April 18, 2012 Minister of Justice Rauff Hakeem
By Colombo Telegraph -The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable fromWikiLeaks database, which details a meeting the US Ambassador to Colombo has had with then Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Rauff Hakeem( Present Justice Minister). The cable is classified as “SECRET” and written by the Ambassador Robert O. Blake on June 19, 2007.“In recent weeks the Embassy has received several anonymous letters from Muslim groups alleging that they are being targeted for abduction for ransom. One such letter from the ‘Muslim Community in Sri Lanka,’ with no return address, states that ‘within a short period they have kidnapped and collected huge sums from Muslim businessmen.’ Several Muslim leaders have alleged that Muslim businessmen are being targeted for abduction now that most prominent Tamil businessmen have either paid off paramilitary groups or fled the country.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.
Under the subheading “MUSLIM LEADER STATES ABDUCTIONS COME ‘FROM THE VERY TOP’” the ambassador wrote “Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader and Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Rauff Hakeem (strictly protect) told Ambassador on June 14 that he believed that those carrying out abductions receive ‘patronage from the very top,’ but did not elaborate further. Hakeem stated that he has received many complaints from his constituents recently about abductions for ransom among the Muslim community but that victims were ‘petrified’ to come forward and make a formal complaint. According to Hakeem, some prominent Muslim businessmen have decided to leave Sri Lanka until the threat of abduction subsides. In reference to government-sanctioned abductions of Muslim businessmen for ransom, Hakeem said that the Muslim community ‘has never seen this before.’”
Placing a comment Blake wrote “The negative impact of abductions is spreading beyond the Tamil community and past extra-judicial methods of dealing with possible LTTE supporters into abductions of any minority with a large bank account. Muslim leaders like Rauff Hakeem are increasingly critical of the Rajapaksa administration’s apparent tolerance for abductions, and numerous recent media reports have called attention to the growing trend of Muslim abductions for ransom. The Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Bogollogama on June 13 in part to flag to the Government our concern about this new trend and the need for the GSL to address it”
Below we give the relevant part of the confidential cable;Read More
