{"id":35405,"date":"2012-03-23T00:06:26","date_gmt":"2012-03-23T00:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=35405"},"modified":"2012-03-29T20:30:42","modified_gmt":"2012-03-29T20:30:42","slug":"wikileaks-i-havent-had-an-easy-time-with-rajapaksa-brothers-mahinda-samarasinghe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wikileaks-i-havent-had-an-easy-time-with-rajapaksa-brothers-mahinda-samarasinghe\/","title":{"rendered":"WikiLeaks: “I Haven’t Had An Easy Time With Rajapaksa Brothers” – Mahinda Samarasinghe"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Sri Lanka\u2019s Mahinda Samarasinghe before a special session of the Human Rights Council. Photo by Jean-Marc Ferre\/United Nations<\/p><\/div>\n

By Colombo Telegraph <\/a><\/span>–<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAmbassador met with Minister of Disaster Relief and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe January 30 to share with him a list of suggested actions the Government could take to address the human rights situation. The deeply frustrated Minister (strictly protect throughout) expressed concern that the President and his two brothers have rendered his human rights and humanitarian access efforts ineffective and that he would not sacrifice his political career to become \u2018part of a white wash\u2019 for the Government of Sri Lanka’s (GSL) recent human rights violations.Ambassador invited the Minister to participate in a press conference with several other heads of mission to express support for the good work that NGOs do for the citizens of Sri Lanka and counter the recent negative publicity international NGOs have been subject to. Minister Samarasinghe agreed, and asked that Ambassador also take his humanitarian message directly to President Rajapaksa.\u201d the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Colombo Telegraph<\/a>\u00a0found the related leaked cable from the\u00a0WikiLeaks<\/a>\u00a0database. The cable is classified as \u201cCONFIDENTIAL\u201d and written by the Ambassador Robert O. Blake on January 30, 2007.<\/p>\n

Ambassador Blake wrote \u201cAmbassador met with Minister of Disaster Relief and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe January 30 to share with him a list of requests from non-governmental organizations regarding access and the ability to work in Sri Lanka.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter reading the list, Samarasinghe noted that he had \u2018been working on the same issues\u2019 but felt ineffective against the influence of the President’s brothers, Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa and Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, both of whom have taken a hard line view toward human rights. Samarasinghe agreed with the Ambassador that the GSL would face increased international criticism and pressure to address the human rights record in 2007. He remarked that President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brothers \u2018must stop the rhetoric and start delivering. There doesn’t seem to be a feeling of urgency among the President and his brothers of the need to take action against what is happening. I’m very concerned.\u2019\u201d Blake further wrote.<\/p>\n

Under the subheading \u201cEloquence and Damage Control\u201d the ambassador wrote \u201cMinister Samarasinghe lamented that he had been appointed \u2018for damage control\u2019 and to add credibility to the GSL’s human rights efforts, but lacked true effectiveness. \u2018There is no point in sitting here calling myself the human rights minister when I can’t go beyond the words. I’m able to convince people to give me more time, but time is running out.\u2019 He said that the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) had \u2018come to this level because of my perseverance. But I’m concerned that my name is being associated with the IIGEP process, and that it (the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate human rights abuses) will be a failure, and that I will be a scapegoat.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Under the subheading \u201cNot Working for a Whitewash\u201d Blake wrote \u201cSamarasinghe continued: \u2018If I don’t see the Commission of Inquiry going the way it should go, I will go public. I can’t be part of a white wash. I have spent 18 years in politics. The President must back me if he wants me to do this. I haven’t had an easy time with his brothers. Some sacrifices will have to be made to better the image of the Government.\u2019 He added: \u2018The international community is not satisfied with what is happening in Sri Lanka. We will have no support if we do not arrest the (human rights) situation.\u2019<\/p>\n

Placing a comment Blake wrote \u201cMahinda Samarasinghe is an eloquent and candid interlocutor who understands the problem but feels deeply frustrated that the President and his brothers have thus far failed to heed his repeated entreaties to them to take action to address the grave human rights situation. Samarasinghe also is disappointed that the President failed to reward his loyalty by granting him a more senior Ministry in the recent Ministerial re-shuffle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the cable below for further details;<\/p>\n

