CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: DEFENSE MINISTRY MOBILIZES AGAINST MEDIA CRITICS REF: COLOMBO 507 Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROBERT O. BLAKE, JR. REASONS: 1.4(b,d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Defense Secretary summoned two media workers from the government-owned publishing house. He reportedly harangued them for over two hours for participating in a rally to protest the abduction and beating of defense journalist Keith Noyahr. The journalists told us that Gothabaya told them that "groups that revere Army Commander Fonseka" would kill them if they persisted in their campaign for media freedom. Five media organizations released a letter to the Defense Secretary deploring his actions. Several other journalists reported surveillance, harassment and intimidation by shadowy groups likely linked to the Defense Ministry. The CEO of the independent newspaper Noyahr works for has fled the country. The paper's editor told us he fears for his life and for his family and may seek temporary refuge abroad. The paper's majority owner is reportedly negotiating to divest his shares in the company. Government spokesmen have generally been dismissive of the threats to the media. The Defense Ministry will reportedly seek draconian censorship and criminal defamation legislation to shut down any criticism of the government's conduct of the war. The campaign against media critics of the administration appears aimed at discovering their sources within the military's disgruntled officer corps and is likely linked to the Army Commander's effort to gain another extension of his term beyond the normal retirement age. End summary.
¶6. (C) Rajapaksa reportedly went on to say that the investigation of the Noyahr incident would lead nowhere. "There will be no investigation. It will reach a certain point and stop. No one will be able to find out what happened." He castigated journalists in general for focusing attention on Sri Lanka's human rights record. "Human rights mean nothing. We do not want to be bothered about it while we're fighting a war. Because of the international campaign, we can't arrest anyone. But I don't care; I will do what I want. The military will campaign for criminal defamation laws to stop all this. The fundamental rights provisions of the Constitution have to be repealed."
Kalyani / June 27, 2012
Gota the Goon, who entertains himself by wrapping the Buddhist flag around him while violating the dhamma and vinnaya to the core, had a favourite phrase during the war – “Kavuda egollang, maramuda?” – which means “who are they shall we kill them”?. The guy was clearly drunk on power and blood.. Meanwhile he is propagating a violent UNBUDDHIST public religion. It is the temples that Gota the white van goon patronizes that must be cleansed of the Rajapakse defilement and stink.
Sri Lanka must be cleansed of the Rajapakses who embody KUVENIGE SAPAYA – they are the modern incarnation of KUVENIGE SAPAYA and must be exorcised.
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kapuwa / June 27, 2012
Yes and now the Buddhist monks are attacking each other in Galle. Buddhism a non violent religion had has been militarized, politicized and degraded to an unprecedented extent by the Rajapakse military dictatorship – particularly by Gotabaya. This guy should be sent to the Hague for a war crimes trial or back to America. We don’t want him polluting Lanka any more.
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suz / June 27, 2012
let’s see next election rajapaksha will play kapuwa kapothi.
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Wimal / June 28, 2012
I don’t think so they have already done the ground work for next generation. I am on banking sector, believe me amount of money they have is unbelievable.
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suz / June 27, 2012
muslims killed seven media personnel in syria today and suported by europe catholic.which religon do the best crime?
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Indian Summer / June 28, 2012
and now gota the goon’s favourite line is “kwuda egollan, white van krakuda?” trans. who are they, shall we white van them?”
The guy needs to be convicted for war crimes and then sent to Angoda for treatment for insanity and delusions of grandeur!
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kk / June 27, 2012
Kapuwa
Who are suggesting to send him to Hauge or USA we need him in SL he saved our country from tigers what have you done this country
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Wimal / June 28, 2012
We never going to learn do we ?.. I think we need to educate our self first ! Who saved our country ? these guys just filled their banks white heroes on the ground
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Sarath / July 4, 2012
Then why did he leave the Army and flee the country and worked at 7-11 in USA?
Could he face the tigers without 20 odd powerful countries support?
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Panda / June 27, 2012
The words above sound like Gota. “We will do what we want”, this is precisely what they have been doing, and what they will continue to do. The dictatorship continues.
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gamini / June 28, 2012
When Richard Armitage visited Sri Lanka, RW spoke of the Ugly American in our midst and explained what this man Gota the coward was doing. Such individuals are lions when they have power but funk sticks when out of power. The fact that the Americans are avoiding taking action is because Gota and the rest of Rajapaksas are the US allys.
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dagobert / June 28, 2012
These are signs of great external interference that meddle in the internal affairs of a Country.
Preaches by day & trysts by night. Repercussions of a $$$$$$$$$ sudiya………………
Either shed difference and unite leaving aside past differences or made to realise what unity means & the future of the next generation.
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / June 28, 2012
The WikiLeaks revelation relating to Ambassador Blake’s cable to his employer, the US Dept of State is dated about a year before the conclusion of the civil war in Sri Lanka.
If Blake has found the interview with the media repugnant in the context of human rights violation or freedom of the media, one should be interested in what action has been taken by his department within the limitations of diplomatic protocol.
Can Blake have conducted his diplomatic duty responsibly if it had to take a WikiLeaks exposure to highlight these events?
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ranbanda / June 28, 2012
All the nations have done what Gota did during the war.Russians(in Afghanistan),Americans(Hiroshima and Nagasaki and now Iraq and Afghanistan), Indians in Kashmir and also in India but they are very much against the fact that we have eliminated the most ruthless blood suckers from Sri Lanka.Goya is a hero and also Mahinda for commanding to oust the Tamil Tigers.They carried out 365 sucide ombings and killed innocent Singhalese and Muslim villagers by grbbing childre from their feet and crushing their heads against stones or trees.Nobody said nothing then.Do they want we treat tigers with 5 star treatments?.Blood suckers who support them never saw bombings of trains,busses,staions,air ports and now cry for killing the tigers and who supported them by writing articles to news papers.SHAME!!!
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Sarath / June 28, 2012
ranbanda,
don’t take cover blasting the Tigers, without facing allegations
of killing thousands of innocent civilians using prohibited weopons.
Even now 3 years after ending the war, independent journalists are not safe in our country.
This Govt. has the services of men like Mervin, Wimlawanse, Karuna, Douglas, Pillaiyan and so many turncoats who work for money and do not care two hoots about a justice.
The time is close when all of them will have to pay for their sins.
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Gordon Richens / June 28, 2012
So the Colombo Telegraph says that Wikileaks says that Robert Blake says that Gota said. Most journalists can’t accurately print a direct quote from the source, let alone words that have been passed around this much.
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Vis8 / June 28, 2012
Well said… anything is twisted to the whims of these so-called ‘journalists’… yes, they cant print a direct quote without twisting it for their gains.
The colombo telegraph is just another pathetic ‘media outlet’ hell-bent on twisting anything to discredit the Rajapakses. They appear unable to stomach the complete elimination of the insane ltte by Sri Lanka.
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Sirisena Kodituwakku / June 28, 2012
These two idiots have no idea what the Wikileaks is? Get life men!
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Vis8 / June 28, 2012
Oh, sure we do know what wikileaks… morons like you probably dont.
What we are talking about is how the Wikileaks info is twisted by the morons at the colombo telegraph to the whims of anti- Sri Lanka forces.
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DAS / June 30, 2012
Vis8,
I do not think that there are ‘morons’ running Colombo Telegraph.
But CT does tolerate morons. This is as it should be.
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gamini / July 2, 2012
Very true DAS, considering some on display in this blog CT.
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