WikiLeaks: Rajapaksa Personally Requested That Maubima Not Publicize The Detention Of Its Reporter – Maubima Editor
July 5, 2012
By Colombo Telegraph -
“On November 23, 2006, police from the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) detained Parameshwari Munusami, a Sinhalese journalist working for Maubima or ‘Motherland’ (ref D). The editor of Maubima alleged that President Rajapaksa personally requested that the paper not publicize the detention of its reporter.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.
Ambassador Blake wrote “Maubima’s fortunes took a turn for the worse on February 7, 2007, when President Rajapaksa sacked Foreign Minister Samaraweera, a close confidant of Maubima owner Tiran Alles. Maubima’s critical coverage of the military campaign and support of Samaraweera has allegedly earned the ire of the President and his brother, Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa (ref C). Interlocutors report that the Rajapaksas have discouraged advertisers, harassed the editor, ordered frivolous audits of the paper and seized the passports of the owner and director. On February 28, Maubima Director Dushyantha Basnayaka was taken into custody by TID. On March 13, President Rajapaksa, in his capacity as Finance Minister, ordered a freeze on the assets of Maubima’s parent company, Standard Newspapers LTD. Maubima and its sister paper, The Sunday Standard, are expected to publish their last editions on March 25. On March 21, the Attorney General told the Supreme Court there was no evidence to hold Munusami and that no charges had been filed. The Court ordered her release, which was televised when it took place the following day. Given the intense public interest in her case, it is not likely that she will be re-arrested soon on the same or similar charges.”
Under the subheading “IF YOU CAN’T SAY ANYTHING NICE” Blake wrote “Numerous interlocutors of the public affairs and political sections have reported that owners, directors, editors and reporters in all media and in all languages are receiving anonymous threats. Moreover, they have also received unsolicited “friendly” advice from senior administration officials, including police Deputy Inspectors General, Army Commanders, Cabinet Ministers, Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa and even the President. The SIPDIS cause of such high-level attention appears to be unwelcome reporting on human rights issues such as murders, abductions COLOMBO 00000475 004 OF 004 and disappearances, but may also result from stories on the malodorous financial dealings of the Rajapaksa brothers or those close to them. The Ambassador made public visits to the Colombo offices of Thinakkural and Sudar Oli (Uthayan’s sister paper) to show support for these Tamil newspapers. The Ambassador and other Embassy officers have repeatedly urged the President and other senior Cabinet members to take concrete steps to safeguard media freedom. We have also advocated passage of a Media Freedom law first proposed in 2003, which would offer additional protection to journalists. The bill lapsed in 2004 with the election of a new Parliament and government, however, and its prospects for passage in the near future are uncertain at best.”
Placing a comment the ambassador wrote “The next several weeks are likely to see the extinction of four independent newspapers in Sri Lanka: Maubima (circ. 64,000) Sunday Standard (circ. 25,000), Thinakkural (circ. 12,000) and Uthayan (circ. 22,000). Equipped with the powers of warrantless arrest and unlimited detention under the stiffened emergency regulations, the government appears intent on silencing its most vocal critics. The stifling of independent voices through coercive means, both legal and extralegal, is having a profound impact on Sri Lanka’s previously vibrant media landscape and civil society as a whole.”
Related posts to this cable;
Below we give the relevant part of the leaked cable;