VZCZCXRO2526\r\nOO RUEHBI RUEHLMC\r\nDE RUEHLM #0176\/01 0301443\r\nZNY CCCCC ZZH\r\nO 301443Z JAN 07\r\nFM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO\r\nTO RUEHC\/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5274\r\nINFO RUEHRL\/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0165\r\nRUEHKT\/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 4860\r\nRUEHLO\/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 3492\r\nRUEHNE\/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0561\r\nRUEHNY\/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 3584\r\nRUEHKO\/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 2661\r\nRUEHCG\/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 7359\r\nRUEHBI\/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 5093\r\nRUEHGV\/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1761\r\nRHHMUNA\/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY\r\nRHEFDIA\/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY\r\nRHEHAAA\/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY\r\nRUEHBS\/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY\r\nRUEHLMC\/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION PRIORITY<\/pre>\n
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000176 \r\n\r\nSIPDIS \r\n\r\nSIPDIS \r\n\r\nDEPARTMENT FOR SCA\/INS, MCC FOR S GROFF, D NASSIRY, E BURKE\r\nAND F REID \r\n\r\nE.O. 12958: DECL: 01\/30\/2017\r\nTAGS: PGOV<\/a> PREL<\/a> PTER<\/a> PHUM<\/a> MOPS<\/a> CE<\/a>\r\nSUBJECT: SRI LANKA: HUMAN RIGHTS MINISTER VOWS NOT TO TAKE\r\nPART IN \"WHITE WASH\" \r\n\r\nREF: COLOMBO 134 AND PREVIOUS \r\n\r\nClassified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d). \r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>1. (C) Summary.  Ambassador met with Minister of Disaster\r\nRelief and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe January 30 to\r\nshare with him a list of suggested actions the Government\r\ncould take to address the human rights situation.  The deeply\r\nfrustrated Minister (strictly protect throughout) expressed\r\nconcern that the President and his two brothers have rendered\r\nhis human rights and humanitarian access efforts ineffective\r\nand that he would not sacrifice his political career to\r\nbecome \"part of a white wash\" for the Government of Sri\r\nLanka's (GSL) recent human rights violations.  Ambassador\r\ninvited the Minister to participate in a press conference\r\nwith several other heads of mission to express support for\r\nthe good work that NGOs do for the citizens of Sri Lanka and\r\ncounter the recent negative publicity international NGOs have\r\nbeen subject to.  Minister Samarasinghe agreed, and asked\r\nthat Ambassador also take his humanitarian message directly\r\nto President Rajapaksa.  End summary. \r\n\r\nSidelined By Rajapaksa Brothers\r\n------------------------------- \r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>2. (C) Ambassador met with Minister of Disaster Relief and\r\nHuman Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe January 30 to share with\r\nhim a list of requests from non-governmental organizations\r\nregarding access and the ability to work in Sri Lanka.\r\nAmbassador explained that the list grew out of a meeting the\r\nAmbassador chaired with all of Sri Lanka's major human rights\r\norganizations.  The Ambassador had asked for their advice of\r\nwhat steps the Government should take to address the\r\ndeteriorating human rights situation.  The Ambassador\r\npresented Samarasinghe the following list, noting that they\r\nwere not in any priority order: \r\n\r\nHuman rights organizations ask that the GSL: \r\n\r\n--  Implement or amend the 17th Amendment in order to\r\nactivate the independent commissions.  Due to their\r\ninactivity, there is little or no accountability by power\r\nholders. \r\n\r\n--   Allow the Constitutional Council to appoint suitable\r\npersons with good track records to the National Human Rights\r\nCommission.  The persons who were appointed to the\r\nPresidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate into\r\nSerious Violations of Human Rights are good examples of\r\nsuitable persons. \r\n\r\n--   Activate the MOU with the UNP to cooperate both on good\r\ngovernance and peace process. \r\n\r\n--   Reactivate the peace process by honoring the Ceasefire\r\nAgreement, and getting the Norwegian facilitators and the\r\nSLMM back into action. \r\n\r\n--  Give humanitarian access to NGOs to conflict areas in the\r\neast and in Jaffna. \r\n\r\n--  Stop anti-NGO propaganda by state media. \r\n\r\n--  Compensate civilian victims of violence equitably.  The\r\ncompensation packages extended to the victims of the bus\r\nbombings in the south should be extended to victims of air\r\nand mortar bombing and collateral damage in the north east. \r\n\r\n--  Permit freedom of expression to the media, and freedom of\r\nmeeting to political and civic activists to peacefully\r\ncanvass their causes without harassment. \r\n\r\n--  Implement a Media Freedom Act. \r\n\r\nCOLOMBO 00000176  002 OF 003 \r\n\r\n--  Take seriously Ambassador Rock's report of complicity\r\nbetween GOSL security forces and the Karuna Faction and\r\naddress this concern within the military.   Monitor the\r\nactions of the Karuna Faction and provide redress to families\r\nand communities who have had their children abducted. \r\n\r\n--  Investigate immediately human rights abuses, specifically\r\nabductions and extrajudicial killings and take appropriate\r\nmeasures to prosecute and punish those responsibly.  Ensure\r\ntransparency so the public is aware of actions taken to\r\npunish human rights violators. \r\n\r\n--  Implement a fair Freedom of Information Act to reduce\r\ncorruption. \r\n\r\n--  Provide safe havens and protection to conflict-affected\r\npopulations.  Physically separate disputants to prevent\r\nfurther violence. \r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>3.  (C) The Ambassador reiterated that the GSL should expect\r\nto receive severe international criticism for its failure to\r\ntake action to address the grave human rights situation.