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Viewing cable 08COLOMBO902, Sri Lanka: Journalists Face Continued Pressure

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08COLOMBO902 2008-09-26 02:38 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Colombo
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLM #0902 2700238
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260238Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8713
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2293
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4542
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3614
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4510
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 8702
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0816
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2955
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS COLOMBO 000902 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA SCA/INS, SCA/PPD and DRL/NESCA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PROP CE
SUBJECT: Sri Lanka: Journalists Face Continued Pressure 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  Munza Mushtaq, news editor the English-language, 
independent daily "The Nation," resigned on August 30, 2008 to 
protest a spate of recent actions by the publication's new 
management to curb journalistic and editorial independence.  The 
change in management and in editorial oientation at the Nation will 
muzzle a moderate bt independent voice and further narrow the 
spectum of opinion in Sri Lanka's media landscape.  EndSummary. 
 
2.  (SBU) Embassy PD officers met withMunza Mushtaq, who resigned 
her post on August 30as News Editor for the Nation, an 
English-languae, independent daily.  Mustaq had been employed by 
the Nation since its beginning in 2006, when a Si Lankan 
businessman established the paper to seve as an independent voice. 
The management recruited several leading journalists from other 
newspaers, and the paper quickly gained a strong reputaton as a 
reliable and unbiased publication. 
 
3.  (SBU) In March 2008, Nilanka Rajapaksa purchased a 49 percent 
share in the Nation.  Rajapaksa, although not a relative, is 
reportedly a close friend of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaska. 
 According to Mushtaq, soon after Nilanka Rajapaksa became involved 
with the paper, journalists felt their independence threatened. 
Tension erupted in late May 2008, when the Nation's Defense 
correspondent Keith Noyahr was abducted and brutally tortured by a 
group of thugs with alleged ties to senior military officers.  He 
had been warned not to criticize the military activities of the 
regime, according to Mustaq.  Noyahr has since left the country with 
his family. 
 
4.  (SBU) Shortly after the attack on Noyahr and approximately two 
and half months after Rajapksa purchased his 49 percent share, the 
remaining 51 percent was sold to Prasanna Wickremasuriya, brother of 
the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the U.S. and a cousin of President 
Rajapaksa.  According to Mushtaq, initially Wickremasuriya assured 
the editorial staff of total independence.  However, soon 
thereafter, management frequently stopped editors from printing 
stories critical of the government.   This environment caused 
further tension and dissatisfaction among a group of senior editors, 
and the group handed over their resignation letters in July en 
masse.  Fearing the fallout of such an exodus, the paper's new 
general manager refused the resignations and instead offered large 
financial incentives if the journalists stayed.  The journalists 
accepted the offer and rescinded their resignation letters. 
 
5.  (SBU) Tension briefly subsided, according to Munza.   However, 
on August 24, Munza penned an article, verified by multiple sources, 
outlining Ambassador Wickremasuriya's attempts to have the Sri 
Lankan Foreign Ministry give the Sri Lankan embassy assistance to 
counter the efforts of U.S. lobbyist Bruce Fein (who is viewed as 
pro-LTTE by the Sri Lankan government).  According to Munza, it was 
Nilanka Rajapaksa who was agitated with the article, rather than 
Prasanna Wickremasuriya, the Ambassador's brother. 
 
6. (SBU) In response to the article, the Nation's management asked 
longtime chief editor Lalith Allahakoon to resign.  Allahakoon 
refused.  He challenged the board to fire him, knowing that his 
dismissal would create a media uproar.  The management subsequently 
relieved Allahakoon of his responsibilities, but has kept him on 
staff.  In response, Munza and Marianne David, another senior 
journalist, tendered their resignations.  The management accepted 
both with immediate effect. 
 
7.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The events underscore the tense working 
environment for independent media in Sri Lanka.  Journalists are 
fearful of writing pieces critical of the government or the military 
offensive in northern Sri Lanka.  The beating of Noyahr in May was 
viewed by many journalists as both a punishment for his articles and 
a threat to other journalists of the consequences for authoring 
critical pieces.  The purchase of the Nation by the president's 
cronies, while ostensibly motivated by investment considerations, is 
likely to further narrow the spectrum of opinion reflected in Sri 
Lanka's media landscape. 
 
BLAKE