\r\nAmbassador stated that the GSL had made \"process progress\" on\r\nsuch matters as the Commission of Inquiry but had not taken\r\nconcrete actions such as those listed above.  Taking steps to\r\nimplement some or all of these good faith suggestions would\r\ndo much to pre-empt such criticism.  A failure to take any\r\naction would result in calls by many in the international\r\ncommunity to deploy international human rights monitors.\r\nAfter reading the list, Samarasinghe noted that he had \"been\r\nworking on the same issues\" but felt ineffective against the\r\ninfluence of the President's brothers, Defense Secretary\r\nGothabaya Rajapaksa and Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa,\r\nboth of whom have taken a hard line view toward human rights.\r\n Samarasinghe agreed with the Ambassador that the GSL would\r\nface increased international criticism and pressure to\r\naddress the human rights record in 2007.  He remarked that\r\nPresident Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brothers \"must stop the\r\nrhetoric and start delivering.  There doesn't seem to be a\r\nfeeling of urgency among the President and his brothers of\r\nthe need to take action against what is happening.  I'm very\r\nconcerned.\" \r\n\r\nEloquence and Damage Control\r\n---------------------------- \r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>4. (C) Minister Samarasinghe lamented that he had been\r\nappointed \"for damage control\" and to add credibility to the\r\nGSL's human rights efforts, but lacked true effectiveness.\r\n\"There is no point in sitting here calling myself the human\r\nrights minister when I can't go beyond the words.  I'm able\r\nto convince people to give me more time, but time is running\r\nout.\"  He said that the International Independent Group of\r\nEminent Persons (IIGEP) had \"come to this level because of my\r\nperseverance.  But I'm concerned that my name is being\r\nassociated with the IIGEP process, and that it (the\r\nPresidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate human\r\nrights abuses) will be a failure, and that I will be a\r\nscapegoat.\" \r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>5. (C) The Minister contended that his other moves to improve\r\nthe infrastructure for accountability had been blocked.  For\r\ninstance, he had not been selected to chair a Select\r\nCommittee on the 17th Amendment (for the establishment of\r\nindependent commissions to monitor the police, judiciary and\r\nhuman rights) despite having introduced the bill \"because\r\nthere was a feeling that I would have seen it through.\"\r\nInstead, Constitutional Affair Minister and committee chair\r\nDew Gunasekara \"says he's finished his work but needs the\r\nPresident's direction\" to publish his findings on the defunct\r\nConstitutional Council, according to Samarasinghe. \r\n\r\nNot Working for a Whitewash\r\n--------------------------- \r\n\r\nCOLOMBO 00000176  003 OF 003 \r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>6. (C) Samarasinghe continued: \"If I don't see the Commission\r\nof Inquiry going the way it should go, I will go public.  I\r\ncan't be part of a white wash.  I have spent 18 years in\r\npolitics.  The President must back me if he wants me to do\r\nthis.  I haven't had an easy time with his brothers.  Some\r\nsacrifices will have to be made to better the image of the\r\nGovernment.\"  He added:  \"The international community is not\r\nsatisfied with what is happening in Sri Lanka.  We will have\r\nno support if we do not arrest the (human rights) situation.\" \r\n\r\nSupporting NGOs Publicly\r\n------------------------ \r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>7. (C) Ambassador expressed concern about the ongoing\r\ncampaign of sections of the GSL against non-governmental\r\norganizations and invited the Minister to participate in a\r\npress conference that he and several other heads of mission\r\nplanned on February 7 to express support for the good work\r\nthat NGOs do for the citizens of Sri Lanka.   The Ambassador\r\nstressed that the press conference would illustrate the\r\npositive work international NGOs are doing around the country\r\nand counter claims that some are supporting the LTTE.  The\r\nMinister agreed that \"it is time that a cabinet minister\"\r\nstands up for the solid work of NGOs and that he could only\r\ntake part in a press conference that promoted such a positive\r\nagenda.   Samarasinghe added that such a public conference\r\n\"would help the GSL also.  I think some NGOs are considering\r\npulling out of Sri Lanka because they don't feel wanted.\"\r\nHe asked that the Ambassador raise these same issues with\r\nPresident Rajapaksa.  Ambassador undertook to do so. \r\n\r\nStop the Rhetoric, Deliver\r\n-------------------------- \r\n\r\n\u00b6<\/a>8. (C) Comment:  Mahinda Samarasinghe is an eloquent and\r\ncandid interlocutor who understands the problem but feels\r\ndeeply frustrated that the President and his brothers have\r\nthus far failed to heed his repeated entreaties to them to\r\ntake action to address the grave human rights situation.\r\nSamarasinghe also is disappointed that the President failed\r\nto reward his loyalty by granting him a more senior Ministry\r\nin the recent Ministerial re-shuffle.\r\nBLAKE<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":35407,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,27],"tags":[2241,2240,1741,2239,1298,2145,1402],"class_list":["post-35405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-wikileaks","tag-geneva-sri-lanka-human-rights","tag-mahinda-samarasinghe-in-wikileaks","tag-rajapaksa-brothers","tag-sri-lanka-human-rights-in-geneva","tag-sri-lankans-in-wikileaks","tag-us-resolution-on-sri-lanka","tag-war-crimes-sri-lanka"],"yoast_head":"\nWikiLeaks: "I Haven't Had An Easy Time With Rajapaksa Brothers" - Mahinda Samarasinghe - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wikileaks-i-havent-had-an-easy-time-with-rajapaksa-brothers-mahinda-samarasinghe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WikiLeaks: "I Haven't Had An Easy Time With Rajapaksa Brothers" - 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